Doesn't feel like it's been 14 years, does it. I was down in Mississippi, at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, at the start of my Air Force career. Normal day, going through training classes. Next thing you know, they're pulling all the security backups out of class and arming us up. No explanations why, just that the base was shut down and we had orders to engage. Everyone is wondering what's going on, did somebody snap, do we have a shooter or something... That's when they opened up the armory. It changes your viewpoint when they give you an M249 automatic rifle and 400 rounds of armor-piercing. Each.

We later found what had happened, and that we were the reserve base for Air Force One if it had to divert. It's not the worst situation I've ever been in, but it stuck with me the most simply for the not knowing. It's unnerving.

I remember what I was doing when the towers fell...


... sleeping. Us West Coasters missed everything. It was still pretty stunning though.

I was in LA. Mom worked for the city at the time, and rang the phone to wake me up. >.>