U.S. Space Command's General James Dickinson reflects on 9-11

Gen.

James Dickinson, commander at U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs was working at the Pentagon when the terror attacks happened 20 years ago.

STREAMING DEVICE.I'M DIANNE DERBY.I'M ROB QUIR..K.FIRST AT SIX,..OUR CONTINUING COVERAGE THISWEEK...AMERICA REMEMBERS...TWENTY YEARS SINCE THE 9-11ATTACKS.WHERE WERE YOU ON SEPTEMBER11TH, 20??01FOR THOSE OF US THOUSANDOFSMILES AWAY FROM NEW YORK ANDWASHINGTON, IT WAS THE IMAGES ONT.V.THAT STAND OUT FOR ME...AND FIRST COME TO MIND.BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO WEREDIRECTLY TARGETED BY THE ATTACKSTHAT DAY?TONIGHT, AND ONLY ON NEWSFIVE....AN EXCLUSIVE "ONE ON ONE" THWIARMY FOUR STAR GENERAL JAMESDICKINSON, WHO CURRENTLY HEADSU.S.SPACE COMMAND IN COLORADOSPRINGS...WHO WAS WORKING IN THE PENTAGONON 9-11.TIME 3:46OUTQ:"....NON STANDARD..."MAKE THIS COUNTRY AAFER SPLACE,REALLY THE WORLD A SAFER PLA."CESUPERS:GEN.JAMES DICKINSON/ COMMANDER,U.S.SPACE COMMAND GENERAL DICKINSONWAS A LIEUTEANT NTCOLONEL...ASSIGNED TO THE NATIONAL COMMANDCENTER IN THE PENTAGON,..SUPPORTING THE DEFENSE SECRETARYAND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOT INCHIEFS, AMONG OTHERS,..YOU CAN'T GET ANY CLOSER TO THEWEPOR BASE OF THIS NATION, WHENWE ARE ATTACKED.9 11 GEN DICKINSON19:37:28"TURNED ON THE TV, AND I SAWWHAT HAD HAPPENED, I SAW THEPLANES STRIKE THE TOWER IN N, YCAND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WHAT AMI DOING SITTING HERE AT HOME,SO, GOT MYSELF IN TO MY UNIFORM,JUMPED IN MY CAR" 9:37:43UNDERSTANDABLY, CHAOS INSIDE ANDOUTSIDE THE PENTAGON.

