As first responders rushed to Ground Zero on September 11, the U.S. military also immediately mobilized. Gen. Dan Caine, now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served as the chief of Weapons and Tactics for the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base at the time. Speaking with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, Caine recalled being in a scheduling meeting when a staffer reported that a plane had struck the North Tower. He and his colleagues then watched live as the second aircraft hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. Recognizing instantly that the nation was under attack, Caine ordered weapons and air-to-air missiles to be moved. With Pentagon smoke visible on the horizon, the White House instructed the squadron to scramble and defend Washington, D.C., under very liberal rules of engagement, including orders to intercept United Flight 93 before it crashed in Pennsylvania. Caine recounted trusting words from his wing commander, Brig. Gen. Dave Wherley, who told him to do the right thing. Due to the extreme urgency, some aircraft launched without missile armaments, prompting pilots like Lt. Col. Mark Sasseville and Heather Penney to prepare for a fatal ramming mission if necessary. Meanwhile, Caine’s jet was armed with live missiles, leaving him to face the sobering realization that he might need to shoot down a commercial airliner, praying only to remain calm through the chaos and protect the nation. Because passengers aboard United Flight 93 fought back and crashed the plane in a field, Caine did not have to fire, sparing Washington from a direct strike. Caine honored the passengers’ bravery, noting that they were the first to fight back, alongside the emergency workers who ran toward danger. A quarter-century later, Caine noted that the day fundamentally transformed his understanding of service, leaving behind enduring examples of courage, tenacity, grit, and patriotism.
Source: cbsnews.com
