25 Years Later, Ortt Reflects On His 9/11 Service

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the course of the nation, New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt reflected on how that day changed the course of his own life — ultimately leading him from Western New York to combat in Afghanistan.

Ortt was 22 when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon and hijacked Flight 93.

“You could feel the earth turning. You could feel the world changing in real time,” Ortt recalled on his @X account "@SenatorOrtt," formerly titled Twitter. “I felt like I had to do something, and I'm privileged that I was able to do something.”

That meant joining the military. He sprinted from class to his car, then to home, and emailed recruiters from every branch of the armed services. The Army was the first to touch base with him.

“I was able to find a recruiter, raise my hand and say, I want to put on a uniform, and I want to fight and kill the people who did this to us,” Ortt said.

Ortt enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in October 2001 in response to the attacks. He later deployed to Afghanistan, serving from March through December 2008 as a combat mentor and adviser to the Afghan National Police in Kandahar. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, among other military honors.

Looking back, Ortt also recalled the sense of national unity that followed the attacks.

“I think about how we came together that day,” Ortt said. “I think about how unified we seemed after that attack, how everyone was eager to put an American flag out in front of their house.”

“It didn't matter where you were from. It didn't matter what your political party was,” he continued. “I remember members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, singing God Bless America together.”

Ortt described his decision to serve as a defining “gut-check moment” in his life.

“It fills me with immense pride,” Ortt said. “It’s hard to separate myself from that experience, nor would I want to.”

He said that experience continues to shape his advocacy for veterans in the State Senate.

“One of the best things I get to do in this role is to be a voice for veterans and to advocate for those who have worn the uniform of our country,” Ortt said.

His military service, he added, “will always be one of the things, if not the thing, that I am most proud of in my life.”