A plane takes off from Washington Reagan National Airport on Sept. 11, 2020, as a large American flag is unfurled at the Pentagon ahead of ceremonies at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to honor the people killed in the 2001 terrorist attack.

A plane takes off from Washington Reagan National Airport on Sept. 11, 2020, as a large American flag is unfurled at the Pentagon ahead of ceremonies at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to honor the people killed in the 2001 terrorist attack. J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Federal Agencies ‘Pause and Remember’ 9/11 on 20th Anniversary of Attacks

The attacks transformed the federal government, resulting in the creation of the Homeland Security Department and changing agencies’ missions and the presidential transition process.

As the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches, federal agencies are commemorating lives lost and sharing how the tragedy impacted their missions. 

“The day America lost its innocence––September 11, 2001––is forever etched in my memory,” said Archivist of the United States David Ferriero, in a press release on August 30. “On a management retreat with my Duke Libraries senior staff, we watched as the second plane hit and then the collapse of the towers. Stunned silence, shock, tears and the realization that we, at last, were as vulnerable as the rest of the world. It is important that we, the holders of the federal government records documenting this event, pause and remember.”

Almost 3,000 people were killed as hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The victims included 125 civilian employees and military personnel at the Pentagon. A number of federal agencies also had offices in the World Trade Center Complex in New York, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Secret Service; U.S. Customs; the Internal Revenue Service; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Export-Import Bank; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; and the Securities Exchange Commission. The Census Bureau had employees in an office a few blocks away from the Twin Towers. 

The attacks transformed the federal government as the United States embarked on the global war on terror that ultimately cost about $8 trillion and hundreds of thousands more lives, including those of U.S. troops and contractors. The Homeland Security Department and Transportation Security Administration were created, and agencies changed their surveillance and law enforcement tactics, sparking criticism over perceived privacy and civil rights violations. Findings by the 9/11 Commission led to sweeping changes to the presidential transition process in order to ensure continuity of government and security preparedness. 

The FBI said the September 11 attacks “led to far-reaching changes in the organization as it elevated terrorism to the gravest threat against the U.S,” in a post on August 26. 

“The attacks took the lives of nearly 3,000 people, and the crash sites represented the largest crime scene in FBI history,” the agency continued. “At the peak of the case, more than half of all FBI agents were at work to identify the hijackers and their sponsors and, along with other agencies, to head off any possible future attacks.” The post also features audio interviews with those who were on the scene in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. 

Other agencies are also marking the anniversary and reflecting on how the attacks altered their missions: 

The Pentagon is hosting an observance ceremony on Saturday morning. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III tweeted on September 1, “As we approach the 20th anniversary of September 11th, we’ll be remembering and sharing the stories of those who survived the attack on the Pentagon and still work here today.” Stories and remembrances can be read here. Also, the Defense Department announced on September 3 that renovations at the Pentagon’s 9/11 memorial, which opened in 2008, are now complete. 

The Veterans Affairs Department is hosting a series of events throughout the week to “recognize loved ones lost, loved ones injured and those forever changed by the tragic events” following the attacks. Also, “more than 60 VA national cemeteries will host a National Day of Service Friday, Sept. 10,” said a press release. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' chief protocol officer “has been working hard to recognize all of those who lost their lives, were injured, their families, and the first responders,” April Langwell, ATF chief of public affairs, told Government Executive. “ATF has several dozen agents still active who responded to events on that fateful day at the various locations, many of whom are coming to our ceremony on 9/10. It’s also important to note that since, ATF lost three agents to 9/11-related cancers.”

The State Department will host a ceremony on Friday morning in which Secretary Antony Blinken and Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Amb. Bonnie Jenkins will participate, to remember and honor the lives lost. 

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and TSA Administrator David Pekoske will give remarks at a TSA ceremony for the 20th anniversary on Saturday, September 11. Also, “in honor of this solemn anniversary, the Department of Homeland Security has received a seedling from the Survivor Tree at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum,” said DHS in a statement. On Wednesday, Secretary Mayorkas planted the tree as a “living tribute” and was “joined by survivors, first responders, victim families and military veterans.”

Customs and Border Protection, created in 2003 as part of DHS, “is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks by highlighting the ways its operations have evolved over the past two decades,” through articles and videos, as it now is “one of the nation’s premier law enforcement agencies with 60,000 dedicated employees,” said a post on Wednesday. 

General Services Administration Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a statement to Government Executive: “As we come together as a country in observance of the 20th anniversary of September 11th, the entire GSA community, past and present, remembers and reflects on the events of that day. I am humbled and inspired by the heroism, patriotism and resilience of the first responders and GSA staff on that day.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday launched a multimedia webpage to show how former and current staff responded to the attacks and assisted with recovery efforts. “The impacts from that event reached far beyond a single day,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, in a press release. “As we reflect on this event 20 years later, I hope that you will take the time to hear the personal stories from members of our FEMA community. I am proud to present their stories for everyone to see.”

The CIA tweeted on August 11, “As we approach the 20th anniversary of September 11th, check out our #AnsweringTheCall playlist to hear officers' stories about that day and their contributions to the hunt for [Osama bin Laden].” 

The World Trade Center Health Program, established in 2011 within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide medical monitoring and treatment for 9/11-related health conditions, will host community outreach events to pay tribute to the anniversary and provide information about eligibility and enrollment for the program. Also, top officials in the program will participate in an event hosted by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and 9/11 Health Watch on September 9. Later this fall an online museum exhibit will launch to “feature information on 9/11 exposures and the emergence of WTC-related health conditions, the events and advocacy that established the WTC Health Program, and research achievements that have led to improvement in medical treatment and knowledge,” said the program. 

The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, first established in 2001 to provide compensation for individuals (or representatives of deceased individuals) who were physically harmed or killed as a result of the terrorist attacks, released a special report on Tuesday that outlines the history of the fund and features reflections from those involved over the years. Also, the fund hosted a panel discussion on Thursday on the "Impact of 9/11 Toxins 20 Years Later and the Federal Response."

The National Archives and the National Archives Foundation are hosting three virtual events between September 7 and 10 in commemoration. 

The National Park Service’s Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylanvia is putting on a series of events during the week leading up to September 11. 

Export-Important Bank acting President and Chairman James Burrow said in a statement to Government Executive: “Twenty years ago, EXIM shared in our country’s heartbreak as we watched the events of that day unfold, Although we were very fortunate that we did not lose any of our New York office colleagues at 6 World Trade Center, our entire agency—and all Americans—felt the anguish of the losses and suffering on that terrible day and in the years afterwards. Today, we remember the victims who died on 9/11 as well as the friends, family members and first responders who were impacted. We will continue to keep them close in our hearts.”

On September 3, President Biden issued an executive order directing the Justice Department and other relevant agencies to do a declassification review of documents related to the FBI’s 9/11 investigations and release as many as possible over the next six months. He and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to all three sites of the attacks on Saturday. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will be at the sites at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. 

The anniversary comes as the government is still grappling with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August shortly before the United States completed its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan on August 31, ending an almost two-decade war. 

“I think anyone who can remember Sept. 11, 2001, can recall how seminal that event was in terms of the hearts and minds of the American people. That includes government employees, which I was at the time at the Pentagon, or the contracting workforce,” Stephanie Kostro, executive president for policy at the Professional Services Council, told Federal News Network on Wednesday. “Wars have been fought on all fronts in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. And while we’ve had more than 7,000 service members unfortunately killed in action in these far off locations, we’ve also had over 8,000, or around 8,000 contractors killed.” 

This article has been updated with an additional event. 

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.