Steel and Stone: Army Corps of Engineers Reflects on 9/11 25 Years Later

Sept. 10, 2026 |Pentagon News |

The Army and the Army Corps of Engineers mobilized with speed and purpose to support recovery efforts at the Pentagon and at the World Trade Center in New York City following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the tragedy, the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, opened "Steel and Stone: Engineering the Response to 9/11." The new exhibit, also available online, includes oral histories and artifacts that historians collected after the attacks. It chronicles what the Army and the Corps of Engineers did in the minutes, days and months following the tragedy to help the nation rebuild. eering solutions for the nation's toughest challenges,'" said John Lonnquest, chief historian for the Army Corps of Engineers.  

"The government can do hard things. The Corps of Engineers and the Army can do hard things. And together, the Army and the nation and its populace got through that really tough day, and we're stronger and certainly wiser for it," he said.

National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Temporary Closure

Sept. 10, 2026 |

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial will be temporarily closed to the public from 3 a.m. through 12 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 11, with the exception of any victim's families, survivors, or survivor's families, in support of the 25th Anniversary 9/11 Observance Ceremony. 

Surviving family members of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the Pentagon who would like to visit the memorial during this time are encouraged to contact the Pentagon Special Events Office.

For questions, please contact Pentagon Press Operations at OSD.PA.DutyOfficer@mail.mil.

Airman Runs 2,977 Miles Honoring 9/11 Victims

 

Sept. 9, 2026 | By Airman 1st Class Nelvis Sera, Air University Public Affairs |

At Fort Rucker, Alabama, Air Force Capt. Hanna Born trains the next generation of rotary-wing aviators in the TH-1H training helicopter. Outside the cockpit, she is leading a personal mission to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by running 2,977 miles — one mile for each person killed that day.

Born, an instructor pilot assigned to the 23rd Flying Training Squadron, launched the effort on Sept. 11, 2025, with the goal of carrying their stories forward to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. 
 
Her connection to 9/11 is personal. She and her younger sister were inside the Pentagon Child Development Center when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.

"We were safely evacuated and reunited with our family, which is an outcome thousands of others never received," Born said. "We've always felt a deep obligation to honor the lives and families who were not as fortunate." 
 
With each mile, she shares a victim's name and story on social media, ensuring the lives behind the numbers are remembered. 
 
"I want to make sure people hear their names," Born said. "Not just the number; the people." 

Service runs deep in the Born family. 

Her mother, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1983 and served in senior leadership roles throughout her 30-year career, including dean of the faculty at the academy. Her father, retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tim Born, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and served 21 years on active duty. 
 
Both daughters followed their parents into military service. Hanna Born graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2020, and her younger sister, Marine Corps 1st Lt. Heather Born, graduated from the Naval Academy in 2023, and now serves as a communications strategy officer assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. 
 
Growing up in a military community helped shape the family's sense of purpose. 
 
"We were surrounded by people who were committed to something greater than themselves," Born said. "That environment makes you want to contribute in the same way." 
 
Running has long been part of her life. Raised in Colorado, Born developed a love for the sport at an early age, influenced by her parents. Over time, running became more than physical training and took on deeper meaning. She also recognized that many of the airmen she trains today were not yet born when the attacks occurred. 
 
"I wanted to do something honoring our promise to never forget — not just once a year every September, but every day — and something that could be shared with the younger generation," Born said. "Even though they were not here to have memories of 9/11, they have never known a world untouched by its impact." 
 
Her first organized run took place Sept. 11, 2025, with members of her squadron at Fort Rucker. About 30 airmen gathered before morning flight operations to run 9.11 miles together in remembrance. Since then, the effort has expanded beyond the squadron, reaching a global audience of participants who follow her progress and dedicate miles of their own through social media. 

"To memorialize every person who lost their lives during what was such a devastating moment for our nation is a great commitment to undertake," said Air Force 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Lucas, an undergraduate helicopter training student assigned to the 23rd Flying Training Squadron. "Capt. Born's actions highlight the greater purpose we all have — in military training or not — to support our nation and care for those around us." 
 
Balancing the project with the responsibilities of being an instructor pilot has not always been easy for Born. 
 
