14 Years ago

I was conducting an overnight field training exercise with the radio operators, medics and ground support troops on the back end of the base that day.
My unit was in the process of changing from being a strategic patient movement team to a tactical Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
Let's just say that the field craft was lacking in folks who had previously worked in hospitals or offices. So practice practice practice was the plan and older line NCOs such as myself were on hand to gently encourage improvement in the areas that were substandard.
I got a phone call from our orderly room, and was told that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. The Airman on the line gave me no details, and I pictured a small plane dicking around and crashing.
So, I went back to showing the proper way to build a sand bag revetment to a group of teenagers who really didn't give a shit.
Then my OIC came over and told me to break camp and pack up the gear. We were to report to the warehouse to be briefed by the Commander. Another plane had crashed into the WTC and into the Pentagon as well.
With all the incompetence and fuckery that followed it is too easy to forget that moment. But we should not
The dozens of teenagers looking to get the GI bill and a fresh start disappeared and we became a squadron in the course of 5 minutes - 2 minutes of my Colonel speaking and a 3 minute video recap on CNN in the back of a hot dusty warehouse.
I don't know how many man years that group spent in theater, I deployed twice and that is probably below average, but I am proud to have served with them and I hope that my work kept them a little bit safer, more efficient - and I hope sane.
I know this group understands.