Autumn Raulerson
ECB Publishing, Inc.
It has been 25 years since the tragedy that occurred at the World Trade Center, known as 9/11, rocked our nation to its core. The generation that was still growing or not even born yet at the time may not remember the actual events of Sept. 11, 2001, but they will always remember the effects and protocols that live deep within the United States’ defense structure as a result. Twenty-five years later, those protocols still affect our lives, and the terrible tragedy still lives in many of our hearts. From rigorous immigration security to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the changes to our nation in response to 9/11 remain in place today.
Many federal acts were passed by the administration following the 9/11 attacks. The USA Patriot Act (2001) expanded the authority of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to monitor communications, share information and combat money laundering related to terrorism. The Homeland Security Act (2002) established the consolidation of federal departments to create the DHS. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004) restructured the U.S. intelligence community, establishing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCC). The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (2001) created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to oversee security operations across transportation, particularly aviation.
Following the attacks, Congress and President George W. Bush established an independent, bipartisan panel named the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, which investigated the events surrounding the attacks and authored an official response, the 9/11 Commission Report, as a way to guide the administration to proper preventative measures.
According to the DHS’s official website, in March 2003, 22 separate federal agencies were brought together as part of the newly created, cabinet-level department, the DHS. With the founding principle of protecting the American people from terrorist and other threats, the DHS aimed to respond to and align with recommendations contained in the 9/11 Commission Report, as well as to identify ways to guard against future terrorist attacks and to assess the circumstances surrounding the 9/11 attacks.
In 2011, the DHS published a report on their success in implementing the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission Report. Since the attacks, the report says, “DHS has deployed unprecedented levels of personnel, technology and resources to the Southwest border [and] has made critical security improvements along the Northern border, [as well as] strengthening efforts to increase the security of the nation’s maritime borders.”
DHS has also worked directly with law enforcement, state and local leaders, community- based organizations, and private and international partners in order to strengthen their overall outreach and foundation within many different facets of security, according to the same report. There are countless measures and movements that occurred post-9/11. From screening all air cargo coming into the states to increasing the security features in residency applications/temporary visas through Customs and Border Protection, the changes that came to our nation’s security systems and infrastructure are numerous.
Many nonprofits, foundations and government support programs were created to support victims’ families and survivors of the attacks. For example, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund administered by the Department of Justice compensates individuals or families of deceased individuals who suffered physical illnesses or
injuries from the crash sites or debris removal. The Voices Center for Resilience (formerly Voices of September 11th) provides lifelong mental health support, support groups, peer-to-peer counseling and care management for 9/11 families and survivors. These are just a few of the many organizations that were created to support those personally affected by the attacks.
It has been 25 years since the terrorist attack that bound our nation in fear on 9/11. Countless changes occurred in our nation’s security defense and related infrastructure, many of which remain in place as active organizations today. The TSA, DHS, ODNI and NCC are just a few of the groups created that still fight terrorism to this day. Sweeping legislative, bureaucratic and political changes have kept American’s safety on the forefront of federal and state agendas. All of these organizations, acts and initiatives are the eventual result of the terrible 9/11 attacks.