In the 10 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Americans have shown that they do not give in to fear, are resolved to defend their way of life, and hold fast to their freedoms, said President Obama Sunday in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the attacks. “Decades from now, Americans will visit the memorials to those who were lost on 9/11. And they will know that nothing can break the will of a truly United States of America,” he said in remarks at Sunday evening’s Concert for Hope at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Earlier in the day, Obama told the families of the 9/11 victims that the nation will not forget their loved ones. “In their name, we’ll never waver in our efforts to prevent another attack on our shores and to spare other families the heartbreak you have known,” he said. The President and First Lady Michelle Obama marked the anniversary by joining the ceremonies at each of the 9/11 crash sites: the Pentagon, World Trade Center in New York City, and Shanksville, Pa. (See also White House blog entry)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.