9/11: Two Decades Later

In this final episode we hear actual audio from the chairman and vice-chairman of the 9/11 Commission as they present their findings to the American people. We also hear an exchange between the chairman and a member of Congress. Finally, we get perspective from a well-known military analyst and we pose the question, "Are we safer today than yesterday...than 20-years ago?"

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Following the attacks of 9/11, a little-known agency in the US Government spun up pretty fast, the Federal Air Marshal Service, or FAMS. In this episode we meet Frank Donzanti, a retired Air Marshal who was the Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. Donzanti talks about the growing pains of augmenting an agency that went from 33 agents on 9/11/01 to thousands in the months following the attacks.

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Chad Wolf was one of the architects of the Transportation Security Administration. Wolf gives a behind the scenes look at the struggles to create a behemoth of an agency like the TSA and lessons learned. Wolf was also the former Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Policy, and Plans. For a brief time, Wolf was also the acting Secretary of Homeland Security.

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Nico Melendez was hired as the Transportation Security Administration's first national spokesperson just 45-days after the agency was created. Melendez talks about the growing pains of an agency that would be tasked with the security of all modes of passenger transportation. Soon after he was hired, Melendez was transferred to Los Angeles to assist with opening the TSA's first field office at LAX. Melendez also talks about how he and others in his position defended the constant criticism of the agency. This episode also features a portion of the very first press conference announcing the deployment of newly trained TSA screeners.

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On the morning of 9/11, air traffic controller Bart Avery was headed to work in Palmdale, California. His control center was in charge of air traffic for the Southwestern United States. Prior to his arrival, he wasn't aware of the attacks back East. It wasn't until the security guard at the control center, whom he had known for years, asked him for his security identification. Avery said he knew something wasn't right that day.

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After a brief montage and recap of the attacks of 9/11 we hear from Victoria Clarke, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at the Pentagon. Clarke was inside the Pentagon when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 77. Clarke recounts that day and also reveals her boss, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, was one of the first on scene of the wreckage and helped people to safety.

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