| I'll never forget that moment of sheer terror. | | | | George W. Bush President after a bitter legal |
| That split second where I knew that I might not | | | | battle over Florida ballots. Although I "served at |
| make it out of there alive. When I got to work at | | | | the pleasure of the President," I wasn't worried |
| 7:00 that fall morning it was a beautiful day; how | | | | about losing my job because I was a career |
| could I have known that in a couple of hours the | | | | appointee, not a political appointee. People in my |
| world would be a profoundly different place, and | | | | position didn't change with the Administration, we |
| that I would leave work to a city so quiet that I | | | | weren't high enough on the ladder for anyone to |
| would hear only the sound of my footsteps that | | | | think about, and there were rules against a lot of |
| afternoon? I was 22 years old and spent | | | | political participation by us, anyway. |
| September 11, 2001, in the White House Situation | | | | I spent several months working out of the |
| Room. For five years I have tried to figure out | | | | Records Management office in the EEOB, until |
| both why I stayed that day, and why I decided | | | | around March 2001, when I started to get trained |
| to leave less than five months later. | | | | at West Wing Desk. We were kept on a rotating |
| I considered Washington, DC, to be home by the | | | | schedule, so I would spend a week or two in the |
| time I graduated from the George Washington | | | | office, and then a week in the Sit Room. It got |
| University in 2000. I had a degree in International | | | | pretty hectic there at times, especially when |
| Affairs and I wanted to change the world. My | | | | there was a big meeting about to take place but |
| sister knew someone who worked at the National | | | | the documents that all the participants weren't |
| Security Council and told him about me. When he | | | | ready until just before the meeting was scheduled |
| found out I had been an intern at the U.S. | | | | to start. The person at WWD always got blamed |
| Department of State during college, he passed | | | | when something went wrong, and was usually |
| along my resume to Tim, the Director of the | | | | ignored when he pulled everything together at the |
| Records Management Office, who was looking for | | | | last minute, despite the lack of help from those |
| someone to fill a soon-to-be open position. After | | | | who could. A break from WWD duty was always |
| speaking to the man who was to become my | | | | welcome, but being in the Sit Room was always |
| boss, I made arrangements to travel to DC for | | | | more exciting that being in the EEOB. |
| an interview. | | | | During the summer of 2001, I switched from the |
| The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), | | | | day shift to the morning shift, which meant that |
| known to many as the Old Executive Office | | | | instead of being at work at 12:30 pm, I'd have to |
| Building, is a huge grey building that looks like it | | | | be there at 7:00 am. It was earlier than I like to |
| came straight from Europe. Located at 17th | | | | be anywhere, but it made my commute a lot |
| Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, it is part of the | | | | easier, and when I had to stay late I could still get |
| White House complex, and I had been there once | | | | home without it taking over an hour. It was pure |
| before while an intern at State. I arrived at the | | | | coincidence that led to my being in the Sit Room |
| interview and met with Tim, the director of the | | | | on September 11th; it just happened to be my |
| Records Management Office at the NSC. We had | | | | week at WWD. |
| a brief interview where I was reminded that I | | | | As I did every morning at WWD, I arrived in the |
| was not going to be in a position to make policy, | | | | Sit Room around 6:50 am and turned on my |
| but I would basically know everything that was | | | | computer. While waiting for it to boot up, I |
| going on in the NSC. Records Management is the | | | | reviewed the "Due List," a daily checklist from the |
| office that keeps the NSC running. As a Staff | | | | NSC Executive Secretariat (Exec Sec) of items |
| Information Assistant, I was to be one of the | | | | we needed to be on the lookout for, such as |
| people that made sure all the paperwork got to | | | | reports to Congress, correspondence with foreign |
| the people who needed to it, when they needed | | | | leaders and materials for upcoming NSC-led |
| it. It sounded like an opportunity to see how the | | | | meetings. The "Night Notes" email was the first |
| government worked at the highest levels, and it | | | | one I read once my computer was running; it |
| was a job I couldn't pass up. | | | | was sent nightly to the Records staff by |
| I had lunch with Greg, the man I was going to | | | | whoever was at WWD so that the morning |
| replace, and we had an interesting discussion | | | | staffer knew where key documents were in the |