..A DRIVE THAT NORMALLY TOOK HIM AHALF HOUR,..TOOK HOURS TO GETBACK TO HIS POST,..WHICH WAS ON THE OPPITOSE SIDEOF THE PENTAGON FROM WHERE THEAIRCRAFT HIT THE BUILDING,CAUSING EXTENSIVE SMOKE,IR FEAND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, NOT TOMENTION THE LOSS OF LIFE.9 11 GEN DICKINSON19:38:44"AS I WENT INTO THE BUILDING,TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT D I'EVER SEEN BEREFO"9:38:48BUTT TO THIS BITE9 11 GEN DICKIONNS19:42:05"WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HIT, STRUCKTHE PENTAGON, IT WAS VERY MUCHLIKE WHAT WE SAW UP IN NYCIN,OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE RUNNING TOTHE INCIDENT RATHER THAN RUNNINGAWAY FROM THE INCIDENT" 9:42:19AS HORRIFIC AN ATTACK AS ITWAS,..184 PEOPLE ULTIMATELY DIED ATTHE PENTAGON...INCLUDING FRIENDS OF GENERALDICKINSON HE LATER LEARNED...HE HAD A JOB TO DO, A JOB AHENDSO MANY OTHERS WERE TRAINED TODO, MAKE SURE THE EPICENTEOFRNATIONAL AND INTERNATIONALCOMMUNICATION, WASFUNCTIONING...SO OUR NATIONAL LEVEL LEADERIPSHTEAM COULD FUNCTION IN A CRISIS.9 11 GEN DICKINSON19:39:51"AND I WALKED IN TO THE PENTAGONGOT IN TO THE NATIONAL MILITARYCOMMAND CENTER AND I COULD HEARTHE PRESIDENT, HE WAS ON A PHONECALL AND THEY WERE TALKING AUTBOTHE SITUATION AS IT WASUNFOLDING AND MAKING SOMEDECISIONS".9:40:03CRITICAL DECISIONS AMIT DSA MOODTHE GENERAL RECALLS AS SOMBER,BUT SERIOUS..GROUNDING AIR TRAFFIC,..LOCKING DOWN MILITARYINSTALLATIONS AND OTHER HIGHSECURITY TARGETS ACROSS THECOUNTRY,..NOT TO MENTION TRYING TO FURE IGOUT WHO DID THIS AND WHY.9 11 GEN DICKINSON19:441 :0"AND WHEN WE SAW THAT, YES, WEWERE SHOCKED, BUT I WILL TELLYOU, WE IMDIMEATELY WENT FROM AFEELING OF THAT TO WHAT DO WENEED TO DO NEXT"9:44:12STANDUP HERE9 11 GEN DICKINSON1410:24:41"TS HIMEMORIAL ON PETERSON SCEPAFORCE BASE COMMEMORATES THESEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS,INCLUDING THAT PIECE OF ANI-BEAM FROM THE WORLD TRADECENTER IN NEW YORK, BUT IT ALSOHAS THIS PLAQUE HERE THAT READS,IN PART, FROM THE ASHES OF THETERRORIST ATTACK ON SEPTEMBER11TH, AROSE NORTHE CRNMANDOMHERE, TO IMPROVE OUR NATIONALDEFENSE CAPABILITIES HERE IN THEU.S.AND DEND OFEUR LIBER ANDTYFINALLY THE LAST LINE ON THISPLAQUEEA RDS,APOPPRRIATELY, LET US NEVERFORGET".10:25:089 11 GEN DICKINSON19:53:22"SO I THINK IT'S A RECOGNITIONTHAT WE'RE VULNERABLE, THAT WECAN BE VULNERABLE AND I THINKWE'VE TAKEN THAT AWAY FROM 9-11AND SOME OF THE ACTIONS, SOME OFTHE ORGANIZATIONS WEE 'VDEVELOPED, STOOD UP, AS IMENTIONED, U.S.NORTHERN COMMAND, AND THERE AREOTHERS AS WELL AS WELLS ACAPABILITIES THAT WE'VE BUILTHAVE ALLOWED US TO ADDRESS THOSEVULNERABILITIES"9:533 :4GENERAL DICKINSON SAYS THE MOSTIMPORTANT POINT TO REMEMBER ASWE REFLECT THIS WEEKEND...THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANOTHERATTACK LIKE 9-11 ON U.S.SOIL.

,.THANKS TO THE SACRIFICE MADE BYOUR MEN ANDWOMEN IN UNIFORM,..AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE,...SOME OF WHOM WHO MIGHTE BSTRUGGLING RIGHT NOW GIVEN THECHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES INAFGHANISTAN,..AND WHO NEED TO BE REMINDED,...THEYARE NOT ALONE.9 11 GEN DICKINSON19:479 :3"WE'VE LOST A LOT OF PEOPLE BOTHIN THE ATTACKS THAT DAY AND OVER20 YEARS OF COMBAT, AND I THINKWE ALWAYS MUST REMEMBER THEM ANDTHE SACRIFICE THEY MADE TO MAKETHIS COUNTRY A SAFER PLACE,REALLY THE WORLD A SAFER PLA" CE9:47:53GENERAL DICKINSON WILL BE ONE OFTHE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT A 9-11REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY ON SATURDAYAT PETERSON AIR FORCE BA.

SEJOINING HIM WILL BE RETIREDGENRAL ED EBERHARDT, THE FIRSTCOMMANDER OF NORTHERN COMMD ANAFTER IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN2002,..AND THE CURRENT NORTHCM OMCOMMAN DER,GENERAL GLEN VANHE