Shipmates, I’m Vice Adm. John Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve, and Commander, Navy Reserve force.
Today, we pause and reflect on the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in history… an attack perpetrated against our country, innocent civilians, first responders… and our way of life.
We remember the two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-six souls lost at the world trade center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We celebrate their memory… and mourn their loss.
The cowardly acts of 9/11 catapulted our nation and our allies into a protracted, global war on terrorism. And when America needed us, our Navy Reserve answered the call, as it has in every major conflict since our founding one hundred and six years ago.
Since September 11th, 2001, Navy Reserve Sailors have mobilized over ninety-three thousand times in support of the global war on terrorism… serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Syria and other important locations …with many of you serving multiple deployments over the last two decades.
Our nation’s reaction also included a surge of patriotic enlistments in response to 9/11…and similar responses within our partner nations. We saw partners like Sam al Hal-ee, an Iraqi national, who courageously served on front lines in his home country as an interpreter for marine forces, risking his own life, and the lives of his family. Sam recently commissioned as a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve to continue serving his newly adopted country. Welcome aboard, shipmate.
Regardless of where you are today, as we support our national interests around the world, remember what happened that day…and how you felt as an American…and never forget that we stand the watch to prevent events like 9/11 from ever happening again.
We must be ready. We must remain prepared. The nation is counting on you to be warfighting ready… to fight and win if called upon. I know you will be.
I am extremely proud of every one of you for your service, your commitment and your patriotism. I’m thankful for your families – and employers – for their devotion and support during your absences, whether a drill weekend or a year-long mobilized deployment. As a military… a nation…and as members of an international coalition…we continue to prove the American spirit cannot be broken.
So, on this somber anniversary, please take a moment to reflect on the events of that fateful morning two decades ago, and how they altered the trajectory of human history. Remember the heroes and lives lost on that day…and during the two decades that followed.
God bless the victims of 9/11, their families and all who continue to protect our liberties. God bless you, the sailors of the United States Navy Reserve. And God bless the United States of America.