2021 MF SEPTEMBER

Stories that stick

Like most others old enough to remember, I know exactly where I was on Sept. 11, 2001. I had recently landed my first real post-college job as an editorial assistant at a community newspaper group in central New Jersey. In those first few weeks, I worked on the occasional softball writing assignment but spent most of the time fetching mail and the strong black coffee that helped my bosses make deadlines.

When the tragedy struck, I quickly turned into a full-fledged reporter covering stories in a New York City suburb where many residents were directly affected by 9/11 loss. I conducted my most significant interview with the wife of Todd Beamer, an “everyday hero” from Cranbury, New Jersey, who was aboard hijacked United Airlines Flight 93. Lisa Beamer described how he attempted to gain control of the aircraft and that on a phone call with her she heard him declare, “Are you guys ready? Ok. Let’s roll.”

Two decades later, I have written about a plethora of people and places throughout my career, but I am feeling particularly fulfilled to once again tell the stories of heroes we will never forget as part of Military Families Magazine. I am proud to present our special 9/11 20th anniversary edition, designed to recognize this meaningful milestone.

On our pages this month, you will find poignant pieces on the aftermath of war, including families supporting Afghan interpreters in America, how to treat transition

stress caused by the drawdown of forces, and a profile on a non-profit helping combatwounded veterans with mental and physical health.

Our writers and editors talked to service members who joined the military because of 9/11, journalists who spent years reporting on the war on terrorism from the front lines, and the first fire chief on the scene at the World Trade Center. For the “Bonded by Tragedy” cover story, I had the privilege of detailing the one-of-a-kind friendship of two former

contributors

Chris Adams

Barrett Baker

Kaitlynn Copinger

Rich Dolan

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Crystal Kupper

Jessica Manfre

Andrea Downing Peck

Kari Williams

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soldiers who lost a father and brother on the day that changed everything.

Something that hasn’t changed? People still working tirelessly to honor legacies and support victims’ families, troops, and firstresponders. It’s a powerful issue you are going to want to keep around for the next 20 years.

Melissa Stewart Content Editor

ON THE COVER

Former Army captains Joe Quinn (left) and Patrick Dowdell at the 9/11 memorial in Breezy Point, New York.

Photo by Levi Turner.

A tribute to lives lost is displayed at the 9/11 memorial in Breezy Point, N.Y.

PHOTO BY LEVI TURNER

Bonded

by Melissa M. Stewart

by tragedy

by Kari Williams

by Jessica Manfre

by Rich Dolan

Military Families Magazine by AmeriForce Media, LLC, is published 12 times a year for active duty service members and their families. Copies are available through participating family service centers, relocation offices, transition offices, base lodges, libraries, daycare centers, MWR activities and other locations by request. Unit requests can be made online at https://militaryfamilies.com/ print-magazines/

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A LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP FORMS FROM WEST POINT TO 9/11 LOSSES TO AFGHANISTAN

BY MELISSA M. STEWART

PHOTO BY LEVI TURNER

Joe Quinn (left) and Patrick Dowdell

An upbringing in Brooklyn. First-responder families. 9/11 losses. West Point educations. Fighting in Afghanistan. Serving in so many ways. The shared connections between two former Army captains are so strong, it’s hard to imagine them not forging a friendship.

But their bond may not have begun if Patrick Dowdell didn’t happen to crash on Joe Quinn’s couch for a few months back in 2006 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Dowdell explains that the Army messed up his orders, forcing him to arrive for training without a room and to bunk in his truck the first night.

“I drove from Brooklyn to Fort Sill with my brother and pulled in and I was a little shell shocked,” said Dowdell. “I had no idea what to expect.”

Luckily, he made some phone calls to friends who told him he needed to connect with Quinn, a “good guy” who was sure to help a fellow soldier from the same Marine Park neighborhood.

“Well, he showed up in a Cadillac and a velour suit. A credible person,” joked Quinn about his first impression of Dowdell.

Humor, Quinn explains, is one of the ways both men deal with tragedy, and they related to each other right off the bat.

“I think Pat and I, we tend to deal with trauma and loss by, you know, joking around with each other, and it just gives us comfort because we’re probably the only two guys who could do that, to try to bring lightness to it,” said Quinn.

The “it” Quinn refers to is a bond the friends discovered that went way beyond being raised in the same town or the fact that they had both recently graduated from West Point. Their families had a history of service and suffering — Dowdell’s father worked as a firefighter for the FDNY while Quinn’s dad spent his career as an NYPD officer. On 9/11 both Dowdell’s father, Kevin, and Quinn’s younger brother, Jimmy, lost their lives in the attacks.

“It was sort of instant,” said Quinn about his connection with Dowdell. “Obviously, it’s slightly different losing a brother versus a father, but I have always seen it as, my brother was 23, on top of the North Tower. He was a baby, he was a kid, and Pat’s father went in to try to save my brother and people like my brother. Then, with the Army and the West

Point connection, you go through so many shared experiences, and increasing on that, to have that kind of neighborhood bond was special.”

Reunion in Afghanistan

When 9/11 happened, Quinn was a senior at West Point, while Dowdell had recently committed to attending academy at the encouragement of this father. Quinn remembers how his entire course changed in an instant that day.

“On Sept. 10, I was just trying to survive — academics, going to basketball practice, and getting ready for the season,” said Quinn, who was on an athletic scholarship. “I said, ‘You know, I’ll probably join the Army and get out after two years.’ On Sept. 11, basketball was the least of my

Joe Quinn, Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team, and Army Capt. Patrick Dowdell stand behind an I-beam from the World Trade Center during a 9/11 anniversary ceremony in Afghanistan in 2010.

A cross made of World Trade Center steel at a memorial in Breezy Park, New York.

PHOTO BY SENIOR AIRMAN RYLAN ALBRIGHT

PHOTO BY LEVI TURNER

concerns. I knew why I was there. I was going to join the Army and do what I had to do.”

