September 11 attacks led junior high student towards a journey of service

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Illinois - It was a Tuesday morning on September 11, 2001. Jason Stoterau was a 13-year-old 8th grader at Orland Junior High School in south suburban Orland Park, Illinois.

"It was a regular school day. I was in first period science class. Someone walked in and told the teacher to turn on the television news. We saw the aftermath of the first plane that struck the north tower," Stoterau said. "We saw smoke billowing out of the tower. The teacher was more shocked than anyone else because the teacher understood the severity and gravity of the attack more than we did."

Shortly after, Stoterau walked to second period history class.

"That's when we watched the second plane hit the south tower. After that, media outlets were reporting it was terrorism," said Stoterau.

The history teacher turned off the television and then an announcement was made on the school's public address system for teachers to turn off the television, according to Stoterau.

Stoterau attended the rest of his classes that day and went home. By that time, both towers had collapsed. A third plane hit the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed into a rural field in Pennsylvania. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people.

"I sat on the couch with my dad and older sister watching news reports all afternoon and evening." he said.

The same year, Stoterau remembered walking to the Orland Park City Hall with his classmates.

"We planted flags at the city's Veterans memorial and went back to school. There was a sense of heightened patriotism across the country that bled into the towns and cities. Before planting the flags at the Veterans memorial, I never had any exposure to the military other than playing Soldier. It was my first real awareness of what veterans and military service members were doing for our country."

In the years that followed, the United States dispatched military forces to Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2003, Stoterau was a freshman at Carl Sandburg High School.

"I remember when the invasion of Iraq happened. Military recruiters were at our high school all the time," said Stoterau. "My uncle was talking about his friends who had joined the military. I had friends on my high school hockey team who talked about joining the military after high school graduation."

Beginning in the spring of 2003 and throughout the remainder of his high school years, Stoterau considered various options to join the military. He thought about joining the Air Force but decided, instead, to attend Robert Morris University in Chicago. But a nagging feeling tugged inside him.

"I knew I should have joined the military right after high school," Stoterau said.

Around that time, his uncle, John Janachowski re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve after a 14-year break in service. This would be one of his biggest influences, for Stoterau, in deciding to join the military.

"I remember him doing that and hearing about my great uncles and grandfathers' service in World War II and Korea. And my mom's uncle who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart and Silver Star," said Stoterau. "Eight family members plus myself have served in the military. I wanted to be a part of that story and part of the military culture."

After he decided to join the military, he had to choose which service to join.

Stoterau explained that he had no interest in boats, or water and felt he could never be a fighter pilot, so that eliminated the Navy, Marines and Air Force. But his family's service helped guide his decision.

"Knowing all my family members, except my uncle, were in the Army, I wanted to carry on that tradition," Stoterau said. "So, I joined the Army."

In December 2010, Stoterau was commissioned as a field artillery officer and entered active duty with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"My first unit I was a reconnaissance troop fire support officer assigned to Bravo Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat team," said Stoterau. "I was responsible for coordinating, planning and directing direct and indirect fire support."

He served there until November 2014 and then attended the Army Field Artillery career course. His next assignment was at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington.

"I was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade and served there until 2016 when I left active duty. I joined the Army Reserve in September of 2016, and I've been there ever since."

Stoterau is currently a G-3 operations staff officer at the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command.

In a personal reflection 24 years after the attacks, Stoterau, like many of today's Soldiers were inspired to join the Army in response to the horrific events of 9/11. While the attacks planted the seed in a desire to join the military, it was his family's military service and the Nation's years at war that solidified his decision to serve.

"If 9/11 never happened and we didn't go to Afghanistan or Iraq, I don't think I would have joined the Army. 9/11 planted the seed in me wanting to serve in the military but it took a lot of water for the seed to grow. If you don't take care of a seedling it won't blossom into a tree," said Stoterau.

And he praised the role that the U.S. Army Reserve plays in defense of our nation.

"The Army Reserve is a very important cog in the wheel that is the U.S. Army. The Army Reserve has a lot of capabilities that the active Army doesn't have. There is (Citizen-Soldier) expertise and experience that translates to military expertise that is crucial to the success of the United States Army mission."

In civilian life, Stoterau is a strategic development manager for a marine repair facility in Lemont, Illinois.