Colleagues,
On Sunday, we will observe the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred in New York, New York; Arlington, Virginia; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, and others who suffered injury and illness passed in the days, weeks, and months that followed.
We in the United States Department of Homeland Security commemorate that tragic event and honor the lives lost, and those who survived, in at least two important ways. We pay tribute in solemn ceremonies across our country and around the world, wherever we are stationed. We also pay tribute through the work we perform every single day.
Through your extraordinary and noble service to our country, through your selfless devotion to our mission to keep the American people safe and secure, you honor the victims of 9/11. You also demonstrate our nation’s resolve to protect our way of life.
Thank you for everything you do in service to our country.
Alejandro N. Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.