Quinn deployed to Iraq twice during his active-duty service, the second stint during the surge from 2006-2007 as part of the Reconciliation & Engagement Cell. Following these tours, he earned his graduate degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and then spent eight months in Afghanistan as part of the Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT).

It was then, in 2010, when Quinn reunited with Dowdell, the first time the friends had seen each other since Fort Sill.

“It wasn’t a revenge thing necessarily; it was more, if someone’s got to go, why not me,” said Dowdell about the war. “I was capable, I wanted to help, and to be able to do that was certainly an honor.”

Part of that honor included Dowdell bringing a piece of an I-beam from the World Trade Center to Forward Operating Base in Farah, displayed as a

reminder of why the troops were there. On Sept. 11, 2010, when both Dowdell and Quinn were together, they helped organize a memorial at headquarters and participated in a ceremony to recognize the 9th anniversary with their fellow service members.

“To be together in Afghanistan on that day, there is no one else I would have rathered be with than Patrick,” said Quinn.

Of course, when two friends rely on laughter as a form of survival, less serious moments are expected — even in Afghanistan. Dowdell recalls “looking like we were on a beach in New York somewhere” upon Quinn’s arrival in less-than-appropriate dress and watching the movie “My Cousin Vinny” during downtime.

Committed to service

Though they are now both successful veterans with busy careers, families, and five kids between them, Quinn and Dowdell never stop working to honor the legacy of Kevin and Jimmy. Dowdell, who works full time as a sales director, has performed across the country

“He was a baby, he was a kid, and Pat’s father went in to try to save my brother and people like my brother.”

—Joe Quinn

A tribute to the brother Joe Quinn lost on 9/11 in Breezy Point, New York.

Patrick Dowdell holds a picture of his father, FDNY firefighter Kevin Dowdell, who lost his life on 9/11.

Patrick Dowdell and Joe Quinn on the first night Quinn arrived in Afghanistan for deployment.

PHOTO BY LEVI TURNER

PHOTO BY LEVI TURNER

Anniversary support

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 100-plus friends and family of Joe Quinn’s brother Jimmy, a diehard baseball fan, will gather at Citi Field for an annual tradition on Sept. 21. They will watch the Mets play the Yankees and reconnect with their lost loved one.

This year’s 20th Annual Jimmy Quinn Fundraiser Game T-Shirt is available for purchase online at Feltman’s, www. feltmansofconeyisland.com/products/ jimmy-quinn-memorial-shirt-1. Profits will benefit the 3 Brothers Foundation, a nonprofit created by the Quinn brothers in Jimmy’s memory, which is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide social, educational, and mental health services to military heroes, service members, and their families.

IN 2020

grants totaling $7.2 million were awarded throughout the United States

$ $ $

More than 95 cents out of every donated dollar directly supports programs that help veterans and their families.

The Trust supports REHABILITATION CRISIS INTERVENTION

RECREATION

with the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums since 2001. He’s also a founding member and vice president of the Lt. Kevin C. Dowdell Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) Division 4.

Quinn, the former executive director of the military mental health nonprofit Headstrong Project, now raises awareness and funds for the families of 9/11 victims through his business, Feltman’s of Coney Island Hot Dogs, opened in 2015 in memory of his hot dog-loving brother.

“I really distilled it down to its simplest form,” explains Quinn about his decision to turn tragedy into triumph. “You can either choose the dark or the light. I try my damndest to do good things as a person.”

Dowdell agrees.

“I mean, it’s a part of it is his legacy, right,” he said about respecting his father. “It’s part of who we are. 9/11 was a negative thing, but we have both made a great attempt at making it a positive thing.”

Quinn points out that coming from a neighborhood that values patriotism and pride had a strong influence on the values he shares with Dowdell.

“It’s sort of instilled in us, from our parents, informed by our neighbors, and the fact that we believe we owe it to our brothers

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and sisters who served or who have served because of our brother and father,” Quinn said.

Today, the well-connected friends see each other often on weekends when Quinn visits Breezy Point, New York, the beach town where both his parents and Dowdell reside. The Queens community is also home to a memorial that includes a cross made of World Trade Center steel and glass etchings that serve as tributes to all of the community members who lost their lives on 9/11, including Kevin Dowdell and Jimmy Quinn.

In 2020, the Trust received its second perfect score rating from Charity Navigator. CFC #11322

This symbolic site is yet another monumental part of life that these men have in common.

“I mean we’re probably gonna grow old together and be at the VFW,” imagined Quinn, “talking about all these things and, most importantly, remembering. Whether it’s Pat’s father, my brother, or others who perished on 9/11 … whether it’s our friends that we lost overseas or those who were wounded or those who are dealing with mental health issues. We’re in a unique position to help that narrative and do something about it. It’s just the beginning.”

A CALL TO DEFEND

Retired Marine and FOX News analyst reflects on life after severe war injuries

BY JESSICA MANFRE

Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Johnny “Joey” Jones was a freshman in high school when America was attacked on 9/11. He said the experience inspired his lifelong commitment to patriotism and service.

Initially, Jones says it was hard to wrap his head around how monumental it all really was.

“New York was as far away as England for a kid living in a small town in Georgia,” Jones explained. “It took weeks and really months for it all to resonate with me. Then we went to war; that’s when it really set in.”

In just two short years, he was listening to a former studentturned-soldier talk about his combat experience.

“It hit home in 2003, like wow, we are a part of this. This is going to change my life whether I want it to or not,” Jones said.

Because his family had no high

school graduates, getting a diploma was a goal for Jones. Beyond that, he says college seemed unachievable, and, though deeply patriotic, his family’s history did not include a deep amount of military service.

