As thousands of first responders and emergency workers rushed to
, America's military also rapidly leapt into action.
asserted
military → rush → action
He told CBS News' Norah O'Donnell that he had just entered a scheduling meeting when a young staffer burst in to say that a plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
asserted
plane → tell → Center
He and his colleagues then watched on live television as the second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
asserted
plane → watch → a.m.
"I still remember to this day, Norah, what I felt and what I thought as we all watched that news helicopter camera filming the burning tower.
asserted
we → remember → tower
What I felt and thought when the second airplane entered that shot and hit the second tower," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → feel → tower
"I knew right away that our nation was under attack, and we began to move right into action immediately."
asserted
we → know → action
There was "no doubt" that the country was at war, Caine said, and his squadron began preparations.
asserted
squadron → be → preparations
Caine gave orders for the base's weapons, including air-to-air missiles, to start moving, he said.
asserted
he → give → missiles
With smoke from the Pentagon visible on the horizon, Caine received a call from the White House ordering the squadron "to get airborne to scramble to defend" Washington, D.C.
asserted
Caine → receive → Washington
The rules of engagement were "very liberal," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → say → engagement
Orders were given to try to intercept
, which hijackers planned to fly into a federal building in Washington, D.C., shortly before it crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
asserted
it → give → field
"They put the responsibility on us, and they came to our wing commander, Brig. Gen. Dave Wherley," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → put → commander
"He said something that I'll never, ever forget.
asserted
I → say → that
He said, 'Look, Dan, I don't know what you're going to have to do out there, but I know you're going to do the right thing.
asserted
you → say → thing
I trust you.'
asserted
I → trust → you
Some planes were put in the air so quickly that there wasn't time to arm them with missiles.
asserted
planes → put → missiles
Two of those planes were piloted by squadron operations officer Lt. Col. Mark Sasseville and wingman Heather Penney.
asserted
Two → pilot → Sasseville
In 2021,
they had planned to ram their aircraft into the plane.
asserted
they → plan → plane
"In the military, we don't send our service members on suicide missions," Penney said.
asserted
Penney → send → missions
"But it was clear what needed to be done that morning."
Caine's jet, however, was loaded with live missiles, and he took off knowing that he might have to take down a commercial airliner.
uncertain
he → need → airliner
All planes had been ordered to stop flying in the airspace over Washington, D.C., with a warning given that any disobedient craft would be shot down immediately.
asserted
craft → order → warning
"I remember thinking, 'Wait a minute, that's me that's going to do the shooting here,'" Caine said.
asserted
Caine → think → shooting
"And I think the biggest thing that ran through my mind is the, sort of, the fighter jet pilot prayer: 'Dear God, please don't let me screw this up.'
asserted
me → think → this
I just want to get out there and be able to do my job, to think through chaos, to remain calm through uncertainty, and if possible, protect, protect the country.
asserted
I → want → country
But because the passengers aboard
stormed the cockpit and crashed the plane in an empty field far from any intended target, Caine didn't have to fire, and Washington, D.C., was not directly hit.
asserted
Washington → storm → target
Caine praised the courage of those passengers.
asserted
Caine → praise → passengers
"We take an oath in the military to protect and defend the United States of America.
asserted
"We → take → America
They got on an airliner, and yet they were the first ones that fought back in those dark, dark moments on September 11," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → get → September
Caine also commended the emergency workers who responded to the crash sites.
asserted
who → commend → sites
"That is what makes our country great: to set aside that uncertainty and that fear and move towards the problem for somebody else," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → make → somebody
Even 25 years later, Caine said he still remains affected by the events of the day.
asserted
he → say → day
"I don't think I understood what it means to serve this country until September 11," Caine said.
asserted
Caine → think → September
"You know, I was probably a young fighter pilot who thought it was cool to fly jets, but then it got very real on September 11 and the days that followed, and the examples that the American people got on that day of courage, tenacity, grit, patriotism, remain a gift in many ways for me 25 years later."
asserted
people → know → me
The Aporia
