U.S. must remain vigilant

U.S. Must remain vigilant.

Key points

• Prior to his service in the Senate, Wicker was elected seven times, beginning in 1994, to represent Mississippi's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
• Americans will shortly mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
• Supreme Court to rule on 2020 Census results that negatively impacted Mississippians.
• All of us who lived through 9/11 can recount the moment we heard the news.
• Yet for 25 years, America has stood firm against an evil ideology and as a force of good.

U.S. Must remain vigilant. U.S. Must remain vigilant. By: Roger Wicker – September 8, 2026.

Hearings to examine military to civilian transition, focusing on success after service. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Rosa Pineda).

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker reflects on 9/11, saying Americans still carry the shock and grief of that day, and a grateful nation honors those who responded to the atrocities.

Americans will shortly mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Much has changed since that Tuesday in 2001. An entire generation has been born and grown into adulthood. But Americans still carry the shock and grief of that day, and a grateful nation honors those who responded to the atrocities. Along with those feelings, this solemn occasion carries an enduring lesson: America should not wait for a similar wake-up call to strengthen our homeland defense.

All of us who lived through 9/11 can recount the moment we heard the news. That morning, I had attended breakfast at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. By the time I left, I had learned that both towers had been hit in New York City. As I was returning to the U.S. Capitol, I did not yet know I was leaving one target and heading toward another.

It is significant that we remember the details of that day. It was hate for our country and our way of life that motivated the persons who hijacked four planes that day. They flew two jets into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan and another into a wing of the Pentagon. The heroic civilians on Flight 93 diverted the fourth plane, crashing it into a field in Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the United States had come under a terror attack-meant not only to kill thousands of Americans and destroy our landmarks but to test the resolve of our nation. Yet for 25 years, America has stood firm against an evil ideology and as a force of good. Vigilance Prevented More Tragedy.

We must not lose sight of how remarkable that resolve has been. When the second tower was struck on 9/11, we knew America was under attack. When the terrorists hit the Pentagon, we understood the assault would not be limited to New York City, then. Plenty of feared subsequent attacks were on the horizon.

Since 9/11, we have not experienced another major attack on our soil. That fact is a testament to the service members and public servants who stepped forward to defend the nation. They have thwarted every single large-scale terrorist scheme against the homeland for the past quarter century.

Meanwhile, the alarm bells on 9/11 captured the entire nation's attention. In the aftermath, we raised defense investment, crippled Al-Qaeda, and killed Osama Bin Laden. The world learned that America stands firm against attacks. But in the years since, new threats have emerged. Meanwhile, an axis of tyrants has banded together to oppose the United States and the freedoms for which we stand. China leads this pack. Xi Jinping has executed an enormous military buildup and is helping Russia, North Korea, and Iran as each one threatens the free world.

For context, the U.S. Military and our allies are not as solid as we need to be to defend against all these adversaries simultaneously. Worse still, our unpreparedness could provoke them to greater aggression. We should take their threats seriously and act now. We should not wait for another wake-up call.

In Congress, I am joining President Trump in favor of a proposed growth to our military budget. Together, we are modernizing our armed forces and equipping service members for 21st century fights.

Ultimately, the terrorists behind 9/11 did not have the last word. The American individuals did. Our vigilance has kept major terror attacks away from our shores. This anniversary can serve as a call to action. It is time to invest in the type of strength necessary to keep evil at bay against the backdrop of today's dangers. Regarding the Author(s).

Roger Wicker is the senior U.S. Senator for the state of Mississippi. He has served in the Senate since 2007. Prior to his service in the Senate, Wicker was elected seven times, beginning in 1994, to represent Mississippi's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives. Before being elected to Congress, he served in the Mississippi state Senate on behalf of Lee and Pontotoc counties. Opinion Sid Salter August 26, 2026.

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Taken together, the developments around U.S. Must remain vigilant point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.