“In 2005 I turned 18 and was working in a carpet mill, like everyone else in my town, and I

Then-Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos (right), receives honors alongside Staff Sgt. Johnny Jones at the Headquarters Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Jones was on hand to represent all Wounded Warriors during the event in celebration of the 237th Marine Corps birthday.

got to thinking how I could work the rest of my life for a $10 an hour raise,” Jones said. “I was like, there has to be something more to this. More purpose and more to achieve. I didn’t think I’d be making more money, but I definitely wanted to be doing something I believed in.”

His two closest friends, Chris and Keith, were military kids and had always intended to join. But it was Jones who was first to enlist in the Marine Corps.

“It was kind of funny and ironic,”

Jones said with a smile. “When I sat down in front of the recruiter, he put these plaques out and they had words on them that really mattered to me.”

“Discipline. Responsibility. Leadership.”

He signed up. Jones admits his initial enlistment was for selfish reasons, but his mentality quickly changed.

“By the time I was 20 years old, I was fighting a war for something bigger than myself,” he said.

After a combat deployment to Iraq, Jones became an EOD Technician. On Aug. 6, 2010, he was deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, which at the time was the deadliest location for troops.

Earlier that week, Jones and his team found and destroyed more than 40 improvised explosive devices. After clearing an area in the Safar Bazaar, he leaned against a wall for a break. When he stood up and started walking again, he unknowingly triggered a hidden IED.

It’s been 11 years since losing both of his legs and severely injuring both arms in the blast.

Despite the challenges of navigating life following combat injuries, Jones began advocating for veterans on Capitol Hill while he was still a patient at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His actions resulted in a host of legislative improvements and VA policy changes for military members and veterans.

And the “unattainable” idea of college? He did it.

These days viewers watch Jones on FOX News, where he is a regular contributor, or see him hosting multiple shows on FOX Nation. On the Proud American podcast, he tackles important issues impacting the country.

Jones also sits on the boards of nonprofits and volunteers his time speaking out for veterans.

With many active-duty service members anxious about a reduction of forces as the war ends, Jones wants them to know they are more than their uniform.

“At the end of the day, the military made you a selfsufficient, resilient person that knows how to learn, train, work with others and how to believe in a mission and get it done,” he said.

Jones says he remains deeply grateful for his service. While the world recognizes the somber anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, for him, it’s equally important to point out an important fact: 9/11 hasn’t happened again.

“Our job when we enlist in the military is to fight for our country, defend it and keep it safe,” he said. “In response to Sept. 11, 2001, two things happened. One is America was reassured it has an entire class of citizens willing to do that for them. Two, the world was reassured that if you attack us, we will come after you.”

As for this retired Marine, despite suffering and loss, Jones says he would do it all over again. But, he jokes, he’d step left instead of right next time.

PHOTO BY P&R PRODUCTIONS

BY STACY ALLSBROOK-HUISMAN

Since the 9/11 attack, editors, reporters, and photographers working for The Associated Press and Stars and Stripes have covered the war on terrorism every single day — following troops, living alongside them during conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, and gaining the trust of warfighters so they are more willing to tell their stories to readers back home.

Current and former AP and Stars and Stripes journalists share their perspectives on covering the war on terrorism two decades after it all began.

Pfc. Kyle Hockenberry, who was injured in an improvised explosive device attack near Haji Ramuddin, is treated by flight medic Cpl. Amanda Mosher while being transported by medevac helicopter to the Role 3 hospital at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan on June 15, 2011. Throughout Hockenberry’s multiple surgeries and skin grafts, doctors have worked around his tattoo and left it intact.

PHOTO BY LAURA RAUCH / ©2011 STARS AND STRIPES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

LAURA RAUCH

Photojournalist, The Associated Press (1999-2007) Middle East Reporter, Stars and Stripes (2011-2013)

Rauch is a photojournalist who worked as an AP western regional photographer and spent much of that time embedded with troops, capturing powerful images on the ground.

What does it mean to be a journalist in a war zone? “I’ve been shot at, beaten, attacked, but it doesn’t matter. I have to put my foot down anywhere a U.S. service member is made to put his/ her foot. That’s what the job calls for. I had to work hard to gain the trust of men and women fighting this war. They had to know I would get the story right. I’d tell the truth.”

How did covering the war change you?   “There is no question covering the war in Iraq changed me. That war was different. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t draw on my experience from my time there. I think journalism has changed with the advent of social media; community papers are disappearing. It’s a mistake of epic portions.”

ROBERT REID

Various roles, The Associated Press (1982-2014)

Senior Managing Editor, Stars and Stripes (2014-present)

Bob Reid spent more than four decades at the AP and Stars and Stripes, covering stories around the world. His passion for journalism is infectious, and his commitment to truth is evident in the large body of work he’s published. Reid started his career in Army intelligence.

How has journalism changed over the last two decades?

“It’s changed a lot, the collapse of newspapers and television stations. Google, Yahoo, and other online social media sites have gobbled up advertising and the money that was traditionally available to news stations and

papers. Many so-called news stations just reinforce what you already know. It’s become a tribalization of the media. There is a lot less reporting these days.”

Is there a story that left an impact on you? “There are so many. I did a story about the bombing of Kabul — before the city fell in October 2001 — the American military was trying to take communication towers. And people lived near the foothills of communication towers. If they bombed the towers, the shrapnel from the bomb was hitting the town. I remember there was a boy in the hospital; why is he paying the price for this? The U.S. mission was bedeviled by civilian casualties. We went in to fight Al Qaeda, but we ended up killing many Afghans.”

A crew from Battery B, 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, fire a 155 mm howitzer in support of infantry operations in a nearby valley at Forward Operating Base Blessing in eastern Afghanistan.

PHOTO BY MARK ST. CLAIR / ©2007 STARS AND STRIPES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne waited while an AH-64 Apache refueled at Firebase Asadabad. The assault helicopter escorted a CH-47 Chinook, which inserted the soldiers on a ridge 8,000 feet in the mountains near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan.

