BWI Airport to be New Home for 9/11 Artifact

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --  A burnt, twisted piece of aluminum that was once part of the facade of one of the World Trade Centers, now has a home at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

"It reminds us of why we are here. Why we dedicate ourselves to the mission to protect travelers," said Andrea Mishoe, Maryland Federal Security Director

The ceremony honored TSA officers in uniform and those who work plain clothes at BWI Marshall. 100 million passengers have been screened since September 11, 2001. It's become routine, and sometimes frustrating, but the piece of the first tower to fall will ever remind passengers of that horrific day.

"This will be a reminder. It'll help bring back to the forefront what happened on 9-11, and why it's so important that security is there to protect them," said TSA officer Adrienne Williams.

BWI Marshall was the nation's first airport to introduce federal security. That's meant starting from scratch. All new people, all new jobs.

"And the dedication was incredible. Long hours. I worked 60-70 hour work weeks to make sure we were securing checkpoints, and making sure it was safe for passengers to fly out in those early months," said BWI Marshall Security Manager Dana Oman.

And after all the months and years since, comes a somber reminder -- it's not over.

A location for the artifact, which is about 5 feet tall, is still being determined.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook