September 11, 2001

I still remember lying in bed in Bountiful, Utah, and getting a phone call from a family member asking if I had the TV on. Being a BRAND NEW officer in the United States Air Force, I had no clue the impact that this day would have not only on my career in the military, but on the United States as a whole. I know that I, along with many of my other brothers and sisters in arms, have more than a paycheck keeping us in the military at this time. Our deployment tempo has more than doubled. Our military personnel are more tasked than any time in our lifespan. We are changing the way we train our troops. The entire focus of and the way the military operates has shifted. In a matter of a few short hours, we were put on the defense. We had not had an attack on our homeland since Pearl Harbor. I ask that you do all that you can to support our troops as we go forward defending our freedoms our liberties and fighting to bring safety to our nation and our families. It is what we do, that allows you to do what you do.