PHOTO BY TERRY BOYD / ©2004 STARS AND STRIPES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PHOTO BY JOE GIORDONO /

CHAD GARLAND

Legislative Relief Reporter, The Associated Press (2014) Foreign Correspondent, Stars and Stripes (2016-present)

Garland is currently working the Afghanistan desk for Stars and Stripes from Kaiserslautern, Germany. He’s a Marine veteran but transitioned to the role of journalist for the AP, Los Angeles Times, and other media outlets.

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001? “I was a Marine working in an office building on Fort Meade when the planes hit the towers. I spent the rest of that day and several more on duty at the base gates as armed overwatch because initially, officials believed a white van full of Arab men was traveling down I-95 headed for military or government facilities in the D.C. region.”

What are some of your thoughts as this conflict for American military comes to a close? “While the U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan, thousands of troops will remain on duty in the broader region, where violent extremist and terrorist threats are ongoing. While we might be tempted to turn our attention away from that region or from the issue of terrorism, we should remain informed, especially with some viewing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as an embarrassing defeat. There are failures the U.S. or its allies must own. But it was certainly not all a waste. Many in that country have experienced greater security, freedom of expression, participation in civic life and trade, education, and more. There’s little more the U.S. could have done militarily, though. It was always ultimately going to come down to the Afghans to secure, govern, and shape their country and society without us.”

ERIK SLAVIN

Bureau Chief, Europe and Middle East, Stars and Stripes (2017-present)

Slavin has spent the last 17 years reporting on issues that matter to military service members. He’s worked in both Asia and Europe, focusing on defense-related stories. He’s currently in Germany covering news in Europe and the Middle East.

Is there a story you covered that had a lasting impact on you? “One made an impact. I told the story of a son and a spouse, and the loved one they lost to PTSD. He spent 38 years in uniform and working as a civilian for the DIA in some of the world’s toughest places. It broke him. None of the institutions he worked for got him the help he needed. It’s stuck with me.”

Any closing thoughts as we reach this milestone?

“I hope that in conflict zones, the U.S. military returns to

greater transparency on the ground. There was actually more access when the wars were bigger and more dangerous. We all understand that some matters need to be kept secret, perhaps no one more so in journalism than Stars and Stripes. But a lot doesn’t need to be kept secret. Letting America see what its military is doing is always beneficial, whether it reflects heroism, the daily grind, or something going wrong. It allows the public to recognize the best in people and fix what needs to be addressed most.”

For an in-depth look into the unique history of Stars and Stripes and choice reporting, check out the documentary “The World’s Most Dangerous Paper Route,” available on Amazon.

A patchwork team of airmen, soldiers, and civilians put the finishing touches on what will become the living quarters for the 82nd Airborne in Bagram, Afghanistan.

©2002 STARS AND STRIPES, ALL RIGHTS

EXPERIENCES SHARED

BY RICH DOLAN

For as long as he can remember, Agha has been fascinated by the history and culture of the world. As a young boy growing up in Southern Afghanistan, he couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t studying history or language, mesmerized by the prospect of one day visiting those distant lands he read about.

He was the first in his village to attend university, and he graduated with a master’s degree. His thirst for knowledge and experience finally brought him to become a translator for a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Zabul Province, and he couldn’t have been happier with the opportunity to work alongside U.S. forces.

“It was a wonderful experience,

the best experience of my life when I had a purpose in my life,” said Agha. “What I did, or what many of us did, there is pride in it.”

While working alongside U.S. forces brought deep satisfaction and fulfillment for Agha, it also came at a cost. He not only faced the threats of IEDs and gunfire daily, but the safety of him and his family would never be guaranteed again. Despite the rural area that Agha came from, word traveled fast, and rumors were abundant.

“I was fortunate enough to keep almost all of my work with American forces a secret most of the time,” said Agha. “But when a guy like me disappears for two years, they [Taliban] understand what you’re up to and where you have gone.”

Agha drove up to 40 miles away from his posting with the U.S. military in order to reach cell service and call home to his family. When he finally made contact, he found that his parents were being threatened by the Taliban because of his service with the U.S. military.

“So they would tell me that people in the village were talking about me,” said Agha. “There were direct and indirect threats from the Taliban to me and my family.”

He knew he had to act quickly and make a plan to leave the country. He wanted nothing more than to go to America, and he found his chance to fulfill that dream through the Department of State’s Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The SIV program provides Afghans who have served as interpreters and

in other critical job roles the opportunity to immigrate to the U.S. It requires two years of service, as well as a support letter and various other screenings. The entire process is congressionally mandated to take less than nine months to complete.

Agha waited six years for his visa to get approved.

After being notified that his visa was finally approved he took less than two weeks to leave Afghanistan, forgoing many of the applications for aid that he was eligible for in order to reach safety as quickly as possible.

Veteran families help Afghans find refuge, friendship, and a new way of life in America

“It was like a dream come true,” said Agha. “I could not believe it.”

Despite having a ticket to the U.S. and visa in hand, Agha had no idea where he was going to resettle — so he sent an email to his old U.S. Army supervisor asking where he should go.

“He said, ‘Come to me.’” said Agha. “And now I’m here with friends and it feels so good, I swear.”

One of those friends is Blaine Hooper, an Army veteran who saw combat in Afghanistan.

Hooper is also a community leader for the SIVs and Allies Group of Houston-based veteran service organization Combined Arms. He met Agha through Houston Welcomes Refugees, where he and his wife signed up to be a sponsor family and welcome new refugees to the area. Hooper says he’s proud to be helping Agha.

“We consider it an honor, because my interpreter in Afghanistan saved my life,” said Hooper. “They had our backs, and we have to have theirs — we’re honor-bound.”

Hooper and his wife help Agha with everything from explaining the concept of Walmart to helping protect him from phone scams. But most of all, they help him by offering him their friendship and being there for him when he needs a hand.

“The most decisive factor, I think, for people being successful in America is having American friends,” said Hooper.

