Commentary: Ten years later, vigilance still order of business Published Sept. 9, 2011 By Brig. Gen. Bruce Miller 301st Fighter Wing Commander NAS FT WORTH JRB, TEXAS -- Ten years ago, terrorists attacked our freedom and changed the lives of Citizen Airmen who - along with our Regular Air Force and Air National Guard counterparts - were integral to our nation's response. Memories of that day continue to unite our nation and prompt a resilience that cannot be shaken. Together, we remember the events of a day that unified America under our principle of freedom. We will never forget the planes crashing into the World Trade Center's twin towers and the Pentagon burning. We will never forget the feelings of loss and sorrow for the victims and their families. We will also never forget the heroes of that day, uniformed and civilian: the firefighters and police officers who rushed into burning buildings to save the people trapped inside; the heroic passengers on Flight 93 who fought to retake their plane that later crashed near Shanksville, Pa., in an effort to save innocent lives. We do not forget the innocent people who lost their lives that day - each person was a friend, a family member, a coworker. Every person is missed. The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, not only affected our Nation, but changed the world. Citizens of 90 countries were among the nearly 3,000 victims. That day marked the beginning of our struggle to better secure the world from these threats. We honor the unwavering courage of the men and women in our Armed Forces and our Allies in their ongoing efforts of securing our Nation, and in their continuing fight against terrorism. Today, there are more than 40,000 Airmen currently deployed around the world supporting joint and coalition forces with air, space and cyberspace capabilities. More than 57,000 Airmen are permanently stationed overseas supporting combatant commanders, and approximately 200,000 support daily combatant commander operations from stateside locations. Our own wing dropped some of the first bombs over Afghanistan in the days after Sept. 11, 2001. Our constant vigilance and dedication to bring to justice those individuals and organizations involved in terrorist activities led to terrorist leaders being captured or killed. This year's operation during which Osama Bin Laden was killed, reminds us of the patience and tenacity that defense against such extremists requires of our force in the future. As President Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." This vigilance requires our endurance and resilience. If we as an Air Force continue to train and prepare our Airmen for the future we will also continue to preserve our nation's freedom through our excellence in Air, Space and Cyberspace power. As we remember Sept. 11, 2001, we remember those who lost their lives that day and in the fighting that has followed. We remember our men and women currently in harm's way fighting the extremists who plan and execute terrorist attacks. We as an Air Force and we as a nation must remain resilient and dedicated to protecting our nation, our citizens and our principle of freedom.