SEPTEMBER 11 - ONE YEAR ON: TODAY has a special poignancy for the 170 US airmen based at RAF Fairford.

Twelve months ago they clustered around TV screens in disbelief as they realised their homeland was under attack.

But as the scale of the September 11 attacks became clear, they were given little time to grieve.

Their job was to make the base secure and account for all personnel as they realised all US bases could now be a target.

Master Sergeant Greg McKinney, 42, comes from a New Jersey town just a few hours drive from New York.

He now lives in Swindon and has an English wife.

He said: "I was trying to think who do I know in New York, who do I know who works at the World Trade Centre? "I started to mentally account for everybody in my family then things started happening here.

"We had a meeting of the department heads to figure out how we stood at the base obviously it was an attack on the US mainland and they could attack Americans anywhere else.

"We had to secure the base and account for all out personnel.

" I also have a lot of friends who work at the Pentagon and we were trying to find out which side had been hit."

Master Sergeant Kevin Hryniewiecki, 38, comes from Michigan in the Mid West although he now lives in Southrop with his English wife.

He visited America with his family just a month after the September 11 attacks.

He said: "I went back to a totally different country from the one I left a few years previously.

"Being in the military we are used to being careful about security, but now it even effects your ordinary farmer in the Mid West.

"People have become very patriotic they are not caring for themselves as much but caring for the country as a whole."

Sgt McKinney agreed that the September 11 attack has had some positive effects on US society.

"There seems to be a lot less segregation. It doesn't matter what race, colour or creed you are people are looking at each other saying 'we are all Americans'."

In the weeks following September 11 local people sent dozens of cards and letters of support to the US airmen.

Sgt McKinney said: "Some of the cards were very touching the outpouring of support from the local community was outstanding."

Work will carry on as normal on the first anniversary of September 11 Fairford is on 24-hour alert at all times in case it should be needed as a base for US bombers.

But it is likely that this is one corner of Wiltshire where thoughts will be more than ever on the horrific events of a year ago.