Where were you during 9/11? What has changed in 20 years?

Working civilian job in DC. I was an Ensign and my active command was at the Pentagon. That office was damaged in the aftermath of the attack. Cell phones would not work because of the comms overload. Once reunited with my wife in Virginia, unfortunately learned someone we knew who was traveling for her first time overseas was on the plane that hit the building.

I was stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA. 12th AVN BN (Davidson Army Airfield) (VIP for the Pentagon). A number of us from my unit were at Fort AP Hill doing weapons qual. when the cells started ringing. It wasn't long after until we cleared the range and back on the bus to Post.

After we returned to Post it was a quick trip to the ARMS Room for racks of weapons and more ammo in addition to what we already had. We then returned to the airfield and locked it down and had roving armed patrols around the perimeter fencing. Of course we also had the Government ALPHABET Soup there as well.

It was a very long day that day! 18 hours on duty if I remember correctly. All the following days were long and varied.

I do not wish to discuss or disclose anything else related to this time frame.

Had just graduated ANCOC at Fort Lee on 10 Sep 11. I drove by the Pentagon on my way home to WV.

I was not in the military when 9-11 happened. But I was getting ready for work. I came upstairs and turned on the TV. Only to see the second plane hit live on TV. I could not believe my eyes! I was in shock and horror. That whole day I was not myself. I could not believe what had happened.

I was in my dorm room at Eglin AFB.
I remember first seeing it on TV and thinking it was a trailer for a new movie that was about to come out. It looked so real but my mind couldn't quite grasp that it was real live news!

Got a phone call a few minutes later to have my bags packed and ready to go just in case.

I was driving my husband who was suppose to deploy to Saudi Arabia that day....needless to say he didn't go and we were recalled back to the base. Shaw AFB SC control tower on 9/11

I was visiting my parents on leave and happened to be putting up a Flag pole at their house. It was a crazy day of getting calls from my command and figuring out how to get back to Camp Pendleton from South Texas as soon as possible.

I was getting ready to fly to Korea with 1-2 AVN to take the Apache Longbow over there. We were actually suposed to board the plane later that day. I was staying at a friends house and we had gone to get coffee. When we got back the news was on and the first plane had already hit. We thought it was a preview for a new movie then realized what we were looking at as the second one hit. We went to the hotel where everyone was staying and everyone was talking about it. On the way the Pentagon was hit and we told them as we got out of the car. Nobody had heard about that yet. They thought we were making it up. Everyone ran to the lobby to watch TV and it was just coming on. Our flights were grounded and we waited another two weeks to go. All of us wanted to go help with the recovery especially those that were from those areas but weren't allowed.

I was just short of a year out of my first enlistment in the Army. I was living with my Aunt at the time and she ran upstairs and dragged me out of bed. I got to the bottom of the stairs just in time to see the second plane hit. I sat in silence watching everything unfold and then when word started getting out that the Pentagon was hit I looked at my Aunt and said "Someone's getting f****d up."

Plane 1, we all assumed Cessna...then plane two hit, then the Pentagon...then lock-down duty with my pocket knife. HQ AFMC, OSI was trying to enter HQ to gain access to the 4-star, which per protocol I refused entry....boy, they were pissed!!! Eventually, we escorted the team in. I can still see there faces, priceless.