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

I was stationed at Ft. Irwin, CA. I was in the Dinning Facility eating breakfast as I had just finished conducting PT. I was eating my cereal and I happened to look up at the TV and noticed that the news was on and was zoomed in on the burning towers. At the time I thought they were televising about Los Angeles since it has a reputation of it's own. So my thoughts were "Another burning building in LA". As the Camera zoomed out, I noticed that it was the Twin Towers. I was just shocked. I finished my meal and headed to work to find out what the plan of action would be. We were in full battle rattle and the post was on lock down. ID was required to enter ALL buildings.

Our flight from Huntsville to DC had been delayed about 30 minutes or we would have been right in the thick of things. We were on approach to Reagan National Airport when the pilot announced that there had been a "terrorist incident" in NYC and that our aircraft was being diverted to Raleigh-Durham. I looked out my window and noticed that we were being escorted by an F-16. When we landed at Raleigh, I looked up and, as far as the eye could see, there were landing lights. It was at that point that total chaos reigned as several hundred passengers began scouring the airport for luggage and rental cars. It wasn't until we were in a 10-passenegr van for the 10-hour trip back to Huntsville that the full impact of what happened sunk in....and the skies were eerily silent.  

We had just come out of a 2 week field problem at Peason Ridge at Ft. Polk.  I had to go in the next day (11 SEP 01) to find a MOPMS box left out in the field.  It was pretty crazy.  Concertina wire was strung up everywhere.  We couldn't park close to buildings.  Plus that was the day the whole post started wearing the beret. 

I returned from leave to Ft. Campbell, KY visiting my dad down in Dallas.  It was a few days before I was supposed to sign in, so I took the time shaking off the road.  I was taking a nap on the couch in the nasty little trailer a friend and I were renting out in Oak Grove, KY when he came in.  I asked him why he was taking an early lunch to which he replied, "You don't know yet?"  And turned on the TV.  I have never been angrier or sadder in my entire life to watch those planes crash into the towers...  And I knew what was coming next.

I enlisted July 01; the summer before my Senior year of High School. I was taking my SAT's the morning of 9/11.

MSgt, I was a newly minted Army Specialist, only ten days in fact, on 9-11. I was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany, and had returned that morning before lunch from a month long training rotation in Grafenwoehr. I was in the chow hall when it happened, getting ready to sit down to a dinner of spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread, and a couple glasses of cold milk. I had just sat myself down, and had my first bite half way to my mouth, when I heard someone exclaim, "Holy S***, look at that!" I looked up to the television, in time to see the second airplane hit the other tower, on live television. I froze, and thought to myself, "God, I hope that's a movie."

We all know it wasn't.

It was my 2nd year AGR, driving to the office listening to the radio when the station broke in and said some aircraft just hit one of the WTC towers. I got up to the security gate, still early enough, I asked the MP at the gate if he new what was going on. He pointed to the TV monitor as I got out of my vehicle to take a look I saw the 2nd plane hitting the other tower. I raced(safely) to get to my building, got into the office and everyone was totally oblivious. I turned the tv on and told everyone to come to the main part of the office. My NCOIC was bewildered and she looked at me like whats going on, I told her the WTC towers were just hit by several passenger jets, it was deathly quiet.then we heard the Pentagon got hit. 

I Joined in 1995, but on that day I was performing my Flying Crew Chief duties aboard and AF C-17 on may way into a base in Saudi Arabia when the attacks occurred.  We had no idea until we landed and were immediately surrounded by chem gear clad security forces personnel who informed us of what they knew at the time.  They took us to our rooms and I wasn't even allowed to accomplish my post flight inspection of the aircraft.  Anyway, we were locked down in our rooms for a few days.  Once cleared to fly again; we were tasked with returning an F-16 Air Guard unit back to NY, I was later told that we were one of the only flights in US airspace that day.  True or not, I'm glad I had a part in seeing those guys home during that difficult time.  I have always been proud to be an aircraft maintainer, that day just underscored the importance of why I chose to serve my country.  My next trip was picking up and delivering personnel from Ft. Campbell Kentucky to kick a little ass, much love and respect to my fellow branches of service...Heroes and Patriots! 

I was the Leading Chief Petty Officer in charge of the Navy's Intelligence Specialist class "A" school on that day.  I remember catching glimpses of the first reports that a plane had crashed into one of the WTC towers.  Then I remember seeing the 2nd plane hit.  It was at that time that I walked down to the OIC's office and recommended a complete scrub of the student and staff rosters to see who might have family in New York City/New Jersey.  When the Pentagon was hit, that was when things changed quickly.  We mustered the students in the auditorium after pulling one or two students out to ask about family members that may be in the areas.  We told them what we knew; turned on the TV's in the building; and when given the order, directed them to march back to the barracks and call family members to let them know they were okay.  The next day, the look in the eyes of those students was motivating.  No slackers noted; everyone wanted to get done with training so that they could get "out there" and get those people back that did this to us.