On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the deadliest terror attacks in our history. This year, marking the 25th remembrance of this tragedy, members of AFA-CWA honored the lives of their colleagues and friends lost during the attack.
Since 2016, Flight Attendants with AFA-CWA have served in an annual Honor Guard to make sure their fallen comrades are not forgotten. Members of the Honor Guard attend services at the Pentagon, the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., in uniform, where they deliver flowers in remembrance and read aloud the names of fallen Flight Attendants, Pilots, and Passenger Service Agents.
The toll of the attacks extended beyond just one day. There are currently almost 135,000 responders and survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). The top five certified health conditions related to WTC exposure are cancer, chronic rhinosinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), asthma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The WTCHP, created by Congress in 2010, was designed to provide medical coverage for those responders and survivors living with the aftereffects of the events of 9/11. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency made significant cuts to staff who administer this program, impacting the remaining staff’s ability to provide health services to responders and those impacted by the attacks.