A quarter century ago, what began as an unremarkable Tuesday for federal employees quickly changed into an historic event without precedent, and the country was never the same. Every agency was affected by the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and their workers impacted both directly and indirectly. Federal News Network asked readers who were in federal agencies that day to share their experiences on 9/11. Below is a selection from feds around the country who remember the initial moments, the aftermath and what it meant as they continued in government service:
I woke up, turned on the TV and watched the nightmare unfold. I worked on Fort Huachuca [Cochise County, Arizona]. I drive to work; the gate guards were without clear guidance and were confused. I went to my building, other co-workers came in; we were all in shock. We were all glued to the TV set. I was concerned about friends who worked in D.C. I worked in a budget office. The Army budget office at the Pentagon was hit by the plane. We were sent home in shock and confusion. I was glued to the TV. The following day we went back to work, we had to close out the fiscal year.
– Craig Dallin
I worked at the Office of Management and Budget on the 10th floor but I wasn’t in the office that day.
I was personally most impacted a month later by the draft “Patriot Act” sent for OMB clearance. It was as if the proponents had it drafted and ready to go. Although huge and complex, it included every rejected new authority sought by the intelligence and law enforcement communities over the past several years. Many were so intrusive into civil liberties they had been rejected.
But now things were different, and I certainly knew it. If you weren’t with us, you’re with the terrorists — I think I heard someone say.
I held my breath and sent a widely distributed email throughout OMB saying essentially: This proposed legislation is an amalgam of past attempted authorities we have not cleared due to their controversial nature. But, given the vastly different world we live in today, I don’t think any policy official would want to get out in front of this train. Therefore, rather than fight each provision, I suggest we add sunset/expiration dates to them.
Right away, one, just one, Senate-confirmed policy official responded simply by saying “I’ll support sunset provisions.” Others agreed in brief phone calls. And that was it. The administration’s position was ultimately that 16 separate provisions would expire in X years at which time reauthorization by Congress was necessary. Much has changed over those years, most of which I’m unaware of, and the Patriot Act is long gone, but one thing remains today — a sunset date is still included in section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
– Glenn Schlarman
I was the [Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s] first chief information officer and a Department of Homeland Security plank holder who helped build the department’s IT foundation after 9/11.
Like so many others, I’ll never forget that tragic day. After that first plane struck the World Trade Center, FLETC’s Director, Ralph Basham, called his leadership team into his office. His message was clear: Back the Blue. And that we did!
9/11 gave FLETC’s mission a new and deeper meaning. The men and women we trained were no longer simply enforcing our nation’s laws, they were on the front lines protecting our homeland against threats we never imagined. In response, FLETC dramatically expanded their facilities as well as their training capacity.
So what did we learn? Many lessons have come out of that tragedy. But one that I think is the most important was the need to adapt and work better together. I think we’ve come a long way today, but there’s still a lot to be done.
We remember those we lost.
We honor those who serve.
And we will never, ever forget.
– Sandy Peavy
It was a beautiful, perfect early autumn morning and I had the day off, planning to enjoy a leisurely day. I sat down with a bowl of cereal to watch the morning news and all of the sudden it all happened and I was stunned. It was the end of an era in America.
– Elizabeth Cole
When the first plane hit, I received a phone call telling me what had happened. At first, the person calling believed it was an accident. When the second plane struck, I knew immediately that we were dealing with a terrorist attack.
I called my wife at the time and told her I was going to help. She did not want me to go, but I took several colleagues and headed there. We wore our Mayor’s Office jackets so people would know who we were, and we began helping wherever we could.
That was only the beginning. In the days that followed, my work shifted toward helping foreign governments, consulates, and families searching for information about their citizens and loved ones. The victims came from 90 nations. New York was not only responding to an attack on its own people, but to an international crisis.
Twenty-five years later, that responsibility and those families remain with me.
– Bradford E. Billet
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