FILE 018: PART I - The 9/11 Survivor Turned CIA Usama Bin Laden Tracker - Surviving 9/11

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Sep 11, 2024

Kevin, a CIA officer and 9/11 survivor, shares his gripping journey from surviving the Pentagon attack to tracking Usama Bin Laden. He recounts his transformation after sustaining life-threatening injuries and how a stranger’s help saved him that day. The emotional weight of his recovery and a memorable visit from President Bush highlight his resilience. Kevin also reflects on his pivotal role in military operations post-9/11, emphasizing the personal stakes intertwined with national responsibility in the fight against terrorism.

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ANECDOTE

Serving On The Frontline In 1998

In 1998 Kevin served as a navigator on USS Elliot and helped prepare Tomahawk strike plans during Operation Infinite Reach.
He recalls the launch vividly and felt personally connected to the first direct U.S. action against al-Qaeda.

ANECDOTE

At The Pentagon When Flight 77 Hit

Kevin was posted at the Pentagon in a newly renovated command center when the 9/11 attacks began and he watched the events on large-screen TVs.
He describes the moment American Airlines Flight 77 struck and how the blast knocked him to the floor amid smoke and collapse.

ANECDOTE

Saved By A Stranger, Sergeant Workman

Severely burned and choking on smoke, Kevin crawled through rubble and exited via a punched-out hole into an inner corridor.
Sergeant Steve Workman found him, put him on a maintenance cart, and accompanied him through chaotic transport to emergency care.

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PART ONE: SURVIVING 9/11. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey. In Part One, Kevin recounts his experiences on 9/11: the US Navy service that led to his posting at the Pentagon, his fight to survive amid the chaos of the attack, and how a stranger saved his life on that dark day. You may have heard of some of the people involved in the search for Usama Bin Laden, but you haven’t yet heard this part of the story—until now.

Look Inside FILE 018:

A memorial to those lost on September 11th, 2001 stands on the grounds of CIA’s Headquarters in Langley, VA: a steel column from World Trade Center Building Six that still carried the smell of smoke from that day over a decade later. You can read about that solemn tribute here.

Kevin discussed following news of the United States’ response to the 9/11 attacks as he recovered from his injuries; CIA played a key role in that response, with a legendary CIA team “first in” on the ground in Afghanistan just 15 days after the attack. The helicopter that carried that team now sits at CIA Headquarters at Langley, Virginia, but you can see it here.

Johnny Micheal Spann, a CIA paramilitary officer serving in that initial Agency response to the 9/11 attacks, was the first American killed in combat in Afghanistan. His last act was to warn a CIA colleague of imminent danger, helping that colleague get to safety. You can read about Johnny’s story and sacrifice here. A sign in Afghanistan honoring him still resides at the CIA Museum today.