9/11 pushes firefighter out of limbo

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "I was at home asleep the morning of 9/11," said Staff Sgt. Sherice Lovato, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter. "I was still in limbo of whether or not I wanted to join the military. When I woke up I started down the hallway to find my mom sitting up in her bed, eyes glossy and glued to the TV."

The events of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks unfolded before Lovato as she sat, her eyes now glued to the TV, with her mom. The scene still lives on vividly in Lovato's mind.

"There was smoke billowing out the sides of the building," she said. "You could see papers raining on the ground like confetti. Just then the second plane struck the second tower and I nearly fell to the ground. My mom kept shouting my name and began crying. I fell into tears alongside her."

When the towers collapsed, Lovato said she held her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

"My heart was so heavy for all those families who had just lost a loved one," she said. "It felt as if we were coming to the end of the world. I honestly thought we were going to have to defend ourselves at our own doorsteps."

9/11 impacted people in different ways, for Lovato, it was the tipping point that led her to an Air Force career.

"At that moment, when it was apparent that we were being attacked at our own doorstep, I didn't need to be in limbo anymore," she said. "From that point on I knew I wanted to become part of the military and fight for my country."

Since joining the Air Force, Lovato has deployed twice in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Prior to her first deployment, she was eager to assist in the fight against those responsible for the attacks.

"When I first joined the military, I wanted to blame everyone (in Iraq and Afghanistan) for the 9/11 attacks, but as time went on and I got to experience their culture I got to see that it wasn't all of them," she said.

During her deployments, Lovato said she gained pride as she contributed to the overall mission.

"I did everything I could on both my deployments to make (Iraq) a better place," she said. "We trained the Iraqi people how to fight fire. It felt great giving them a piece of our knowledge. They now had some of the tools they needed to be effective and potentially save lives."

Lovato said she plans to serve in the Air Force for as long as she is able.

"I get to protect the freedom that so many Americans enjoy," she said. "I can't think of a better purpose in life for myself."