DVIDS – News – Heavy Metal Can Help Remember 9/11

September 11, 2001 is a turning point for many people in the United States and around the world. Many can remember where they were and what they were doing when they first heard that the Twin Towers had been attacked.

For some, there is even a more personal connection to the date because they lost a family member, friend or someone they knew in New York City, at the Pentagon or in the field in County of. Somerset near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

For Chief Personnel Specialist Aaron D. Street, his close friend, Greg Keiling, remembers Deora F. Bodley as one of the 40 passengers and crew aboard the 757 when it was hijacked by four members of Al Qaeda. The youngest passenger on the jet, Bodley, a resident of San Diego, Calif., Was returning to Santa Clara University for her freshman year after visiting friends in New Jersey.

“Keiling was working at Tower Records in Virginia when he heard what happened to Flight 93 (United Airlines),” Street said. “He tries to live up to the example she sets every day.

One way that Keiling (GDOGG) keeps Bodley’s memory alive is through music. He has been organizing benefit concerts for the “Heroes of Flight 93” since 2007.

This year, Street and his band, “Godhammered,” will celebrate all the heroes of 9/11 by performing in the Brick-By-Brick Hall in San Diego, where the money raised will go to the Firefighter Aid charity.

Street, the Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Liaison Office at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in San Diego, has been playing guitar for over 23 years and has been performing in one band or another since 2001. .

“I officially joined the band (Godhammered) in 2017, but the band has been performing their version of heavy metal at these fundraising events since 2015,” Street said.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Street served in the Navy for 17 years.

“After I graduated from college, I found out that I needed some structure in my life,” Street said. “I found this structure in the Navy and it has paid for all of my education since then. I completed my Masters in Human Resources Management at the National University in 2020 and the Navy paid 100% for it.

The Navy has given Street and his family a quality of life he feels he could not have achieved in the civilian workforce. The Navy has also allowed him to lead sailors, which he says is very rewarding, especially as they rise in rank. He takes great pride in helping those with whom he comes in contact.

“As a classifier at MEPS, I work to make sure that each candidate or recruit receives the necessary guidance to resolve any issues they may encounter, as each person has their own unique circumstances,” Street said. “I find recruiting to be crucial for the replenishment of the fleet and at times it can be stressful.”

Street says playing the guitar in ‘Godhammered’ was a great way to relieve the stress of the day.

“In my band I play lead guitar and also an additional vocalist,” Street said. “I’m lucky to be able to play in a metal band and also to be in the Navy. The Navy has enabled me to achieve all the goals I set for myself and I love to show people that I am in the Navy.

Supporting charity is great, but Street also feels honored to play for those who may have no memory of September 11, 2001.

“A lot of the candidates coming to MEPS today weren’t even alive in 2001,” Street said. “I am happy to be able to contribute to Firefighter Aid’s fundraising efforts and to do my part to honor the memory of those who gave their lives to save others, the heroes of 9/11. “

Renamed in December 2020, the Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Southwest covers 210,000 square miles covering Arizona, Nevada and Southern California. Based at Naval Base Point Loma, NTAG Southwest has three Talent Acquisition Integration Centers (TAOC Fleet City, TAOC Surf City and TAOC Paradise City) that operate 43 Navy recruiting stations and officer recruiting stations. of the Navy in the tri-state area and employs more than 300 recruiters. , support staff and civilians.

For more information on NTAG Southwest, visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/NRD-SanDiego or https://www.cnrc.navy.mil/pages-nrd/sandiego/default.html. You can also follow the order on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ntagsw), Twitter (@NRD_SanDiego) and Instagram (@ntagsw).