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

I was on a job interview in Queens, NYC.  My wife was working at an office in Midtown, about 20 blocks north of Ground Zero.  I walked over the 59th Street bridge into Manhattan against the tides of people trying to leave.  The cell phone network was completely overloaded so no calls were getting through; I finally made it to her office and we all huddled in her boss's office watching the news until about 9pm when they finally opened the subways so we could get back to our apartment in Brooklyn.  Even there you could smell the burning steel and plastic for weeks.  Just last week we had to have one of our safes cut into and the smell of the burnt metal took me right back to that day.

A couple of weeks later I was in the recruiter's office.

I was in Basic Combat Training. I joined 22 August 2001.

I was sitting in my 1st grade classroom. I pretty much knew my destiny as those towers fell-- here I am today.

I was deployed during an annual nuclear command and control exercise.  It had been moved to an earlier time frame in the year instead of the usual time in October.  We had five of our aircraft airborne on alert when it went down.  My staff had to talk the FAA out of landing our aircraft at any airport, due to security concerns with our comsec onboard. It is the only time I have seen an actual DEFCON Three declaration, followed by ESCAT and SCATANA, two programs designed to limit air traffic over the US during an Air Defense Emergency.  Quite the historic timeframe.  I have never been more proud of the men and women I served with that day.   

I was an E-5 stationed at Ft. Irwin, CA, HHT 2/11 CAV- My self and the CSM was getting ready to go on a run when the Staff Duty runner came out side and told us that the World Trade Center had just been hit. 

I was at the CJSOTF-Sarajevo, on radio watch. I had CNN on, saw the second plane hit the towers, then ran into the 2 shop saying '"You may want to turn on the news!" We were locked down for 5 days with most of the other commas guys out and about, and unable to get back. By the time everyone made it back, I was a zombie, basically living in front of the radios the whole time. 

I was 11 years old, in the 6th grade, in middle school eating lunch. Being right next to DC, we were released from school early.

I was on my way to work.  I nearly hit the front door and heard it taking place on the radio.  After stopping to turn on the TV and watch the first tower burning, I watched the second plane hit.  Being in what was the Army's only Airborne MP Battalion, I took off to work as I knew we were going to be called up for this one.  Upon arrival to work, I found out the Pentagon was hit, too.  5 days later we were on our way to the Pentagon to provide security for then next 9 months.

fort stewart... in the motor pool

I remember it very well setting in my office going over hotel billings for the base when I received a call from my Chief who was in the hospital watching TV and from that time on everyone's life changed.