The Unyielding Spirit of a Military Chaplain in the Aftermath of 9/11
Marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, reflections on that fateful day bring to light the stories of those who played crucial roles in the aftermath. Among them was Bob Shackleford, a military chaplain from High Point, who was dispatched to Washington, D.C., in the wake of the attacks.
At the time, Shackleford served as Dean of Student Services at Randolph Community College. He vividly recalls the moment he witnessed the World Trade Center towers ablaze. “I thought the Pentagon was just untouchable,” he reflects. “I felt so vulnerable. And I thought, Oh no, we are in a war. We’re under attack.”
Trained in critical incident stress management, Shackleford was tasked with supporting those affected by the attack on the Pentagon. He collaborated with mental health experts to provide group therapy sessions for 12 to 15 individuals.
These sessions, which lasted about an hour each, often led to further one-on-one discussions with those in need. The relentless cycle of group and individual meetings continued from morning through night. Shackleford notes, “It was very, very intense. The only way I know to explain it was, if you’d come up to me and tap me on the shoulder and said, What time of day is it? I couldn’t have told you if it was 9:00 in the morning or 6:00 at night.”
For three weeks, Shackleford dedicated himself to this exhausting but vital mission. Recognizing the toll it took, a subsequent team was brought in to support the chaplains themselves. Reflecting on his experience, Shackleford describes it as a profound privilege.
“I came back with an understanding that life is more fragile than we anticipated; it’s more uncertain than we ever thought,” he shares. “And take time every day to hold your loved ones close, and to appreciate your friends, and to make connections. And I came back knowing that better than I’d ever known it before.”
Since retiring from his role as president of Randolph Community College in 2022, Shackleford has founded the Shackleford Leadership Institute, where he continues to apply his leadership skills and insights gained from his experiences.