Using understanding to ease the SIV process

Agha also points out how important military veterans who

have deployed to Afghanistan are in the transition process of an SIV.

“Of course there is a huge difference in understanding and approach,” said Agha. “They understand better than most how to talk to these Afghans, how to approach them, how to communicate with them and how to help them if they need it.”

Hannah Quillin, executive director of Houston Welcomes Refugees, considers the bond between veterans and SIV families to be critical.

Continue reading on page 29>>

Waiting to welcome an SIV family to the U.S.

SHARES EXTRAORDINARY FIRST FIRE CHIEF AT WORLD TRADE CENTER

BY KAITLYNN R. COPINGER

He wasn’t even supposed to be on duty that day. But New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief

And so, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, he was responding to a call for a possible gas leak in Manhattan when a commercial airliner flew overhead and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

“We were, like many others, thrusted into history,” he told Military Families Magazine.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Pfeifer has written a book, “Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of

9/11,” sharing his experience as the first FDNY chief at the scene of the World Trade Center attack.

Originally, he said, he envisioned not a memoir, but an academic book on crisis leadership — a topic that aligns with his current positions as the director for crisis leadership at Columbia University and a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point. His editors encouraged him to share his personal story first.

It’s a deeply compelling one. On the morning of Sept. 11, after the first plane hit, Pfeifer raced to the scene and began ordering firefighters, including his younger brother, Kevin, to climb the stairs to the impact site, evacuating civilians along the way.

While he was commanding from the lobby of the North Tower, a second plane hit the South Tower. Not long after, he heard a “monster locomotive sound,” but in the confusion of the day didn’t realize until later it was the South

Tower collapsing.

Pfeifer made the difficult decision to order firefighters to evacuate from the North Tower, and as he raced down the street in his gear, it crashed behind him.

“Hearing debris crashing all around us, I bargained with God to see my family again,” he wrote.

Pfeifer survived, but his brother and 342 other members of the FDNY did not. The terrorist attacks changed the trajectory

Joseph Pfeifer had agreed to swap shifts with another chief.

of Pfeifer’s life and career. In the aftermath, he felt he had a responsibility to fix the communication issues between the New York City police and fire departments that complicated the Sept. 11 response.

“It took both agencies and others working through the pain and going through the process to be able to trust each other with their lives, and that’s something else when you see that happen,” he said.

Prior to his 2018 retirement as an assistant chief, Pfeifer founded FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness and played a key role in several other highprofile incidents, including the Hurricane Sandy response and the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane landing.

In his memoir, Pfeifer recalls a visit from a group of teenagers who wanted to meet the firefighters featured in a documentary about the attacks, including Pfeifer. One of the girls told Pfeifer she thought he’d be taller — more like a superhero.

His hope is that, after reading his book, people can see themselves as ordinary heroes. Recent events, like the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, are a reminder that people need each other, he said.

“Whether it’s a terrorist attack, or collapse of a building, or dealing with climate change, and the list goes on and on, or international conflicts, it’s going to take all of us coming together to deal with these large problems,” he said.

On this 20th anniversary, he plans to return to the World Trade Center.

“I’ll be there, like I’ve always been,” he said.

— FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer

“Hearing debris crashing all around us, I bargained with God to see my family again.”

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

Army Capt. Jonathan Steel and his family.

On the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a select group of America’s soldiers, airmen, Coasties, sailors, and Marines are remembering why they joined.

Army Capt. Jonathan Steel was one month from his 10th birthday and reading at home when his grandmother called and told his mother to turn on the TV. Together, they watched live as the second plane hit the South Tower. His mother cried. Steel didn’t — but his life was forever changed.

“I didn’t have a firm grasp on why it happened, but it definitely fueled my spark to join the military,” he said. “The following months as we went into Afghanistan and subsequently Iraq, I remember watching coverage with Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams during the nightly news. Those nights left a pretty big impact on me during my formative years.”

Steel enlisted in November 2009 and eventually trained as an indirect fire infantryman. Today, he serves as an assistant professor of military science at Norwich University in Vermont and said the last 11 years have “flown by.” It seems like just yesterday, he said, that he followed in several relatives’ footsteps and raised his right hand in service to his country.

“My great-grandfather was a veterinarian responsible for the last shipment of horses to France during WWI, both of my grandfathers served in the Army between WWII and the Korean War, and I had two uncles in the Air Force,” Steel said. “It was a dream since I was a kid, and when I heard God tell me that is what I needed to do, I pursued it wholeheartedly.”

He couldn’t protect his fellow Americans when he was a child watching the towers collapse. But volunteering as a grown man to fight back that same sort of evil is something Steel called his dream career.

“I always make sure to put something on Facebook in remembrance of Sept. 11 and tell my four boys about what happened and why we need to remember,” he said.

For some, it was foresight

The attacks surprised almost everyone around the globe. But not Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jorge D. Tarafa, who took note of increasing terrorist violence worldwide in the years leading up to Sept. 11. He had already served in the military, leaving in 1994 to care for an ill family member. But his study of history alongside his instincts

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CFC #66860

told him more attacks were imminent, and he wanted to be ready. Something big, he felt, was on its way.

Tarafa reenlisted on Sept. 9, 2001. Just two days later, he was working on his truck in Tennessee when someone told him about the first plane. Before the second strike, he said out loud, “We are being attacked.”

“I felt at the time I was a year late in my gut,” he said. “The Sept. 11 attack on the Towers was the unfortunate and horrific validation of my years-long concerns and motivation to take the fight to the bad guys.”

In the coming months, Tarafa would do exactly that, using his life-saving skills in the battle of Fallujah in 2004. Today, he is a full-time student in animal-assisted therapy, focusing on veterans recovering from service or combat injuries.

Veterans’ causes and preventing future violence are a shared passion for both Tarafa and Steel. Tarafa’s unit has lost more members to homicide, suicide, and overdoses than to combat, he said, while Steel pointed to the massive financial and mental costs the War on Terror has taken on our nation.

