Onthe morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was in Del Rio, Texas, justone week away from graduating from pilot training. It was a day that began like any other as I looked forward to what was supposed to be a celebratory start to my flying career.Then, everything changed. The horrificterrorist attacksonour nation notonly altered the course of my life, but also revealed the fight of our generation.After graduating, I wentonto serve as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying combat missions in the F-22 against ISIS in IraqandSyria. Twenty-four years later, the lessons I learned from that fateful dayandthroughout my combat service remain etched in memory, serving as a reminder that our enemies are always watching, adaptingandwaiting patiently in the shadows.This reality guides my work today as a member of Congressandchairman of the House Homeland Security SubcommitteeonCounterterrorismandIntelligence, where troubling trends confirm thatterrorthreatsremain very real. Our system is blinking red, alerting us to take action.PREPARED, NOT PARANOID: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM A POSSIBLE TERROR ATTACKThe Biden administrations reckless open-border policieshavecreated serious vulnerabilities in our national security. Under his watch, dangerous actors with knownterrorties crossed into our country undetected. Between April 2021andJanuary 2025 alone, over 50 jihadistterrorcases werereported across 30 states.Compounding this threat, CustomsandBorder Protection recorded nearly 400 encounters with individualsontheterrorwatchlist during the same period. While President Donald Trumps administration has taken decisive action to identifyanddeport many of these individuals, an unsettling truth remains. We still dont knowhowmany terrorists mayhaveslipped through the cracksandare now living among us.Even more alarming ishowterrorthreatsto our homelandhaveevolvedsignificantly since9/11, becoming more technologically sophisticatedanddangerous.Today,terrorist organizations like ISIS, al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollahandothers are exploiting advanced technologiesandglobal networks within the digital realm to wage war in ways that are harder to detectandstop. They are weaponizing encrypted messaging apps like Telegram to communicateandcoordinate attacks, as well as leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to spread propagandaandrecruitandradicalize lone wolf actors.THE STABILITY OF OUR GREAT NATION DEPENDS ON PREVENTING POLITICAL VIOLENCEThese emerging technologieshavebecome the new battlefield,andwe must respond with urgencyandprecision.Thats why I am leading the charge in Congress to combat these bad actors through smart, meaningful legislation. My "Generative AITerrorism Risk Assessment Act" would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct annual assessmentsonhowterrorist groups are leveraging AI to spread propaganda, recruit followersandplan attacks.Additionally, my "CounteringOnline RadicalizationandTerrorism Act" would further strengthen our defenses by mandating DHS to conduct annual threat assessmentsonterrorism risks posed byterrorist organizations that exploit foreign, cloud-based mobileanddesktop messaging applications.The United States cannot afford to fall behind. Our national security dependsonour ability to proactively stay ahead of these rapidly evolving, dynamicthreats. While these bills will help keep us ahead of the curve, much more remains to be done. We must also continue to support bold leadership that prioritizes our national security. The kind of leadership President Trump has already deliveredon.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONFrom his first day back in office, President Donald Trump has prioritized counterterrorism by securing our bordersanddeporting internalthreatsthat President Joe Biden allowed into the country. The historic budget reconciliation package that was recently signed into law furtherreflectscongressionalRepublicansandthe administrations commitment to securing the homeland. It allocates $5.91 billion toward layered homeland defense systems,and$46 billion to finish the border wall.President Trump also rescinded President Bidens dangerous limitsoncounterterrorism strikes, returning decision-making power to commanders in the field, rather than forcing our warfighters to relyonWashington, D.C., bureaucrats. Thanks to this kind of leadership, 272 jihadistterroristshavebeen eliminated around the globe since Jan. 20.In an era of ever-evolvingthreatsto our homeland, we must remember the lesson of9/11: our freedom is not free. It demands constant vigilance, unwavering resolveanda readiness to confront evil before it reaches our shores.We must keep this lesson at the forefront of our mindsandas a guiding force in our policymaking. Turning a blind eye or negotiating from a position of weaknessonly emboldens our enemies.We must never forget that day,andwe must remain relentless in our resolve to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. AUGUST PFLUGER