9 11 and the Forever War | San Diego News

9/11 didn’t just change the battlefield—it rewrote the very soul of military service. Before, combat was a distant possibility; after, it became the norm for nearly every service member, from front-line fighters to support staff. Sergeant Major Hector Rivera, who joined the Marines in 2000, found himself deployed within months of the attacks, launching a career defined by multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. War evolved from a potential threat to a permanent state, reshaping lives and forging unbreakable bonds amid loss. Rivera remembers fallen comrades not as numbers but as people with families, a haunting reminder of war’s human cost. His most recent mission—the chaotic Kabul evacuation in 2021—was a testament to humanity, even as tragedy struck: 13 U.S. troops, including 10 from his battalion, perished in an airport bombing. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Afghans who helped America remain stranded without refuge. As the military pivots toward tech and near-peer threats, Rivera insists one thing hasn’t changed: the enduring call to serve, passed down through generations. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6e8226a9f39e77f0