9 years.

It's been 9 years since September 11th. I was at work, at the Army War College art department working on a project, when one of the artists in the next room came in and said one of the world trade center towers had just been hit by a jet, there was still a lot of confusion, and I came out and watched on CNN as the second plane hit, and knew that it couldn't possibly have been an accident for both planes to hit in quick succession. I watched for about ten more minutes before going back to my desk and pulling up the live video feed online.

A short time later (though time was crawling that day) the Pentagon was hit, and shortly after THAT, the towers fell. We were called by our NCO's and told to contact any family we might need to in order to reassure them of our safety (we were several hours drive from NYC and 2 1/2 from DC, but it's always nice to know that family is safe during that kind of chaos). I called my parents and actually woke them up, letting them know that I was safe, and told them to check the news. A few hours later, we had a meeting at the company HQ, where the events were discussed as well as the events that would soon occur. The post was closed for the rest of the week, nobody on or off, all services were closed, all nonessential personnel were sent home, and we were issued our M16's (but no ammo) and guards were placed around the base, the power plant, the water treatment plant, certain buildings with strategic importance, we even had a few snipers set up.

And the rest of us were put on rotating patrol duty, patrolling the post, and keeping people out. I understand a reporter from the local paper tried to sneak on, and was apprehended and ejected with police help. The next few days were a blur of guard duty, and rest, and for 5 months after that, after the post was reopened and things returned to a semblance of order, 12 hour guard shifts were a regular part of duty, checking vehicles for explosives, all visitors for ID, etc.

Many people have said "if you do this" or "if you don't do that" the terrorists have won. Well, I hate to say it, but in the 4 planes and 3 successful attacks, they did win. Life hasn't ever been the same, if only in that we're far more conscious of security, and we accept many more steps in community safety (metal detectors at all courthouses for instances), greatly changed aircraft security measures, etc. They briefly awoke the sleeping bear of the American people, and I'm proud to say that the soldiers and sailors defending us are still wide awake. And we didn't submit to their will, but so much of our lives have been changed in so many big and little ways that you can't with a straight face say they didn't have a major victory on 9/11/2001