Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. (September 18, 2024): In this photo by Senior Airman Alexis Orozco, Air Force Master Sergeant Michael Brick rings a bell in honor of firefighters who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. According to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), 343 members of the FDNY were killed and in the 23 years since more than 360 members have died of World Trade Center-related illnesses.
While most of the victims were from New York, others were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. It took many years, but the United States caught up to 911 mastermind Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, killing him at his compound in Pakistan.
MSgt Brick is an assistant fire chief of health and safety for the 944th Fighter Wing, a reserve unit that trains reservists during peacetime to be ready for world-wide deployments. As part of remembrance ceremonies, over one hundred Airmen conducted a solemn 5k run/march followed by events to honor the fallen.
The 944th is assigned to Tenth Air Force under the Air Force Reserve Command based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.