Lawyair On The Run

     Was September 11th, 2001 “the day that changed America?” Some say that life is a cycle, and what has gone before often returns. Terrorism creates both unrest and fear and gets attention; it has been a repeated cycle throughout history.   Having seen chaos and terrorism up close, the videos presented in this assignment drove home my experiences and unified my feelings.

     As a young Naval carrier pilot dispatched to the Mediterranean aboard the USS Eisenhower, world events shaped my life’s views. For example, in 1983, Hezbollah jihadists murdered 241 Marines in a suicide bombing in Lebanon. President Reagan and his advisors reacted to that affair by bringing the might of the U.S. Navy to that area—I was along for a first-class view. Further, in 1984, the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi toyed with the Sixth Fleet, threatening to turn the Gulf of Sidra into a “sea of blood.” Again, I was part of America’s reaction to the threat. Both incidents touched my soul and taught me lessons.

     I learned early on that unexpected, violent actions create fear and unrest. I also knew that preparation for unpredictable chaos is not always possible and that even the mightiest of powers get surprised. During that time, I flew the best and brightest on and off the carrier, men at the highest levels of military and government echelons. I flew missions of national importance. Not only that but I was involved in airstrikes that were launched and called back on the whim of political maneuvering. My takeaway then, as now, is that many in power are guessing and trying their best to stay one step ahead of destruction.

     When I left the military, I joined the ranks of commercial aviation. Aviation is a dangerous occupation, not only from flying the metal but from threats created by outside forces. At the time Delta Air Lines hired me in 1985, hijackings were ordinary. The airlines and the FAA taught pilots not to resist the hijacker but deal with their demands, even allowing them access to the cockpit. Who knew the extent to which Islamic extremists would take advantage of that “calmness’ and turn planes into missiles? It was a hard lesson for aviation and America.

     On that tragic day in 2001, four of the eight pilots were Naval aviators, men who had trained the same way I had. Men that served during the Cold War and pursued an occupation just like I had. American Captain Charles Burlingame had flown in the same squadron as a good friend of mine. United Captain Victor Saracini flew the same airplane I did, only in a different squadron years earlier. I had a bond with them, although remote. I knew what was going through their minds and what they faced on the morning of September 11th, and it was sickening.

     The videos presented in this assignment brought back memories I had forgotten, like how a typical day can turn surreal and unexplainable. Or how our minds often grasp answers that are not available and how easy it is to disrupt innocence. Watching the videos hearkened me back to how men in power and positions of authority can get it so wrong and be so adamant about their incorrect statements and policies. As I watched the broadcasts, I could see my 45-year-old self staring at the TV in disbelief as I put on my uniform to go to work. The next few days came to a standstill.

     I had been a Captain for five years at that point and had flown in and out of both JFK and LaGuardia many times. Never did I imagine that what I was seeing could be possible. My mind tried to establish why the first airplane struck the World Trade Center; the TV commentators said it was a small plane—I saw differently. I thought it was a missed approach that had gone wrong, but even that made little sense to me because it was a clear day. No crew would intentionally fly a jet into a building.

     Then the second jet crashed into the other Tower, and I realized it wasn’t an accident but something sinister and deliberate. The sight chilled me. When I regained my composure, I tried to call Delta scheduling and could not get through. Aviation at that point was grounded in America. Time slowed down, and I continued the day continued glued to the TV and talking to family and friends. America was under attack, and it was a well-thought-out military operation by al-Qaeda operatives that had taken years to develop—America had all the watches, but they had all the time.

     As that day unfolded, it became apparent that America was caught off guard and was ill-prepared for a military strike on its shores. We had placed little emphasis on a response to the terrorism of that scale and no ability to recognize coordination of enemy combatants. Something needed to be done, and in typical fashion, an expansion of the federal bureaucracy was undertaken. An entirely new Department was created by gathering bits and pieces of other government entities. The goal, I think, was to coordinate communication and streamline the system. Thus, homeland Security was born and continues to morph and grow. I often question its efficacy and size, even though I feel it is necessary.

     As I concluded watching the videos for this assignment, my reflections were deepened and perhaps solidified. Twenty years later, it seems we have learned very little. Instead, we are now in a bigger jam than when we started. The cycle continues because of ill-thought-out political policies and playing word games to save face with an enemy sworn to destroy us. Will elected officials, political appointees, and others have viable answers. I doubt it. Who will pay the price? We will soon learn once again as the cycle continues.