Disbelief and anger.
Like the civilians they’re sworn to defend, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard were stunned by the unexpected and deadly Sept. 11 attacks that left thousands dead in New York City and the Pentagon.
“I’m devastated,” said Navy Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Delisha Kayes of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 6, waiting in a long line of cars trying to get through security checks into Norfolk Naval Station, Va., on the day of the attacks.
“It’s definitely a shock that something like that could happen to our nation.”
Marine Col. Andrew Frick, whose unit begins a scheduled six-month deployment to the Mediterranean region this week, called the attacks “the Pearl Harbor of my generation.”
For others, the tragedy struck home while dealing with citizens anxious to learn the status of their military loved ones. Volunteers manning the hot line at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for information on Air Force members said most of the calls were about specific airmen, but others just wanted to talk about the attacks.
Master Sgt. Jim Biggerstaff manned a phone from 4 p.m. to midnight Sept. 11. “During those eight hours, I probably experienced the entire range of human emotions,” he said. “Outrage, people calling in to express their support.”
Many people called simply to urge military action against the terrorists.
“I had roughly half a dozen phone calls with fairly explicit ideas,” Biggerstaff said. “I suggested they call their elected representatives.”
Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the military almost immediately went to Force Protection Condition Delta, the highest possible level of security.
Within a day, Fort Bragg, N.C., was transformed from a bustling installation with a steady stream of traffic into a desolate command post with more visitors on foot than in cars around key combat headquarters.
Soldiers clad in full combat gear and toting M-16 rifles kept a steady watch at various street corners, checking identification cards and monitoring pedestrians and vehicles.
Some troops found the increased security a bit too severe.
“I think they are going overboard,” said Spc. John Vitale, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. “Every street [there are guards]. It’s kind of crazy. I don’t see the reason for it.”
Vitale said he wasn’t opposed to increasing security on the sprawling installation but was perplexed over the restricted access inside the gates.
“They need to focus mainly on the perimeter,” said Vitale, who said he had a number of friends who worked in or around the World Trade Center.
Yet others approved of the tougher security measures.
“We should do this all the time,” said an Air Force captain in line at Lackland who declined to give his name. “They need to get it down better so we don’t have to sit in line like this, but the increased security is good.”
Staff writers C. Mark Brinkley, Rod Hafemeister, Darlene Himmelspach and Amee Puckett contributed to this report.
