After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the United States pledged to track down the mastermind behind the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent people.
It would take 10 years.
President George W. Bush vowed to hunt down al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden no matter where he tried to hide. But the war in Iraq got in the way.
So it fell to President Barack Obama to go after the man responsible for the most vicious act of terror ever committed on U.S. soil.
There was a renewed effort to bring bin Laden to justice. Intelligence sources gave our military the final pieces of information it needed to formulate a plan. The president gave the order, and the military brilliantly executed the plan.
Under the cover of darkness, U.S. helicopters ferried a crack team of U.S. Navy SEALS to the walled compound in Pakistan that served as bin Laden's last hideout.
In less than 40 minutes, it was all over.
Late on the evening of May 1, 2011, President Obama announced on national television that bin Laden was dead.
It's been five years since bin Laden was found and killed. But the war on terror goes on.
Since 9/11, more than 60 top al-Qaida figures have been killed. But while the network may be down, it's not out. There are still cells across the Middle East. And now there is another player in the terrorist community-ISIS, once a part of al-Qaida, now a rival. ISIS has been the perpetrator of some of the most devastating attacks in recent months.
They are ruthless. They are driven by religious fervor. And they will attack this country if they have the chance.
The death of bin Laden was justice for the victims of 9/11. But it wasn't an ending. After 9/11, the world became a different place. One where the unthinkable was possible.
It's still possible. That's why we must remain vigilant.