Twenty-five years after September 11 reshaped the American psyche, the men and women who answered that moment with enlistment are now measuring the distance between who they were and who they became. The Global War on Terrorism may have been officially closed by policy, but for those who lived it in body and spirit, no declaration can mark its end. Their reckoning is quiet, ongoing, and deeply human — a reminder that the true ledger of war is kept not in headlines, but in lives.
Two Decades Later: 9/11 Veterans Reflect on Service and Its Lasting Impact
Veterans describe personal sacrifices and life changes resulting from military service in response to 9/11 attacks and subsequent conflicts.