Colonel Hawkins Reflects on 9/11 Attacks

McKENZIE — Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hawkins serves as the Professor of Military Science for the Army ROTC “Skyhawk Battalion” at the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM). On September 9, he was the featured speaker at the Rotary Club of McKenzie.

Colonel Hawkins has served on active duty in the Army and is currently at UT Martin, where he trains cadets for both military and community service.

On September 11, 2001, while he was a college student, Hawkins was heading to class when he noticed his roommate intently watching television. Although the channel was a sports network, it was broadcasting the destruction of the Twin Towers. After turning in his assignment to his professor, Hawkins decided to skip class and monitor the news coverage.

In the aftermath of the attacks, both Hawkins and his brother made the decision to join the military. They waited for the recruiting stations to reopen and subsequently enlisted in the Army, which was not their first choice for military service.

Colonel Hawkins initially trained as a tanker and was deployed to Kuwait, followed by two tours of duty in Iraq. He has also served in Japan and Germany, leading soldiers in both combat and peacetime missions around the globe. He noted that he has collaborated with multinational partners to further U.S. interests.

Currently residing in the Martin area with his family, Colonel Hawkins continues his work at UT Martin, training the next generation of cadets. His military service commenced following the attacks on September 11, 2001.