The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, were a wake-up call for America, and I sincerely hope it is not one we as a nation have forgotten. There are still folks out there who hate our freedoms and our way of life.

We are no longer protected by oceans and geographical distance from potential enemies. We must always remember we are a nation at risk and be prepared for the next attack. I do believe in peace through strength.

I was the Assistant Division Commander for the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division on the 11th of September in 2001. I was in the middle of packing to head to the airport when my wife Sarah asked me to turn on the television. Those TV images are still etched in my mind today, even though the event occurred 24 years ago.

CNN via Getty Images

Since that time I have deployed to Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kosovo, and Iraq three times in varying capacities. And clearly, I am not alone. All uniformed military have had shared similar experiences. As I reflect back on that time, we went from a nation enjoying peace and prosperity to a nation at war.

In order to maintain our freedoms we need a strong military. We cannot afford to let the Department of Defense become a bill payer for programs not directly tied to our national security. We need to ensure all branches of our military are a ready fighting force — well equipped, well trained, and prepared to rapidly respond to any threat at a moment’s notice.

We also must actively support our nation’s veterans and their families because they sacrificed much to ensure we have the freedoms we enjoy today. Less than 1% of our country’s population serve in uniform at any one time, but we all enjoy the freedoms provided by that select few. Unfortunately, 76% of our population acknowledges that they have no idea what our veterans are going through because they just don’t know any veterans. That is wrong and must be addressed.

I remain concerned about the future of our great nation and want to ensure our kids and grandkids enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, freedom is only one generation removed from extinction. Let’s use today to reflect on those freedoms and commit to do everything we can to maintain them for generations to come.

* * *

Rick Lynch was privileged to serve 35 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Lieutenant General. During his time in the Army he commanded at all levels, from a platoon of 30 soldiers to a corps of 65,000. His last job in the Army was commanding all U.S. Army installations, with a workforce of 120,000. He now is the President of R. Lynch Enterprises, focused on building concerned, caring, adaptive leaders across our nation. He is the author of “Adapt or Die,” “Work Hard, Pray Hard,” and “We’re Not Robots.”

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

President Donald Trump said the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was a “dark moment for America” in an Oval Office address on Wednesday night, saying that he was “filled with grief and anger” following the “heinous assassination.”

“Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loves so much, the United States of America,” Trump said. “He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth.”

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— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 11, 2025

Trump had responded to the news earlier in the day with posts on Truth Social, first calling on Americans to pray for Kirk and then announcing that he had passed away at the age of 31, leaving behind his wife Erika and their two young children.

In his Wednesday night address, he also took aim at what he views to be the root cause of the violent attack. Trump called out the media and the political left, saying that politically motivated assassinations were largely the result of people demonizing others simply because they hold differing opinions.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he explained. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in this country today.”

Trump said Kirk, one of his most fervent supporters who played a key role in his 2024 political campaign, was better at communicating with young voters than anybody in history.

“This is a dark moment for America,” he added. “Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody. Ever … He championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace.”

“Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith. And we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven,” Trump said, before asking for God’s protection and comfort for Kirk’s family “in this terrible hour of heartache and pain.”