The 20th anniversary of Sept 11 is sure to bring up a lot of memories and emotions. What has changed and what have we learned?

Some people do not learn. They did not learn or remember that every 100 years a epidemic of some kind effects the world. The beginning of each 100 years since the beginning of time has a major pandemic. With each new virus, it will continue to get stronger and stronger. They forgot about that. The next is they forgot about who control the economy, wealth, and power. It is always the country that makes the products. We had been the leaders but that is fading fast as China continues to monopolize on all products or resources the world uses. We will have to bend or pay whatever they demand.
Another thing has become apparent. The political party that is in the White is not a Democratic party. There actions recently are more like a Dictatorship or since Biden has been in bed with the Chinese a Communistic government. I would not be surprised to see them implement further actions that the general population will have no control on.

This is a good question. I think we learned a continuation of the lessons we saw in Vietnam: Warfare is changing, and while an "us-versus-them" mentality is espoused still (as indeed, that is the very heart of war), things aren't as cut-and-dry in that regard as they were in World War II and other previous engagements.

I was at Scott AFB on 9/11/01. The base was locked down by late afternoon. After that security inbound and outbound was very tight for many months. The DoD redesigned the entry gates at most facilities after 9/11. Today every driver, and sometimes every person, is ID checked coming into Scott. What changed was the physical security and an automated database supporting the Force Protection personnel at the gate. All seems appropriate.

I think we (the US) learned that we were susceptible to well planned terrorist attacks. There had been attacks on the World Trade Center before 9/11, but they weren't taken as seriously as they should have been. Our military installations had less physical and electronic security at entry points. We beefed up those security points. I worked in a secure building with card swipe and PIN required for entry. Security observation, first in person, and later by camera were added. In short the DoD added security for facilities and people where they could. We learned.

As a nation we didn't learn enough or we forgot many of the lessons we might have learned for 9/11 and especially form "9/12." We were all effected by the attacks on 9/11, but the emotion and actions on 9/12 held the most valuable lessons. The tragedy on 9/11/01 turned into resolve and determination by 9/12/01. People were angry, but at the terrorists. People shed many of the divisions and banded together as Americans. US Flags sold out at retail stores. Flags flew on many homes and businesses. People wanted to bring the terrorists to justice.

Government reacted in predictable ways. Agencies were reorganized and new entities were created. The Department of Homeland Security was created to bring together diverse agencies from other departments, for example the Coast Guard from Transportation. The TSA was invented and put into action. USNORTHCOM was assigned as the DoD component to DHS. Money was spent to harden Government facilities. Training programs were put in place to teach Government employees how to deal with travel, terrorists, active shooter, and other threats. Finally, the DoD invaded Afghanistan in hopes of capturing or killing the terrorists who planned the attach--the rest is history.

My wife was a corporate travel agent at the time and one of her normal customers was on one of the planes. She always says that she is thankful that she wasn't the one who booked that ticket for him.

Watching those images that remind us all, I wanted to share my personal story about that day twenty years ago. I was moved to hear how the passengers prevented the plane from reaching its intended target by forcing it to crash in Stonycreek Township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. They too had all been part of a fight where we took the best America could muster and bring a full-spectrum of America’s might to stop global terrorism. There can be no world peace unless we are prepared to defend our own shores, uphold those that believe in freedom, and fight for justice.

On September 11, 2001, I watched those twin towers collapse in New York, and read reports that an aircraft had just crashed into the Pentagon, I wondered if we would be next. Still on active duty serving in an operational assignment, I directed the repair work assigned for naval ships and submarines as a Submarine Repair Officer, with a diverse team of hull, machinery, electrical, and electronic repair technicians, 75 uniform and civilian personnel in all, we improved the Navy 's readiness to ensure that operational forces were ready to take the fight to the enemy.

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Jefferson City was in a dry-dock repair availability. Being situated near the mouth of San Diego Bay to allow access to the ship’s sensors and weapons systems, we had used a floating dry-dock to lift the 7,000 ton submarine completely out of the water, with its pressurized water reactor and everything else inside. The ship’s stern was completely exposed to any traffic that passed in and out of San Diego’s usually peaceful harbor. Many of her torpedo-tube launcher systems used for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles from those tubes were under repair. The repairs, when completed, would restore those weapons systems to full capability for her next deployment.

On that day, it seemed like everything had changed in that instant. Managing the submarine repair availabilities keeping capabilities ready to be used by the submarine crews to complete their assigned missions within our capacity. The Submarine Commodore concerned about security asked “Should we close up the submarine and flood the dry dock.” No, it was decided after we considered the options, we all wanted that ship to go to sea with weapons ready to protect the nation or take our fight around the globe to this unseen enemy who hid in the safety mountains of Afghanistan while planning his next move. All of us were continuously challenged to balance physical security with the need to prepare for the war that we knew would soon come. Ships and submarines could launch precision strikes against those who threatened our shores. I would become very familiar with the impact we had on their training, operations, and readiness exercises being conducted in the Navy’s Third Fleet to prepare them for that war.

Based on the cluster f---- of Afghanistan the present administration hasnt learned a thing. The 9/11 terorists were Muslim fanatics and they are still practicing their religeon. We dont condem all Muslims but dont pretend religeous fanatics dont exist.

Keep politics out of a war and let the Military do there job...They started the fight.

I recall receiving a letter from family telling me how they watched people Jumping out of the windows to keep from being burned up, I will Never Forget, instead Today on this day, I barely made it out of the bed only to go back to bed , And connected with R P for a while, after I awoke twice , Thanks for sharing also .

I first joined the military in the 80s. Though I was not a Vietnam veteran, many of my friends and colleagues were. The overwhelming mantra throughout EVERY part of the U.S. military was “never again”. Well, if you look at Afghanistan now, it’s sickening. Political leadership doesn’t seem to learn many lessons, but the military brass should. Or they should resign in protest. “Never leave anyone behind”. Don’t we see that on every POW/MIA flag? Disgusted.

I remember that horrible day I went home and packed my ruck and was ready to be called. To bad it took so long before we went after those that did it.