Lt. Gen. Marc H. Sasseville, USAF, Ret.

Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, F-16 pilot, and former Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau

District of Columbia Air National Guard and National Guard Bureau

Marc Sasseville is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, career F-16 pilot, and former Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau. On September 11, 2001, while serving with the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, Sasseville and fellow F-16 pilot Heather Penney were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base to intercept United Airlines Flight 93 if it turned back toward Washington, D.C. Their fighters were not armed for that kind of mission, so they were prepared to stop the aircraft by ramming it if necessary. They never had to make that sacrifice because the passengers and crew of Flight 93 fought back, forcing the hijackers' plane down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Sasseville went on to serve across major command and national defense roles, including commander of the Continental U.S. NORAD Region and First Air Force, before retiring in 2024 after nearly four decades in uniform.

A fighter pilot, a national leader, and a reminder that valor is sometimes the decision made before anyone else knows the cost.