story10598.xml

story10598.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-05-15

I was 2 weeks away from completing the USAF Security Forces Academy. We were in the feild that morning, throwing hand grenades and detonating claymore mines, ground combat skills. Much of the academy is mental conditioning, with constant excercises and drills, so it was no real shock when we were informed that a plane had struck the WTC. Just annother drill. Then came the news that BOTH towers had been hit, and the Pentegon was in flames. "They need to make these excercises more realistic" I remember saying to my fellow Airmen. "Something believable, not stuff like this that could never happen." Not one of us was taking the news serriously. This was the USA. NO one would EVER think to attack US here, our HOMELAND. I remember returning to the dorm from the feild and thinking "Hey, they want to play games, fine with me...I'll just relax here in my room, put some music on the radio..."...There of course was no music to be heard on the radio that day. Just the news...it was real...VERRY, TERRIBLY REAL. I still remember the feeling...a sickness in the stomach, tears streaming down my face, my blood boiling in total rage....when they finally released us from our rooms to watch the president adress the nation on the big screen in the dayroom, everyone was just...silent. When the president steped out of Marine 1, every Airman in the room, without command but perfectly syrcronized rose to full attention...I will always remember that as the day I stopped being a boy and became a Soldier....