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Sather Air Base remembers 9/11

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Josef Cole
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq --  More than 100 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and civilians participated in a two-mile road march, weighed down by 40 pounds of body armor and heavy emotions, as the sun rose here, Sep. 11.

"The purpose of the event was to have a two-mile ruck [march] to honor those that have passed away on 9/11 back in 2001, and followed up with a flag folding ceremony, with two flights of personnel from across Sather AB, to include U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force," said Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Gideon, 447th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron. "The flag [folded during the ceremony] is actually being presented to [Brig Gen. Anthony Rock] on behalf of the Sather Air Base honor guard, and will then be presented to a fire department in New Jersey, to be passed on to the surviving members of 9/11.

The 9/11 attacks were perpetrated by hijackers who intentionally crashed two planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; crashed a third into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pa., before it could reach its intended target.

"On the 10th Anniversary of Sep. 11, 2001, we're out here celebrating American freedom, but more importantly, we're out here to remind ourselves that the reason we serve, is so Americans can live free of fear," said Brig. Gen. Anthony Rock, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing commander and director, Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air.

"We want to be here on the front lines of freedom so Americans can be back there in our nation, never afraid to go to work in two very tall towers, a five-sided building on the banks of the Potomac, or to fly over Pennsylvania field. So never again will we be attacked on our homeland. We know we serve in the forward locations so that we're free from fear back home," said Rock.

Since 9/11, military members, such as Capt. Mark Schoenbeck, 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, have fought across the globe in the war on terror .

"There was some special significance for me. Since 9/11, I've been fighting the war on terror, this is my third deployment in it. My second was to Afghanistan. I was tasked in lieu of, as a U.S. Army officer, and I was further imbedded into the Afghan National Army."

"I wore this gear every single day out there, fighting the actual war on terror, and we did it weekly, if not more often, marches just like we did [this morning]," said Schoenbeck. "(During the march), I was remembering all of those thoughts and feelings that I had from Afghanistan, soldiers that gave the ultimate sacrifice, and the higher calling that I answered when I raised my hand and said I would defend this nation."

For others that participated in the event, thoughts of friends and family, both here and at home, were foremost in their minds.

"You know, [for me,] it's about the camaraderie of people that are here, that are deployed in other locations, for the families back home, to show support for them even if they never know we're actually doing this, it's just being there in mind and spirit for them" said Lt. Col. Margaret Romero, 321st AEW Directors Action Group chief.

Rock's final words, "to all the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilians, both contractors and gov't civilians, I say 'thanks for your service.' Ten long years into this war, we know it's not over yet. We'll never be able to tell exactly when it's over, but we'll continue to serve as our nations sentry, it's sword and shield, it's avenger, I just remind everybody that we're out here with just one goal in mind, we will never falter, and we will not fail."