September 11th letter to Kessel Run
Today is Patriot Day and it’s hard not to find yourself emotionally and mentally traveling back in time to the place you were when you saw the news or heard the reporting of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on our nation. Nineteen years ago is almost a lifetime for some on our team, but for many in our community memories of that day are clearer than those from last week. The mental scars and impact of such a horrific combination of events have changed many aspects of our lives, and our military community and its members, in the years that followed.
On that day in 2001, I was a young first lieutenant on temporary duty orders in San Antonio, Texas for training. I was in a course on probabilistic analysis for jet engine disks. As I put on my uniform, the television news in my room showed that something was very wrong. I started to watch the report and won't forget seeing the second plane’s impact on the World Trade Center’s South Tower. Two more attacks and many more lives would be lost as the hours solemnly and slowly ticked forward on that fatal Tuesday in September. I couldn't sit through the class knowing that my life would become so very different than the others in that class who were not wearing their nation's uniform. At 8:30 that evening, President George W. Bush spoke to the nation and categorized the events of the day as “evil, despicable acts of terror.” Later, he would declare Friday, September 14 a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, for the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
For a period of time, it seemed there was a unification of the country and its people. Neighbors and community members reached out to offer assistance to each other and to families directly impacted by the events of that day. From the tragedy, there appeared to be some bright light of hope emerging. The will and need to bond together for a common cause and to aid one another seemed stronger than the attacks themselves.
It should never take a national emergency to bring us together as a people, but today, we find ourselves in just that situation. Today we worked from our bedrooms, dining tables, and basements because a virus makes our physical closeness dangerous. Because other work can't be done at a kitchen table, many other Americans don't have their job that brings them dignity and income; they now face economic uncertainty or known hardship. And the simple act of standing in unity at the first NFL game of the year drew boos from the crowd last night. Despite this turbulence, there is an emerging light of hope.
The new hope starts with a commitment from each of us. We must all individually contribute to building a better, more unified community. Inclusion isn't about highlighting the differences between people. Rather the goal is to have that common sense of unity as a nation of people who have so many wonderful differences. E Pluribus Unum. This is my goal for KR. We celebrate the differences that make the whole more complete.
Today, and every day, take time to appreciate a fellow Kessel Runner or two. Thank them for their support and fellowship. Get to know a teammate that you don't. Build a brighter future by positively impacting someone in our community each day. It all begins with your initiative to extend your hand, good thoughts, and warm emotions to another person. Your kindness and gestures are not something that can be replicated by a system, machine, application, or even a robot dog.
Director, US Federal Civilian and Health Team @ Amazon Web Services; Growth Executive leading Sales and Technical teams that are delivering positive mission outcomes for our Federal customers in the cloud.
4 年Active Duty on Joint Staff as the Military Assistant to the J4 on Joint Staff at Pentagon, 8th Corridor.
International Strategy Leader at the US Department of Homeland Security | Cybersecurity, Emerging Threats, AI | National Security & Global Risk Management
4 年This day is hard for me even 19 years later. I ended up at the World Congress Center in Atlanta that morning, instead of an IT symposium at the top of tower one that at one point I had been planning to attend. (I worked in Silicon Valley at the time). But as raw and numbing as that morning was, it didn’t hit hardest for me until 9/30. That was the day I stood in ground zero. There are no words to describe what it was like there. It’s haunted me every day of my life since. That, and the memories of the people jumping from the windows, and a 10 year old girl standing on a Manhattan street corner three weeks later asking every passerby including me if they’d seen her mom who was in the towers that morning. Her dad was standing against a wall behind her sobbing uncontrollably. I will never ever forget these memories as long as I live. And you know, I don’t want to. There are 2,977 reasons to always remember to live my life and serve humankind to the very best of my abilities. Hard as it is and much as that day changed me and all of us, I’m honored to do my little part serving all these years since. Honored.
Chief Strategist
4 年Great words Brian.
Beautifully said. I was in college. Decided to work on national security that day. Finally had my first day in the pentagon on 9/11/12. Has been the greatest honor of my life to serve 8 years in the Pentagon and i look forward to my return one day. Though i never worked at Kessel Run, I feel devoted to its mission because of the small supporting role I had in its early days. I truly believe the work that began there and is spreading across the whole Department will be a huge part of the reason we won’t have another 9/11. If, tragically, we do, I know the capabilities and culture you are developing will be a pillar of how we respond. Keep up the great work, Brian!
President WeFi International
4 年AwesomeBeach