Most of us know where we were on the morning of 9/11, and although it is now 18 years later, the memories of that day are still as fresh as if it were yesterday.

Bringing those memories to mind is one of the goals of Patriot Day.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, Col. Jeffrey Witt, U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Chief of Staff, gave a very personal speech in commemoration of Patriot Day at St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, Michigan.

Col. Witt spoke about the changes and challenges that have occurred since 9/11, and how he remembered getting up that morning in Olympia, Washington, not fully appreciating how his life would be forever changed by the events of the day.

He stated, "Normal was no longer routine, and America was no longer isolated and safe from the world's problems." He spoke about the personal lessons his son, who was not born yet, and "many children of our military and first responders have learned about terrorism, and how Soldiers who are too young to remember 9/11 are now serving in places where their mothers and fathers served a decades earlier."

Col. Witt ended his speech by saying that although things have changed, and people have different views and opinions, "we must stand together in hope."

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About Tank-automotive and Armaments Command:

TACOM manages the Army's ground equipment supply chain, which constitutes about 60 percent of the Army's total equipment. If a Soldier drives it, shoots it, wears it or eats it, TACOM sustains it.

TACOM's Integrated Logistics Support Center executes repair parts planning and supply chain management for more than 3,500 weapon systems. These systems form the core of America's ground combat capability. When the force needs critical components delivered, whether at home or abroad, it depends on TACOM.

TACOM oversees six of the Army's manufacturing arsenals and maintenance depots across the United States, which are part of the Army's Organic Industrial Base. The industrial artisans from the Army's OIB deliver when the Army needs equipment manufactured, repaired, upgraded or modernized.

The Detroit Arsenal, home to TACOM headquarters, is the only active-duty U.S. Army installation in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Detroit Arsenal and its Michigan-based workforce of more than 6000 people contribute billions of dollars in economic impact to the region's economy each year.

TACOM's workforce includes highly skilled and uniquely qualified professionals, from engineers and industrial artisans to senior logisticians and business analysts. The largely civilian workforce is critical to supporting Army readiness around the world.