This year commemorates ten years since the attacks by al Qaeda upon the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a milestone for the country - a moment to reflect on the last ten years while looking forward. We have a moral and ethical duty to honor the victims of the attacks, their families, first responders, and service members serving in our formations. We should recognize the resilience of our communities, ideals, shared identity, and partnerships appreciating the full nature of our response to the attacks, portraying a positive vision and denying al Qaeda's claims of victory.
Our nation has been at war for almost a decade, the longest period of continuous combat ever for our all-volunteer force. The Army has met every challenge demonstrating indelible spirit, sacrifice and sheer determination in protecting our national interests and supporting our friends and allies around the world. While we must never forget those who we lost, we must do more than simply remember them - we must sustain our resilience and remain united to prevent new attacks and new victims. The war is not over yet, and we remain facing an uncertain and increasingly complex strategic environment.
We have successfully ended combat operations in Iraq, while simultaneously conducting one of the largest retrogrades in our Nation's history. We have surged Soldiers into Afghanistan, to support a strategy to address an adaptive enemy. We have also nearly completed the transformation of our operational force and are now addressing the Army's generating force. Additionally, the Army has provided lifesaving humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters in Pakistan, Haiti, and Japan and supported homeland defense and civil authorities in border screening and the Gulf of Mexico oil clean up.
The Army will provide whatever it takes to achieve the nation's objectives in the current fight. We will master the fundamentals of war but remain versatile and adaptable to any task our nation may call upon us to perform. We will maintain our strong connection to our broad and diverse Republic and be good stewards of its resources. Through smart change, we will become more capable and provide our nation the options it will require in an uncertain future.
Related Links:
37th CSA's Thoughts on the Future of the Army
Patriot Day: Remembering September 11, 2001
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