100th LRS deployment, distribution flight chief shares memories of 9/11
Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles remembering Sept. 11, where RAF Mildenhall members share their personal experience of what happened that fateful day, and how it affected their life and military journey.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and on Flight 93 outside Shanksville, Penn. The events of that morning in 2001 brought about a change in American attitudes, bolstered patriotism and launched a global war on terrorism.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Evelyn Chromey was 20 years old and had just finished technical school for the traffic management operations career field at then-Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Her dad had been in the Peruvian Air Force as an aircraft maintainer, and it was because of him she decided to join the U.S. Air Force. Born in Lima, Peru, her family came to the States when she was 6 years old.
While waiting on orders to her first base, Chromey said she was temporarily working for the officer-in-charge of tech school.
“The OIC called me into his office and the instructors and staff were also there, watching the news on TV,” said Chromey. “I thought I was watching a movie and asked what it was, but he told me, ‘No, this is real! We’re being attacked!’”
In that moment, time stood still.
Chromey, now a senior master sergeant and 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron Deployment and Distribution flight chief, recalled that everyone in the office stayed glued to the screen for half an hour, watching events unfold live, right before their eyes.
“We saw the second plane hit one of the towers, and were in shock! None of us could believe what was happening. It was so surreal,” she said. “It was soon after that when we received the call that we were going into Force Protection Condition Delta. Maximum force protection levels were immediately implemented, and we began securing the base.”
Students were gathered and the base went into lockdown.
“Having just finished technical school, we’d learned about FP conditions and how to secure a base, but at my level as an airman basic, we just followed the rules,” explained Chromey. “We knew what we had to do, which was accountability missions, ensuring everywhere was locked, putting signs up and presenting ID every time we went into any building. It was scary because we didn’t know if it was just in New York or if similar things were happening elsewhere.”
Having received her orders within two weeks of Sept. 11, Chromey received clearance to travel to her first duty station at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
“When I got to Kadena, I had just one day to fully in-process and get myself situated before I was assigned as a security forces augmentee at the gate,” she said. “I didn’t get the chance to start my job (in the logistics readiness squadron). I in-processed, met my leadership, then immediately went to guard the gate for 16 hours straight!”
The change in duties lasted at least two months, starting guard mount at 3 a.m. to get ready. Chromey and the other augmentees were put in groups so they could take turns guarding the gate and resting.
“It was definitely maximum security at all times; we had military working dogs constantly at the gate, and we had to conduct searches – including mirror checks – of all vehicles inside and out, checking for explosives,” she said. “There were different checkpoints implemented, and only essential personnel were coming on base. At that moment, I was thinking, ‘Man, is this what I signed up for? What did I get myself into?’” said the now-senior master sergeant.
In 2002, she deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, for four months. In 2004, Chromey deployed to Iraq – her first two of 10 deployments.
On each anniversary of 9/11, Chromey said she takes time to reflect and think about where she was on that fateful day.
“Remembering the shock as we watched the attacks live on TV, it’s just something that you don’t forget,” she said. “Even though our training had prepared us for that moment, I feel like now we’re going through similar situations where we can’t let our guard down. When the time comes, we’ve got to be prepared.
“The way I came into the Air Force was almost by luck. I had always had a desire to serve, but life had steered me in a different direction,” said Chromey. “Then, at a time when I was going through a lot in my life, I met a recruiter who told me about opportunities the Air Force had to offer. At the time, it sounded too good to be true. Looking back, it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
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