Tarafa hoped America acts with “dignity and reflection” on the 20th anniversary. Steel echoed the thought, recalling the unity of “September 12.”

“I want people to remember what we are capable of as a nation and that we can come together again,” he said. “I just pray it doesn’t take another event like 9/11 to get there.”

“The Sept. 11 attack on the Towers was the unfortunate and horrific validation of my years-long concerns and motivation to take the fight to the bad guys.”

— Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jorge D. Tarafa

sets combat-injured veterans on NEW JOURNEY Catch a Lift Fund

BY KARI WILLIAMS

“I was living on adrenaline but not knowing that I was concussed to the severity where I should have been evaced,” said Martin, a Marine infantryman who served during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was again in close proximity to an IED in 2007, causing a second concussion. After being

medically discharged, Catch a Lift Fund was exactly what Martin needed.

“I knew how to workout. I knew what a gym was. I needed that other intangible piece of it, you know – family bonding. The support. The community, the outreach,” Martin said. “I needed that piece again. I needed a team.”

Ret. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Carnell Martin, a member of Catch a Lift (CAL), stretches with Marines with Sierra Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division during a physical training event on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Carnell Martin was traveling to Baghdad in 2003 when his convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.

PHOTO BY CPL. ALEXA M. HERNANDEZ

The Catch a Lift Fund helps post-9/11, combat-injured veterans recover physically and mentally from wounds sustained while serving. Lynn Coffland established the fund in 2010 in honor of her brother, Army Cpl. Chris Coffland, who served with the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion out of Fort Meade, Maryland. Chris Coffland enlisted in the Army after the Sept. 11 terror attacks and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He died Nov. 13, 2009, after suffering wounds from an IED.

“When I found out, I was of course devastated,” Lynn Coffland said. “He was my dearest friend and brother, and I started getting a lot of men and women that he was with that reached out and talked about his love of fitness.”

After her brother’s death, Lynn Coffland began working with veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she learned they did not have a way to heal holistically. So she started offering gym memberships and home-gym equipment to combat-injured veterans.

Catch a Lift was built on “four core pillars,” according to Lynn Coffland, that are intertwined – nutrition, fitness, emotional wellness, and community. Some former participants have gone on to become mentors, including Martin, who currently work with up to 20 veterans.

“When I meet those veterans that have been where I’ve been and started where I started and just listen to their story, [they] remind me of myself,” said Martin, who was in the Marines for 30 years. “And the struggle that they’re going through I’ve been through.”

When veterans enter the program, they are interviewed by a certified fitness coach and nutritionist, then go through a 12-week training program that establishes fitness and nutrition habits. After the 12 weeks, if the veteran was successful, he or she chooses a gym membership anywhere in the country or home gym equipment.

“Catch a Lift’s biggest goal is that our veterans have a healthy future and that they

take ownership of that healthy future,” Lynn Coffland said.

Martin’s experience solidifies that, as he said Catch a Lift has not only benefited himself, but also his family. They know he’s “in good hands” and being supported.

“Seeing me happy makes them happy,” Martin said.

And as the fund grows, Lynn Coffland said she hopes to expand awareness beyond the veteran community.

“I also would like to put our community out into the civilian world, either at schools or in civic groups to inspire men and women to see what you can do when you overcome obstacles and what a true hero looks like,” she said.

As for Martin, three wars and six combat tours later, he said he is “lucky and thankful” for his military career.

“With all the trauma and all the lives lost and all, I’m just thankful for having a family in Catch a Lift and an outlet that I can call home,” he said.

For more on Catch a Lift Fund, visit https://catchaliftfund.org.

PHOTO BY CPL. ALEXA M. HERNANDEZ

Addressing mental health issues caused by a drawdown of forces

BY ANDREA DOWNING PECK

When the end of Army veteran James Davis’ deployment to Afghanistan was in sight, his excitement about returning home in time for his son’s birthday suddenly was replaced by a “knot in the gut” created by a simple question: Why had he survived when others had not?

“I got to go home because somebody else had to come and take my place,” recalled Davis, a retired lieutenant colonel from

Horry County, South Carolina. “That person may not be as fortunate as me. I’ve asked the question often, as many of us do, ‘God, what’s so special about me that I get to live?’”

As the United States removes its forces from Afghanistan and marks the end of the nation’s longest military engagement, survivor’s guilt is but one of the mental health challenges facing some of the nation’s post-9/11 veterans, more than 2.7 million

of whom deployed to a war zone during the past 20 years.

Epidemiologist Rajeev Ramchand, PhD, a senior behavioral scientist at RAND Corporation, notes that veterans’ mental health issues can span a range of diagnosable conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, and substance abuse. But most are “treatable conditions,” Ramchand pointed out. “So, there’s hope.

There are evidence-based treatments that we know work.”

Clinical counselor Duane France, LPC, an Army retiree, says service members reintegrating into civilian society can also be impacted by “transition stress” caused by worries related to basic necessities, such as jobs, housing, and loss of a sense of purpose.

“I work with a lot of veterans who feel like they want to have

Clinical counselor Duane France, LPC, an Army retiree and director of veteran services for Family Care Center.

WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP:

Coaching into Care https:// www.mirecc.va.gov/coaching/

Give an Hour https:// giveanhour.org/military/

Military OneSource: Building Health Relationships https:// www.militaryonesource.mil/ confidential-help/specialtyconsultations/building-healthyrelationships/building-healthyrelationships/

State Veterans Benefit Finder https://www.cnas.org/ publications/reports/stateveteran-benefit-finder

Army Strong Bonds Program https://www. strongbonds.org/

Marine Corps Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) https://www.quantico. usmc-mccs.org/marine-family/ family-readiness/marine-corpsfamily-team-building-mcftb/ prevention-and-relationshipenhancement-program-prep/

Navy Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operations (CREDO) https://www.cnic.navy.mil/ regions/cnrma/om/religious_ programs.html

Air Force Marriage Care Program

Real Warriors Campaign https://www.health.mil/ Military-Health-Topics/ Centers-of-Excellence/ Psychological-Health-Centerof-Excellence/Real-WarriorsCampaign

FIVE SIGNS OF

more purpose and meaning in their post-military lives,” said France, director of veteran services, Family Care Center, Colorado Springs. “They want to be satisfied with what they’re doing, and they feel a loss of that after the military.”

