On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 out of Washington Dulles International Airport flew into the Pentagon, killing 64 passengers and 125 Department of Defense (DOD) employees. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as the attack on the World Trade Center. A swift U.S. military assault against al Qaeda launched our nation into an all out war on terrorism. These attacks also prompted the United States to examine security more closely with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The DOD determined that a more robust security force was needed for the Pentagon and directed the establishment of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA). Its charter was signed on May 3, 2002