"The time management can be challenging," she said. "But the miles themselves are the easy part. I want to run them for the person I'm honoring and for their loved ones who still feel the weight of their loss." 
 
Born said she often reflects on the individuals who helped evacuate children from the Pentagon Child Development Center that morning. 
 
"They were unsung heroes," she said. "They saw what was happening and stepped in without hesitation, never seeking recognition. We still don't even know their names." 
 
That example continues to guide how she trains her students today. 
 
"Above all, it highlights the passion aviators, service members and Americans alike have to honor those who have fallen during our darkest moments," Lucas said. "Capt. Born has inspired me to embody service before self in and out of uniform, as she has for countless others." 

Born said the running project was never about athletic achievement but about honoring lives and keeping a promise alive for a new generation. 
 
"I hope people understand the promise to ‘never forget' is still being carried forward," she said. "For any larger purpose you care about, there's always a way to share it and make an impact." 
 
For Born, that impact is measured one mile at a time: 
 
2,977 miles. 
2,977 names. 
2,977 lives. 
 
And the promise to never forget.

Army Garrison Prepares for Milestone 9/11 Commemoration

Sept. 8, 2026 | By Anna Ciccotti, U.S. Army Garrison Italy |

A quarter of a century after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. Army Garrison Italy soldiers, military police and firefighters will gather alongside local Italian officials in Padua, Italy, for a solemn 25th anniversary commemoration at the Memory and Light memorial.

"Returning to [Padua] for this milestone 25th anniversary observance will allow us to pay tribute to the lives lost and honor the enduring strength of our alliance," said Army Col. Vaughn D. Strong Jr., U.S. Army Garrison Italy commander. "Our soldiers and firemen look forward to standing together with our Italian partners to ensure the legacy of that day is never forgotten."

Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the world renowned architect behind the ground zero master plan in New York City, the memorial features a 55-foot glass structure shaped like an open book, its "pages" pointing directly toward New York and the Statue of Liberty. Enclosed within the glass is a 19-foot twisted steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, one of Europe's most poignant physical ties to the site.

For leaders, the anniversary underscores the shared values that bind American and Italian first responders.

"Having this piece of ground zero right here in Veneto, just down the road from where we serve at Caserma Ederle and Del Din, is profoundly meaningful," said Luca Giaretta, deputy fire chief for USAG Italy fire and emergency services. "It serves as a physical touchstone connecting our local Italian community with our American military colleagues, reminding us why our daily partnership and joint readiness matter so much."

Harold R. Persons, fire chief for USAG Italy fire and emergency services, emphasized the depth of that connection.

"We are deeply appreciative of [the local fire department] for their continuous efforts to memorialize and show their respect for not only the 343 firefighters, but all 412 emergency workers and the 2,753 civilians who lost their lives in the horrific attack at the World Trade Center," he said. "Sharing in this annual remembrance ceremony with our fellow firefighters, police and other emergency responders at the memorial site in [Padua] honors the sacrifice of those who gave their lives attempting to save others."

As the decades pass, ceremonies at the memorial take on new significance for younger generations of military members and firefighters who were not yet born in 2001.

Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Kuhn, provost marshal and director of garrison emergency services, highlighted how the milestone bridges the past and future for today's service members.

"Marking 25 years at the 9/11 monument reminds today's military police, soldiers and first responders that our mission is rooted in sacrifice, vigilance and service to something larger than ourselves," he said. "For those serving now, it is both a tribute to those who answered the call after 9/11 and a renewed commitment to protecting our communities with professionalism, discipline and readiness."

Kuhn added that standing side by side with Italian partners sends a clear message to the local community.

"I hope they see a shared commitment to remembrance, resilience and service," he said. "American and Italian crews standing side by side at the monument sends a simple message: tragedy can cross borders, but so can solidarity, partnership and the duty to stand together in its aftermath."

Ultimately, the commemoration ensures that the standard set on 9/11 endures. As Kuhn noted, "Ceremonies like this help make sure 9/11 is not just something younger firefighters read about but something they feel connected to as part of their professional identity. They reinforce that duty, sacrifice and service to others are not abstract ideals; they are the standard we inherit and the one we are responsible for carrying forward."