Integrating back into family life can be challenging for service members who have spent their military careers on endless deployment cycles. Because families adapt to repeated separations by creating new roles within the family, Ramchand said returning military members may not “know where they fit in this new system or they may want to go back to the old system and the family doesn’t want to.”

Ramchand says an “open dialogue and trusting in that communication” is key to solving reintegration challenges. He also suggests couples take advantage of military marriage enrichment programs and seek counseling as needed.

Give an Hour is one place to turn for help. The national nonprofit includes 4,200 licensed mental health providers who each week offer free and confidential counseling to active duty, veterans, members of the Guard and reserves, and their family members.

Give an Hour Chief Executive Officer Trina Clayeux, PhD, stresses the importance of military members crafting a support system and, when necessary, seeking mental health help from within their communities, military bases, or from licensed professionals.

‘It’s really trying to find what fits for you,” she said.

Clayeux also suggests not waiting for a crisis to seek help.

“Support can come at any place in your mental health and wellness journey,” she said. “It doesn’t have to wait until it gets significant so that it’s impairing parts of your life. Sometimes we just need support in real time for a particular event and other times we need support that’s more long term and reoccurring.”

While the outward signs of a mental health problem can be highly individualized, France says a person experiencing a mental health crisis often has a “change in normal behavior.” That could mean a gregarious person becomes withdrawn or vice versa, a change that may be accompanied by increased use of coping techniques such as drugs or alcohol. Service members may also have “anniversary reactions” tied to

traumatic events that occurred while they were deployed.

“Memorial Day doesn’t just happen in May for a lot of veterans,” France said.

Davis adds that not every veteran is able to compartmentalize their time in Iraq or Afghanistan and leave the war “over there.” Officers may not be “kicking in doors and squeezing bullets directly at the bad guy,” he said, but they too can experience trauma from decisions made in wartime.

“We orchestrate it all,” Davis said. “So, when we put something together that results in a life being taken, we share in that responsibility. We live with that, too.”

Since retiring from the military in 2011, Davis has taught Junior ROTC and served as Director of Military & Integrated Services for Horry County Schools. Through counseling, he has learned to open up about his wartime experiences and draw strength from the memories of friends lost to war.

“We need to talk and express those feelings,” he said. “We need to open up and be able to move forward with our life. That part of our life is over. It’s completed and not continuing to haunt us every day.”

Army retiree Duane France in Afghanistan

Army veteran James Davis

9/11 Memorial Trail connects all three crash sites

BY CHRIS ADAMS

Each year, hundreds of thousands pilgrimage to Northern Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail. They begin their spiritual or exercisemotivated trek in bull-goring Pamplona and conclude it at the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great, collecting many wellness-related experiences along the route.

However, pilgrimage trails aren’t exclusive to the Old World. America has its own special mind-body-soul path: the 9/11 Trail

“As a member of the 9/11 Commission, I am proud and delighted to support the 9/11 National Memorial Trail,”

said former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman. “This is an example of America working together and communities connecting together in one vibrant celebration of life.”

The trail project was established in 2002 and led by David Brickley, founder and president emeritus of the nonprofit September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance, to create a symbolic trail/greenway that connected the three 9/11 crash sites: the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, says Leanne Janowski, the 9/11 Trail communications coordinator.

Some trip tips if you’re planning a visit to the 9/11 Trail:

• Consult the 9/11 Trail website for the current route alignment, trail location, and if it’s a road or established trail.

• Check for route overlays with other major trail segments, ex. the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy in Pennsylvania (https://gaptrail.org/explore), the East Coast Greenway (https:// www.greenway.org), and Schuylkill River Trail in Southeastern Pennsylvania (https://schuylkillriver. org/schuylkill-river-trail/).

• Use a GPS map for reference when traversing the trail. Note: Not all routes may be the same (https:// ridewithgps.com/routes/32404193).

• Lodging: The 9/11 Trail passes through stunning remote areas where lodging opportunities probably aren’t plentiful. The Alliance recommends searching Google maps for lodging or emailing a local chamber of commerce for specific information.

• If you’re planning a one-way trip, the Alliance suggests taking Amtrak — they transport bicycles for a reasonable fee — which services many cities along the trail. If your vehicle is part of the transportation arrangement, then driving to your endpoint and taking a train with your trusty bike to your chosen starting point is an efficient traveling strategy.

“The actual idea to create the 9/11 Trail came just days after the tragedy itself in September of 2001,” she added.

After the conclusion of a Mid-Atlantic Governor’s Conference on Greenways, Blueways, and Green Infrastructure in the fall of 2001, Brickley founded the 9/11 National Memorial Trail.

“… where he noted that as lovers of trails, greenways, and conservation, reflection was needed on how goals could be merged with

Help save kids like Colton when you donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® through the Combined Federal Campaign. Because of your generosity, St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

honoring the heroes of 9/11 and upholding America’s values of freedom and democracy,” Janowski said.

The Alliance works with local and state governments, other trail organizations, and federal agencies to facilitate accessibility to the 1,300-mile trail system.

“The 9/11 Trail is also good for our health, local economies, and the environment,” states the 9/11 Trail website. “The Trail offers walkers, runners, and cyclists a safe, accessible

opportunity to experience beautiful landscapes, discover new towns, and visit historic sites of American resilience along the way.”

