Patriot Day 2026: Twenty-Five Years of Remembrance, Service, and Resolve
September 11, 2026 | National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association
Twenty-five years have passed since September 11, 2001. For those who remember that morning, the images and emotions remain vivid: disbelief, grief, uncertainty, and the urgent need to know whether loved ones were safe. For a younger generation, remembrance begins with the stories we preserve and the lessons we pass on.
On this Patriot Day, the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association joins the nation in remembering the 2,977 people killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Behind every name is a life, a family, and a future taken away. Those lives remain at the heart of our remembrance. National September 11 Memorial & Museum
We honor the first responders who answered the call, the civilians who helped strangers escape, and the passengers and crew whose courage endures in our national memory. We also remember the rescue and recovery workers, survivors, and families whose lives remain affected by that day.
For the EOD community, September 11 carries an additional, deeply personal weight. The years that followed brought deployments, demanding missions, and losses that are still felt throughout our ranks. In Iraq and Afghanistan, EOD technicians confronted improvised explosive devices and other explosive hazards, protecting fellow service members and civilians through work requiring exceptional skill and judgment. U.S. Army
Within our community, those years are remembered through people: the teammate who always made everyone laugh, the mentor whose lessons still guide us, and the friend whose absence is felt at every gathering. We honor those who gave their lives, those living with wounds, and the families who carried the burdens of service alongside them.
Our remembrance also includes Public Safety Bomb Technicians and all who continue to protect our communities. Their commitment reminds us that service is performed every day, often quietly and out of public view.
September 11 is observed as Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance. It is an opportunity to pause together and honor the memory of those who lost their lives in service to others. GovInfo
For NATEODA members and friends, that service can begin close to home. Call a former teammate. Reach out to a surviving family member. Attend a local remembrance ceremony. Volunteer in your community. Take time to help a younger person understand what happened on September 11 and why we continue to remember.
A simple conversation can matter. So can listening without rushing, offering practical help, or making sure someone knows they remain part of the EOD family.
Twenty-five years later, we have a responsibility to preserve these memories with care. We can speak the names of those we lost, tell their stories, and make room for those whose grief does not follow a calendar. We can carry forward the compassion and willingness to help those united people in the aftermath of the attacks.
This Patriot Day, NATEODA honors the lives lost on September 11, the courage of those who responded, and the sacrifices of those who served in the years that followed.
We remember them. We stand with their families. We honor their memory by caring for one another and serving our communities.
Never Forget!
The U.S. Army Pacific named Soldiers from the 716th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company as the 2026 USARPAC EOD Team of the Year following competition at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
