On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the United States was rocked by a series of four orchestrated attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans and left an estimated 6,000 injured. In response to the attacks, President George W. Bush announced on Oct. 7, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom and the War in Afghanistan.

Nine years later, Chief Personnel Specialist Allan Ines, a native of Long Beach, California, was in South Carolina, training to go to Djibouti, Africa, as an individual augmentee (IA) - an assignment for which he volunteered. As Operation Enduring Freedom waged on, Ines' path changed when President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.

"I was about to graduate IA training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina," said Ines. "My sergeant first class ordered me to go to the armory and retrieve my kill weapon. I was confused because I was going to Djibouti and I wasn't going to need that weapon. It was in the armory that my chief informed me that I was going to Afghanistan."

Within weeks, Ines graduated training and was on his way to join his brothers and sisters fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Ines. "I was nervous."

Upon arrival in Afghanistan, Ines was informed that he'd be responsible for driving in caravans to transport personnel and documents between the different bases.

"It didn't take long for me to get my license there and start driving," said Ines. "We received a lot of training once we were there. It was a goal of the military to show the positive relations between the U.S. and the native Afghan people. We learned their customs and simple phrases to help with integration. The people were very kind."

There were constant reminders that he was in a dangerous warzone.

"I remember hearing explosions," said Ines. "The Taliban were firing rockets from the nearby mountains. There were some close calls. One of the caravans was destroyed by land mines. It was just chance that I wasn't a part of that caravan."

After serving eight months in Afghanistan, Ines was back in the U.S.

"My time was well spent and it was a privilege to go," said Ines. "They had already been fighting in Afghanistan long before I arrived. We conducted countless counterterrorism operations, and our impact there showed in our relationships with the native people."

On Dec. 28, 2014, President Obama announced the end of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"It's been a long time now, and you can still feel the effect of the 9/11 attacks," said Ines. "Immediately after the attacks people avoided public places. You arrived to the airport extremely early because of TSA. I don't think America has let her guard down. I think Americans are still on alert."

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