The Soldier Disguised As A Fireman

Setting - The time is somewhere between 8:49 and 8:56 a.m. on 9/11. Chief Joseph Pfeifer is arriving at and dashing into the just-hit North Tower (WTC-1) Lobby.

Right before this scene, Pfeifer sped from maybe a mile away, at Church and Lispenard, where he and a few other FDNYers had witnessed the first hit at 8:46, while tending to an "odor of gas" call out in the middle of the intersection, blocking Church, with WTC in view--a view which by the way is specifically established by a prior shot during the same scene.

This is all in the mainstream-adored N911, short for Naudet 911, short for the mock-you-drama called "9|11", by the Naudet "brothers," Jules and Gedeon. I suspect that the perfectly timed odor-of-gas call--where Jules (as a "documentary filmmaker" covering an FDNY rookie) just happened to be "basically" doing "camera practice"-- was totally fabricated, as a pretext for getting THE First-Hit Footage. That particular footage inherently has a spectacular, uniquely mind- numbing propaganda value. Jules later while speaking to Gedeon actually refers to that moment as getting the shot that mattered.

The rookie himself was not at the odor-of-gas call.

So anyway, Pfeifer speeds to WTC, gets out, suits up in his overgear, and dashes through some doors, glass and/or revolving. Pfeifer is then BEARING RIGHT, when he almost runs into The Soldier Disguised As A Fireman.

Then, Pfeifer changes direction, wheeling hard left, and keeps going that way, where he then establishes a command post inside the lobby. The Soldier was running but is seen putting on the brakes to avoid crashing with Pfeifer.

The Soldier is visible for about one second in real time.

I do see a standard issue army-type Kevlar helmet, and army woodland pattern battle dress uniform, sleeves down. But also, reflective tape on the biceps, wrists and waist.

And he's carrying?... I'm currently stumped between rifle, camera, none of the above. I can see both his hands and they seem to be in a position consistent with holding a long gun. Near his right bicep/armpit/shoulder, I sense two darkish largeish possibly metallic somewhat elliptical curves/tubes/handles/apparati.

Could this have been a military or/and covert operation DISGUISED as a civilian firefighting operation? Was he just part of some SWAT team formed in response to the '93 attack? Why would they wear fireman's reflective tape? Where did they work during non-emergency times? Did they dress like that for work every day? Why is the only one of them in the whole movie?

I discovered him this summer.

Ray