| about whether U.S. foreign policy is proactive or | | | | West Wing, and had additional notes of items to |
| reactive, and though I thought I knew the | | | | watch for. Nothing exciting, so I took care of |
| answer, he was unwilling to tell me if I was right | | | | some other work and settled in for another day |
| or wrong. I'd have to find out for myself. (I said | | | | at the White House. |
| then and I say now it's reactive.) After lunch he | | | | It began as a simple statement from the Senior |
| wanted to show me around a little bit, and we | | | | Duty Officer (SDO) in the operations center of |
| went back to the EEOB. After a brief stop back | | | | the Sit Room. "We have a report of a plane |
| at the office, we went down the elevator and | | | | hitting the World Trade Center in New York." |
| out a set of electric double doors. A quick left | | | | That was all we knew. I remember thinking that it |
| turn and there it was: the West Wing. I was | | | | would be really hard to miss those buildings, but |
| awed and couldn't think of anything to say. We | | | | how much damage could a small plane do? I didn't |
| walked across West Executive Avenue, now used | | | | yet know that it was a commercial airliner, and I'd |
| as a parking lot, walked through the doors into | | | | heard it was a private plane that had some sort |
| the West Wing, down a few stairs, and came to | | | | of problem and couldn't avoid a collision or pilot |
| a wooden door with a simple gold plaque. It read | | | | error. That all changed when moments later I |
| "White House Situation Room." He punched a code | | | | heard the SDO say that FAA was reporting a |
| into the keypad on the wall, the door lock clicked | | | | possible hijacking. Apparently a pilot had hit a |
| open, and we entered. It was smaller than I | | | | button on the airplane's stick that alerted |
| expected, but nonetheless an incredible place to | | | | authorities to a takeover of the plane, and that |
| be. I took a quick look around and was introduced | | | | report was passed to us. The NSC senior staff |
| to Chuck, the Staff Information Assistant who | | | | was in the middle of their daily meeting in the Sit |
| was on duty in the Sit Room at what was called | | | | Room conference room when the news came in, |
| "West Wing Desk" (WWD). Before the NSC's | | | | and one of the duty officers informed Dr. Rice |
| Executive Secretariat was moved to an office in | | | | and the others what was happening. Since CNN |
| the West Wing adjacent to the Sit Room, the | | | | was always on in the Sit Room, the senior |
| only NSC representative in the West Wing other | | | | staffers briefly moved from the conference |
| than the National Security Advisor was the person | | | | room to the operations center to watch, but |
| in the Sit Room. WWD was situated right outside | | | | there was little information at that point, so they |
| the office of the Director of the White House | | | | returned to the conference room and quickly |
| Situation Room, and was responsible for ensuring | | | | concluded their meeting. |
| the flow of information to the President, National | | | | Around this time, Raymond came over from the |
| Security Advisor, and other officials both in the | | | | Records office in the EEOB to bring me the latest |
| White House and throughout the federal | | | | documents to process and send through the chain |
| government. I was hooked, and couldn't wait to | | | | in the West Wing, likely to land on the desk of Dr. |
| start working. | | | | Rice or the President in the near future, and so |
| Several months later, after an FBI background | | | | that I could give him some work to do in the |
| investigation, I received my security clearances | | | | office. We briefly stepped out onto West |
| and was ready to begin. November 20, 2000, two | | | | Executive Avenue so I could have a smoke and |
| months before the end of the Clinton presidency, | | | | tell him about what was going on in New York. |
| I walked through the White House gates as an | | | | While we talked I couldn't stop thinking about how |
| NSC staff member. It was an interesting time to | | | | many people could be killed if someone |
| start, since all of the Clinton records had to be | | | | successfully attacked the Twin Towers. 5,000? |
| shipped to the National Archives and we had to | | | | 10,000? It's hard to even imagine that number of |
| start transitioning to a new Administration, but we | | | | people dying at the same time, but seemed like a |
| still didn't know whom the next President would | | | | possibility. A few minutes later Raymond and I |
| be. I remember thinking that it wouldn't really | | | | parted ways, and I returned to the Sit Room to |
| make a difference; he'd probably serve one term | | | | find Dr. Rice and most of the senior staff standing |
| and be forgotten after eight years of Clinton. As | | | | in the operations center watching the news. Less |
| we all know, the U.S. Supreme Court declared | | | | than a minute later it got much, much worse. |