HARB hosts 9/11remembrance service

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aja Heiden, 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
On 9/11, America experienced one of the most devastating terrorist attacks on its soil when nearly 3,000 people died during coordinated attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

To commiserate this tragic event the, chapel staff held a day of remembrance where Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jeffery Bruce spoke to Airmen during a Sunday chapel service.

“My message today is about being watchmen,” said Bruce. “We are here to warn and protect others from dangers that are still present even 15 years after the initial terrorist attack.”

Bruce has spent over 40 years in the U.S. Air Force. He has deployed three times and held jobs as an enlisted medic and medical administrator before commissioning as an officer. Bruce is a New Jersey native but he was most recently stationed in Missouri.

Airmen who attended the event came to find a moment of tranquility before returning to their workplaces.

“I came here to have a moment of reflection and a moment of prayer,” said Staff Sgt. Cynthia Pichardo, a 482nd Fighter Wing member. “It can be hard to make that time while busy at a workstation.”

Although it can be difficult to pull away from work to cater to personal needs, Bruce says it can be important for Airmen.
“It’s important to come together on this date because sometimes we forget that there are still people out there who seek to destroy what we stand for,” said Bruce.

While Bruce mostly spoke of current threats, he also discussed old wounds still present after the 2001 attacks.

“There is still emotional and physical damage from these attacks,” said Bruce. “Some of these wounds never heal and people are dealing with them 10 to15 years later.”