STORIES

Christina Petersen

Active Duty

Christina Petersen
Military Affiliations

  • Veteran Child

  • First Responder

  • Military Spouse

  • Military Child

MY connection to 9/11

  • I was serving in the military on 9/11

  • I had a family member serving in the military on 9/11

Where were you when you first heard about or saw the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

I was in basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Our Drill Sergeants cancelled training that day and they sat us down to have a heart to heart talk. That was different than how they usually spoke to us, so we knew something happened. They took us to an auditorium and turned on the televisions. We were all in shock by what we saw. At that time we didn’t have cell phones or access to any outside sources except a 5 min call home on the weekend.

How did the events of that day shape your life and inspire your service to this country?

While a lot of my motivation to join the service in December 2000 was for the opportunities to go to college and medical school; this changed everything. I realized that I was about to go to war so the focused changed on being a good soldier, that this was a real possibility and I took everything seriously. My father was also in the service at the time as an Infantry CSM and he quickly was deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq. My family’s service continue to push my to excel at every military task I am given and I will always remember why I continue to serve.

What are you excited to contribute to your community, however you define it, for the next 20 years?

I am still in the service now assisting in the COVID19 fight on the front lines of deployment medicine as an Army Trained Physician Assistant. I deployed to Iraq in 2005 with a medical unit from New York whom many had been there and helped on 9/11. I also meet my husband on that deployment. It was an honor for both of us to serve with them then and to continue to serve 20 years later. My husband went on to go to the military medical school so now the both of us continue to provide care like we did so many years ago. I hope to take the heartfelt loss we had on that day to continue to do the best I can to care for my fellow brothers and sisters in arms as well as retired service members.

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