9-11-2001

The day started like any other day, arrived at work, started my day. This day I was assigned a specific task in the office. As I was doing some drawings on the computer to update our maps, a co-worker came and said a plane hit the Towers. As we watched a second plane struck the second tower. One was an accident two is a plan. Then the Pentagon gets hit. My first call was to my then girlfriend now wife Megan, then to my friend Audrey. Audrey is my best friend, we have an ability to know when one is in trouble, dial the number all circuits are busy on the cell phones. Try again same thing! Reach and grab the land line on my desk, one ring then two, I hear Audrey on the phone panic and fearful walking away from the Pentagon. Sitrep on my two people complete. Call Audrey’s parents, inform them she is fine and walking out to a safe zone. Land line again pass a message from her parents to Audrey and get the updated location and progress of extraction. Update her family and check on Megan. Make a call Audrey is safe and secure and is en route to a safe location out of DC. During that day I was the only one able to speak to her on the phone. Every year we call or text just to remind ourselves that we have each other’s back no matter what. At the end of the day after securing our assets at work under a sky devoid of any air traffic, no planes in the sky, I realized how fragile our safety truly was. The lesson learned is that we should all have a comms plan, an alternative measure beyond land lines and cell phones. We must all have an account of who is where and how can we connect if there were a tragedy. This attack was a surprise and while we lived our lives, evil crept in and did us harm. We see now that the threat is all around us and we still are unprepared for tragedy. Everyone be vigilant, be prepared and if necessary be dangerous. On 9-11 several of my sheep were in danger and it was up to me to bring them back to the flock safely. On this day the Sheepdog was born, a protector of my flock and a menace to the wolves who choose to prey on them. Let’s all be Sheepdogs!