PENSACOLA, Fla.– Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) hosted a ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Corry Station, Sept. 9, in remembrance of the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
The observance served as an opportunity to mourn those who lost their lives on 9/11 and reflect on the impact of the events of that day.
The 2016 chief petty officer (CPO) selectees assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Pensacola and Information Warfare Training Center (IWTC) Corry Station conducted the ceremony, and Cmdr. Christopher Eng, commanding officer, IWTC Corry Station, served as the guest speaker.
The CPO selectees began the ceremony by hoisting the national ensign during morning colors. Chief (select) Cryptologic Technician (Technical) Jeremy Wilson acted as master of ceremonies for the event and read the timeline of events from 9/11 as Chief (select) Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Lance Burney rang the ceremonial bell.
“It’s a huge deal for me to be here and be a part of this,” said Burney. “When 9/11 happened, I was in “C” School for Morse code, and it just rocked me. Being here now as a chief select, it’s an honor for me to take part in this ceremony.”
After the events of the day were recounted, Chief (select) Cryptologic Technician (Networks) Angie Denisiuk read “My Tears Fell,” a poem dedicated to those lost on 9/11. Wilson then read the names of six Sailors from the information warfare community who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
“This ceremony means a lot to people who were there and saw what happened,” said Wilson. “I’m proud to be part of this ceremony to honor that memory.”
The gathering observed a moment of silence before Eng delivered the closing remarks.
“I’ve often heard of Sept. 11, 2001, being described as similar to Nov. 22, 1963, the day that President Kennedy was assassinated, for a younger generation in that everyone who was alive at the time of either of those events distinctly remembers it,” said Eng. “For 9/11, we each have our own personal story in terms of where we were on that day, who we knew — a shipmate, a friend or family member — who was at one of those horrific scenes, who may have died or helped in the recovery.
“I ask you to each consider and discuss your own story. I believe it is incumbent upon all of us to use this day to renew our own strength and resiliency, not just as individuals, but as departments, commands, a community, a military and a nation.”
Center for Information Warfare Training delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.
See what the Center for Information Warfare Training is all about, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.