At Fort Rucker, Alabama, Air Force Capt. Hanna Born trains the next generation of rotary-wing aviators in the TH-1H training helicopter. Outside the cockpit, she is leading a personal mission to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by running 2,977 miles — one mile for each person killed that day.
Born, an instructor pilot assigned to the 23rd Flying Training Squadron, launched the effort on Sept. 11, 2025, with the goal of carrying their stories forward to the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Her connection to 9/11 is personal. She and her younger sister were inside the Pentagon Child Development Center when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.
"We were safely evacuated and reunited with our family, which is an outcome thousands of others never received," Born said. "We've always felt a deep obligation to honor the lives and families who were not as fortunate."
With each mile, she shares a victim's name and story on social media, ensuring the lives behind the numbers are remembered.
"I want to make sure people hear their names," Born said. "Not just the number; the people."
Service runs deep in the Born family.
Her mother, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1983 and served in senior leadership roles throughout her 30-year career, including dean of the faculty at the academy. Her father, retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tim Born, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and served 21 years on active duty.
Both daughters followed their parents into military service. Hanna Born graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2020, and her younger sister, Marine Corps 1st Lt. Heather Born, graduated from the Naval Academy in 2023, and now serves as a communications strategy officer assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan.
Growing up in a military community helped shape the family's sense of purpose.
"We were surrounded by people who were committed to something greater than themselves," Born said. "That environment makes you want to contribute in the same way."
Running has long been part of her life. Raised in Colorado, Born developed a love for the sport at an early age, influenced by her parents. Over time, running became more than physical training and took on deeper meaning. She also recognized that many of the airmen she trains today were not yet born when the attacks occurred.
"I wanted to do something honoring our promise to never forget — not just once a year every September, but every day — and something that could be shared with the younger generation," Born said. "Even though they were not here to have memories of 9/11, they have never known a world untouched by its impact."
Her first organized run took place Sept. 11, 2025, with members of her squadron at Fort Rucker. About 30 airmen gathered before morning flight operations to run 9.11 miles together in remembrance. Since then, the effort has expanded beyond the squadron, reaching a global audience of participants who follow her progress and dedicate miles of their own through social media.
"To memorialize every person who lost their lives during what was such a devastating moment for our nation is a great commitment to undertake," said Air Force 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Lucas, an undergraduate helicopter training student assigned to the 23rd Flying Training Squadron. "Capt. Born's actions highlight the greater purpose we all have — in military training or not — to support our nation and care for those around us."
Balancing the project with the responsibilities of being an instructor pilot has not always been easy for Born.
"The time management can be challenging," she said. "But the miles themselves are the easy part. I want to run them for the person I'm honoring and for their loved ones who still feel the weight of their loss."
Born said she often reflects on the individuals who helped evacuate children from the Pentagon Child Development Center that morning.
"They were unsung heroes," she said. "They saw what was happening and stepped in without hesitation, never seeking recognition. We still don't even know their names."
That example continues to guide how she trains her students today.
"Above all, it highlights the passion aviators, service members and Americans alike have to honor those who have fallen during our darkest moments," Lucas said. "Capt. Born has inspired me to embody service before self in and out of uniform, as she has for countless others."
Born said the running project was never about athletic achievement but about honoring lives and keeping a promise alive for a new generation.
"I hope people understand the promise to ‘never forget' is still being carried forward," she said. "For any larger purpose you care about, there's always a way to share it and make an impact."
For Born, that impact is measured one mile at a time:
2,977 miles.
2,977 names.
2,977 lives.
And the promise to never forget.