1. Got permission from my boss to get my children and go home.
  2. Called my wife and said I would get the kids. She’s a corporate travel agent so she had to work the next 14 hours getting people home.
  3. Went to the day care to get my younger ones. The teachers were in a panic and I reminded them they had to be calm for the kids and parents.
  4. Went to my older ones high school. He refused to leave because he had track practice. Knowing you can’t argue with someone who is stuck on an idea even if wrong, I asked him if he would agree to leave if his coach said so. He said yes. When we tried to find his coach they dismissed the entire school.
  5. Stopped at the ATM and got cash out.
  6. Went to the grocery store for extra food. One women was in a panic in line spreading rumors and negativity. I could see the panic spreading. I reminded her people do great things in a crisis and I expected she would do the same.
  7. Got home, put the younger one down for a nap, the older one went in to take a nap as well.
  8. Monitored the news in multiple ways.
  9. Did the CBRNe (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) circles for our house.
  10. Realizing we were inside the circles and there was a mosque going up down the street, made the decision that day to move my family to a safer area.
  11. [UPDATE: The mosque/fort (Islamic Society of Germantown) planned in 2001 I reference above proved my point in 2019. A jihadi who indoctrinates there (“Osman Alaalla, 61, came to pray Monday evening at a 5 p.m. service at the Islamic Society of Germantown. He said Henry typically led that service.” Maryland man inspired by Islamic State attack plotted to drive truck into National Harbor pedestrians, officials say
  12. Called my specops brother-in-law. As his unit in WV was fully qualed he told me he was on his way to Afghanistan.
  13. Three weeks later put money down on a house that has a well, an acre and 4 groceries within walking distance. Also, my wife has family here and most of neighbors are intelligence officers, police officers, fire fighters, military, etc.
  14. Committed to doing more for my family and all Americans that day and began to study civil defense which I had learned in my 20s. Soon joined the American Civil Defense Association, eventually writing 15 articles for the Journal of Civil Defense. Was invited to the TACDA Board of Directors and now VP. https://tacda.org/journal-topic/journal-of-civil-defense/
  15. ISIS Use of Social Media as a Force Multiplier
  16. Yes, that day changed my life in even more ways, in ways too long to explain here.