Other trail alignment highlights include Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, Great Falls Park along the Potomac River, and the Empty Sky Memorial at New Jersey’s Liberty State Park. Visit www.911trail.org for a comprehensive list of sites.)

St. Jude patient Colton (pictured at bottom-right), with his mom, brother and dad, Derek, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Army National Guard

BY BARRETT BAKER

When someone uses the term “changemaker,” many people might automatically think about celebrities, political influencers, or innovators in the fields of science and technology. This year’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) wants you to know that anyone can be the face of change.

“A changemaker can be and is an everyday person,” said Anna Van Houten, co-chair of the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNA). “Especially public servants and people who are in the military who are on the ground, doing things that are shaping our world every day. Changing lives and ultimately changing the world is what they do. So, we’re putting the message out this year that when you give through the CFC, that’s being a changemaker. Everyone can be extraordinary, and everyone can create change by giving back.”

The CFC is hoping to build on the successes learned from last year’s campaign while celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

“I think COVID actually brought out more giving in folks. People were very generous,” said Curtis Rumbaugh, program manager for DOD Voluntary Campaigns. “We had a special solicitation prior to the CFC kicking off and that was very successful. People gave outside the program, then came back and gave even more when we started our regular season.”

According to Rumbaugh, after a rocky start near the beginning of 2020, many of the charities the CFC supports were figuring out how they could continue to serve their clientele while still engaging volunteers and donors. They were happy to pass that information along to the CFC and the tactics worked out wonderfully.

“The challenge we had last year is that we’ve used the same campaign every year and just made modifications as we moved forward,” said Rumbaugh. “With COVID, suddenly our playbook was out the window. We started moving toward virtual events and promoting virtual volunteerism. We ended up with more people attending those events because

they could do it via a computer, or they could do it at a time that was more convenient for them without giving up their lunch hour or if they had a meeting conflict. We will most likely continue to provide virtual opportunities, although we may try to add some in-person events back into the mix this year.”

Service members, federal employees, and retirees can donate to the program via regular payroll deduction, a one-time gift by debit or credit card, e-checks/ bank transfers, paper pledge forms, or the CFC Giving Mobile App. All donations are welcome and appreciated, although there is a $1 minimum contribution per pay period per charity for those using payroll deduction and a $10 minimum charge on credit/debit cards for one-time donations.

The list of giving opportunities is nearly endless, with more than 20,000 vetted charities available. Donors can choose a single charity to support, multiple charities, or can select a cause such as disaster relief, education, animal welfare, supporting

military families, medical research, or promoting equality, to name a few.

In addition to the giving campaign, the CFC also includes a contest in the fall for dependents on bases overseas. The kids, from kindergarten to fifth grade, can submit artwork based on the theme, “What does CFC and charity mean to you?” High schoolers can also submit video public service announcements on how they would encourage somebody to give to a charity and do it through the CFC.

“It’s important for us to have dependents of military service members aware of charitable giving and are part of the process,” said Rumbaugh. “The favorite part of my job is when we get to judge the artwork and videos.”

Continued from page 17

“While I’m building up volunteers to serve these SIVs and build strong friendships,” said Quillin, “you really can’t replace the bond that comes from serving together and those shared experiences that veterans and SIVs have.”

Between helping with events that Combined Arms hosts for local SIV families, attending pool parties at the Hooper family house, and going to school for his Commercial Driver’s License, Agha also finds time to volunteer. He translates for new families and helps them acclimate to their new homes. Most of all, he reminds them that no matter how difficult the road ahead seems, they’re on the right path.

“Most of us, including myself, don’t understand the magnitude of changes that we will see or face when we come to America,” said Agha. “The first thing I tell them is ‘Right now you are American, and keep this in your mind and heart — this is the most important thing.’”

Agha’s future plans include driving tractor trailers around the U.S. and seeing the country. He’s glad to be in America and is hopeful for his future.

“I strongly believe that this is the land of abundance and there are so many cool and good people that are just ready to help you,” said Agha. “Life has never been so good; I still feel like I’m dreaming.”

Blaine Hooper and Agha at Agha’s first-ever Superbowl party.

SIV applicants and Combined Arms met with Rep. Sylvia Garcia to discuss the SIV crisis.

RAPID

FIRE

Q&A WITH TUNNEL TO TOWERS CEO FRANK SILLER

BY MELISSA M. STEWART

Frank Siller has been honoring the legacy of his brother Stephen, a New York City firefighter killed on Sept. 11, for 20 years through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. His organization is well known for efforts and programs that support the military, first responders, and their families.

This year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, Siller is going several steps further — literally. In August, he embarked on the Never Forget Walk, a 500-mile journey across six states to honor victims of 9/11. We caught up with him before he began his trek.

Why did you decide to do this walk?

I wanted to do something different for the 20th anniversary and to shed a big light on what happened 20 years ago. My hope is that through this walk, 100,000 or 200,000 people join me on this journey, not walking, but by donating $11 a month. If they do that, we will be on our way to take care of all of these families, not just this year but every year.

Where will your route take you?

I will start at the Pentagon and from there walk to Shanksville and then onward to Ground Zero.

Will anyone join you along the way?

The first day I will be walking with over 400 first responders that represent over 400 first responders that died on 9/11. Gold Star families will be joining me. It’s going to be a whole array of people but all great Americans.

How did you prepare for such a tough trek?

I have been walking anywhere from 10-15 miles a day for the past year. So I am prepared. It’s one step at a time, and knowing what my brother did 20 years ago, running through a tunnel that was 2 miles long with 20 pounds of gear on his back, and then up West Street and into the South Tower and up those stairs to save someone, this is the least I could do.

How will this journey

end?

On Sept. 11 I will be walking my brother’s final heroic footsteps. I’ll be going through the same tunnel that he ran through. I am very excited but very emotional.

To follow Siller’s journey, to donate, or for more Tunnel to Towers 9/11 20th anniversary events: https://t2t.org/20-anniversary/.