On that fateful September morning, the Partnership for Public Service was set to officially announce the launch of the organization at an event on Capitol Hill. As news of the terrorist attacks unfolded, the event was postponed but our organization moved forward with its mission to help revitalize and improve the operations of the federal government.
It was a solemn, defining time for the Partnership to begin its work. Rather than altering our purpose, the crisis underscored it—demonstrating why the nation needs an effective federal government equipped to tackle complex challenges.
Our government is only as strong as the civil servants carrying out its mission
In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks and the decades of national security reform that followed, career civil servants stepped up to protect our nation, restore critical operations and build systems for future emergencies.
In 2002, we established the Service to America Medals® program to honor career federal employees who make America safer, stronger, healthier and more prosperous.
Here are some of our Service to America Medals honorees whose achievements helped the nation recover from the 9/11 attacks, strengthen our national security and prepare us for future crises:
Leading disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts
Brad Gair led the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s long term recovery efforts in New York after 9/11, managing $8.8 billion in federal aid and coordinating multi-agency operations.
Initial estimates projected that clearing the site of World Trade Center in New Yorks City that was devastated by the terrorist attacks would take two years and cost $7 billion. Under Gair’s leadership, the massive cleanup was completed in just six months for $1.7 billion.
Securing the nation’s borders and modernizing national defense
Following 9/11, Kevin McAleenan answered the call to public service by joining U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help stand up its Office of Anti-Terrorism.
Rising to lead the office as director, McAleenan created critical threat response protocols for CBP personnel, designed integrated response plans for elevated national threat levels and coordinated border protection strategy to safeguard the nation’s ports and borders.
Building real-time operational response networks for major crises
To address the 9/11 Commission’s call for improved interagency information sharing, Frank J. DiFalco helped establish the Department of Homeland Security’s National Operations Center.
DiFalco transformed how federal, state and local authorities coordinate during national emergencies by developing real-time web tools and leading DHS’ Crisis Action Team to ensure rapid, unified responses to terrorist threats and natural disasters.
Preparing the nation for biological threats and public health emergencies
Recognizing early on that the U.S. was ill-prepared for bioterrorism, Steven Bice spearheaded the creation of the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When terrorist attacks struck on Sept. 11, the NPS oversaw the deployment of emergency medical “push packs” to New York City in under seven hours. When deadly anthrax powder began showing up a week after 9/11 in letters to senators and news organizations around the country, the stockpile team coordinated more than 60 timely deliveries of medicines across 10 states and the District of Columbia. The initiative subsequently grew into the Strategic National Stockpile—broadening defenses against chemical, biological and nuclear hazards.
The ongoing mission of public service
Twenty-five years after 9/11, dedicated public servants remain the backbone of our national security and crisis response. The honorees highlighted here are just a few of the many federal employees who over the years have worked tirelessly to rebuild communities, strengthen critical infrastructure and protect our country.
Today, federal employees face great pressure and uncertainty, including unprecedented efforts to weaken our government. Yet, as history shows, our nation relies on a skilled, nonpartisan civil service to navigate crises and keep Americans safe.
Read more inspiring stories from our Service to America Medals honorees and explore the Federal Harms Tracker products to see what’s at stake when the federal government is weakened from within.
Featured image: New York, N.Y., Oct. 20, 2001—Well-wishers near the site of the World Trade Center wave at passing drivers. Photo by Andrea Booher/FEMA