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

Not in the military at the time, but still very tied to the events of that day. 

I live in Northern Virginia and work in Washington DC. I was running late that morning and as always listening to the radio on the way to work.  I heard the news of the first plane into WTC and new something was very wrong.  I grew up and worked in NY; I knew a commercial jet was not supposed to be anywhwere near WTC and that it was an exceptionally clear day on the east coast.  Also I worked in NYC in 1993 and had teh stark memory of the cloud of smoke coming from WTC from the parking garage bombing. Got word of the 2nd plane into WTC just as I drove by the Pentagon. At that point clearly new we were under attack.

Got into work and went straight into a meeting on the 11th floor of our HQ building.  Standing in the back of the room looking out windows directly towards National Airport and the Pentagon.  Saw the streak of the plane coming in and then the large fireball and black smoke cloud that erupted on the far side of the Pentagon.  A few seconds later the shock from the blast rattled the building and windows.

The rest of the day was a blur; just getting everyone out and implementing are COOP at the alternate location. A month later i was in the middle of the Antrax attack and led the response / cleanup effort for the following two years.