A climb to remember

Published Sept. 14, 2011
By Senior Airman Rachelle Elsea
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Twenty-one firefighters and fellow volunteer service members participated in the "Climb to Remember" Sept. 11 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

This event was in honor of the 343 fire fighters who sacrificed their lives a decade ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We began our day just like every other day, with truck check offs, station duties and a morning workout," said Staff Sgt. Stentsen Ellenburg, a 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter. "This was in an effort to simulate how the firefighters of New York City had started their day in 2001. Those firefighters had no idea what they would face in only a matter of hours."

They thought, just as everyone else, after their shift was over they would return home, he added. But, one horrific event of terrorism changed all of that.

At 4:59 p.m. local time, representing the equivalent time in New York City when the destruction began, so did the climb.

"We went into it thinking it was just going to be firefighters and a few key leaders participating," said Ellenburg. "By the time we started our climb, other Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines, some of which were complete strangers to us, had showed up to walk beside us and help accomplish our goal. I would imagine that was the attitude during the events following 9/11; strangers working side by side, together, for a common goal."

All together, the team set out to climb 220-stories, representing the 110 stories in each of the World Trade Center Towers. With temperatures topping 120 degrees and each individual wearing more than 70 pounds of gear, the challenge was no easy feat.

The firefighters and volunteers climbed the watch tower in pairs.

"As firefighters, we never go into anything alone, similar to the Airman's Creed which states, 'I will never leave an Airman behind,'" said Ellenburg. "It doesn't matter who is beside you, when it's your turn to climb, you step off with the person beside you and don't look back until you are finished."

The pairs walked side by side up each floor, consisting of 24 steps, for a total of 5280 steps.

As the sun set, the last part of the climb was completed by Chief Master Sgt. Mitchell Balutski, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, and Senior Master Sgt. David Maupin, the 386th ECES fire chief. On their final decent, they brought with them an American flag, which had been posted on the top of the tower.

In under an hour and a half, the climb was complete.

For several years now, this event had already become a tradition in the U.S.

"Fire fighters across the nation normally climb 110 stories every Sept. 11th in remembrance of the 110 stories of the world trade center," said Ellenburg. "We wanted to do 220 for both of the towers that fell."

The firefighters on this rotation were the first to put on this event here for 9/11 and hope to keep it a tradition for years to come.

"It is the least we can do," said Ellenburg. "Most of the firefighters went in knowing they weren't coming out, but they still sacrificed their lives to save strangers. They are America's heroes."