409th Military Police Battalion remembers 9/11

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany - Soldiers of the 409th Military Police Battalion gathered Sept. 11, 2025, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area theater to honor first responders and the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks during the unit's annual remembrance ceremony.

"This is a day of remembrance and reflection," said Brig Gen. John Stanley, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command's deputy commanding general. "September 11th, 2001, began as an ordinary morning, but by 10 a.m., it had become a day etched forever into the memory of every American and our allies when nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost.

The ceremony opened with a prayer, followed by a guest speech by Stanley, and was accompanied by a wreath laying. The ceremony closed with a somber bell ringing.

Twenty-four years ago, terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought the attackers.

"The absence of those lost is felt to this very day," Stanley said. "For those of us in uniform, 9/11 is not just a moment in history; it's personal. It's the day that clarified our mission. It reminded us of the sacred duty we bear to defend our nation and protect our people to ensure that such an incident never darkens our homeland again."

Many in attendance were born after 9/11.

"I wasn't even born until after the attack," said Airman 1st Class Sarah Stoneturn, an Airman assigned to Grafenwoehr Training Area from the 86th Airwing. "My dad and uncle were in the military, and I remember them deploying in Global War on Terror missions in the Middle East. I came today to honor the sacrifice that my family made after 9/11."

Senior leaders recalled their own experiences.

"I was an E-5 team leader assigned to Rose Barracks doing close-quarters battle training when it occurred, said Command Sgt. Maj. James Boersma, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria garrison sergeant major.

"We stopped our training and watched the events unfold on TV and saw the second tower fall. Quickly, our chain of command ordered us back to the company. We pulled weapons, gun trucks, concertina wire, and immediately began securing the installation."

"I feel fortunate and lucky to still be here to help Soldiers stay trained and stay ready because the world can go from zero to crazy in an instant."

As the ceremony concluded, the final bell echoed through the theater, a reminder, leaders said, that the duty to remember and remain ready continues for every generation of Soldiers.