8th District Commander’s October 2024 Report

9/11 changed us. We were shocked. We were numb. Then we were enraged.

To the public, the war began with horse soldiers in the mountains of Afghanistan. The Global War on Terrorism then spread to Iraq, Syria, the African continent and beyond. We found vengeance. We lost many of our own. We left pieces of our souls across the globe in tiny places regular Americans will never know about.

It ended, if we are to believe it has ended, in the city of Kabul, with a final evacuation effort of many of our allies. That effort led to the loss of thirteen American souls, many of which were not born on 9/11.

Twenty-three years ago, a multi-generational war started. We will never be the same for it. Hopefully, we will move on from it.

As many of you wrestle with the last 23 years, please consider these words:

“Just because you fight cancer for twenty years and lose, doesn’t mean the fight wasn’t worth it.”