The 9/11 Responses Essay Sample

On September 11, 2011, four airliners were hijacked by militant members of al-Qaeda, an international Islamic extremist group. Consequently, two of the planes crashed into New Yorks’s World Trade Center, while the third plane was directed and hit the Pentagon. Both incidents resulted in the death of the passengers and people within these buildings, including the many rescuers. On the other hand, the passengers on the fourth hijacked plane fought with the terrorist. The plane was not able to reach its intended target and it eventually landed in the fields of Pennsylvania, killing all the passengers. These attacks resulted in extensive destruction, death and confusion, but despite that the members of the military were able to act and respond in the best way possible.
One specific response that was done well on 9/11 was when the men and women members of the New York National Guard mobilized to respond to the terrorist attacks. According to reports, it was the on duty members of the National Guard Eastern Air Defense who were first alerted that something in that morning of September 11, 2001. Just a few minutes after the attack, the local National Guards assembled on the Glenmore Road in North Greenbush ready to spring into action. By the order of New York governor, thousands of the Army National Guard provided combat air patrols in major cities, as other units from Long Island and Westchester came to support other responders at the scene. This was after some of the National Guard troops assisted in the initial rescue operations a few hours after the terrorist attack in the World Trade Center. Throughout the rescue operations, the members of the National Guard cooperated in what would later pave the way for the transition of their security duties alongside with that of the city and other government officials.
Except in the case of Washington, D. C., where the National Guards are under the directive of the President, the units of the National Guard in other parts of the country operate by the order of their respective state governor. One of the appropriate responses that was done well during the 9/11 was when Governor George Pataki activated the full force of the New York National Guard to provide support for the rescue and security operations after the terrorist attacks. It is noted that the National Guards, though considered as a branch of the military, maintain two personalities: as an on call member of the military and as civilians who are obliged to support themselves with regular employment. Accordingly, they can be activated and placed on orders either as federal soldiers or airmen when the need arise and they can also operate in response to both state and federal emergency needs.
Specifically, during the 9/11, Governor Pataki, through the commanders of the New York National Guard, called every member they could and had them in the military vehicles bound for the security and rescue operations. For the first two days, the majority of the National Guard members participated in the search operations for possible survivors in the fallen building, while some others stood guard around the perimeters of the site. This is line with the duties and responsibilities of the National Guards during their activation and deployment; they provide ground and air support, military security and other needed support for efficient operations. Months after the attack, the Army National Guard remains to serve in their capacity, such as in conducting security inspections in train stations and airports. There were others who remain active in providing tighter security in major installations of the United States.
The immediate activation and deployment of the Army National Guard in case of emergencies are indicative of the preparedness of the country in facing natural and man-made disasters. While the occurrence of the 9/11 attack was all too upsetting for what proved to be a massive loss and devastations, the unselfish acts of the members of the National Guard to provide re-assurance that they are always prepared to render their services when needed. The procedures followed in calling the members of the National Guards to active duty should be practiced in the future. It is remarkable how the state and federal government came up with better and systematic designs to be followed by the military in cases of emergencies. New systems and protocols are intended to come up with better coordination among different agencies and state governments in times of disasters.