Dino Mavrookas

I remember sitting in the gym, watching the TV. The entire gym kind of just came over. Nobody was working out anymore, and there were rows of TVs, and everybody was just glued to them. And nobody knew what was happening. The first plane hit the tower. I remember my thoughts. What idiot flew their plane into a building in the middle of New York?

Because it was just so crazy to think that this was actually a terrorist attack. And then the second plane hit, you're like, oh, something's happening. And being from New Jersey, you're, everybody's kind of like one or two degrees of separation away from somebody that was like really, really affected. My wife was working in New York at the time.

Because it was just so crazy to think that this was actually a terrorist attack. And then the second plane hit, you're like, oh, something's happening. And being from New Jersey, you're, everybody's kind of like one or two degrees of separation away from somebody that was like really, really affected. My wife was working in New York at the time.

Because it was just so crazy to think that this was actually a terrorist attack. And then the second plane hit, you're like, oh, something's happening. And being from New Jersey, you're, everybody's kind of like one or two degrees of separation away from somebody that was like really, really affected. My wife was working in New York at the time.

She actually caught the last train out of the city before they shut the trains down. She watched the second tower come down from the train. Wow. The person she was sitting on, this story's creepy. She was sitting next to, I forget the person's role, but they were like an architect or somebody that designed the towers.

She actually caught the last train out of the city before they shut the trains down. She watched the second tower come down from the train. Wow. The person she was sitting on, this story's creepy. She was sitting next to, I forget the person's role, but they were like an architect or somebody that designed the towers.

She actually caught the last train out of the city before they shut the trains down. She watched the second tower come down from the train. Wow. The person she was sitting on, this story's creepy. She was sitting next to, I forget the person's role, but they were like an architect or somebody that designed the towers.

And she's sitting next to this person on the train and he goes to her, that building's going to come down. And sure as shit, they come out of the tunnel, whatever, and they watch it come down. Holy shit. So it had a really large impact on the way I thought about the world.

And she's sitting next to this person on the train and he goes to her, that building's going to come down. And sure as shit, they come out of the tunnel, whatever, and they watch it come down. Holy shit. So it had a really large impact on the way I thought about the world.

And she's sitting next to this person on the train and he goes to her, that building's going to come down. And sure as shit, they come out of the tunnel, whatever, and they watch it come down. Holy shit. So it had a really large impact on the way I thought about the world.

One of my other good friends at the time, I haven't talked to him in 20 years, but really close friend in high school, his dad worked for the Port Authority Police. And he was at a meeting. and they didn't hear from him for 48 hours. So think about that. My buddy's sitting there, I'll never forget this.

One of my other good friends at the time, I haven't talked to him in 20 years, but really close friend in high school, his dad worked for the Port Authority Police. And he was at a meeting. and they didn't hear from him for 48 hours. So think about that. My buddy's sitting there, I'll never forget this.

One of my other good friends at the time, I haven't talked to him in 20 years, but really close friend in high school, his dad worked for the Port Authority Police. And he was at a meeting. and they didn't hear from him for 48 hours. So think about that. My buddy's sitting there, I'll never forget this.

48 hours, I think he smoked two cartons of cigarettes and drank like two bottles of Jack Daniels just waiting to hear from his dad. And then 48 hours, 48 hours the phone rings. He was okay. But think about what those two days could have been like. And then think about all the people that weren't okay. So that's what drove me to really want to join the military.

48 hours, I think he smoked two cartons of cigarettes and drank like two bottles of Jack Daniels just waiting to hear from his dad. And then 48 hours, 48 hours the phone rings. He was okay. But think about what those two days could have been like. And then think about all the people that weren't okay. So that's what drove me to really want to join the military.

48 hours, I think he smoked two cartons of cigarettes and drank like two bottles of Jack Daniels just waiting to hear from his dad. And then 48 hours, 48 hours the phone rings. He was okay. But think about what those two days could have been like. And then think about all the people that weren't okay. So that's what drove me to really want to join the military.

I was a computer engineer in college. My whole goal in college was to find a career that wasn't working in the restaurant, right? So I was studying computer engineering. I thought I was gonna go into cyber and network security. I was writing code in a computer lab. And I just kept looking in the mirror and asking myself like, what impact am I having on the world?

I was a computer engineer in college. My whole goal in college was to find a career that wasn't working in the restaurant, right? So I was studying computer engineering. I thought I was gonna go into cyber and network security. I was writing code in a computer lab. And I just kept looking in the mirror and asking myself like, what impact am I having on the world?

I was a computer engineer in college. My whole goal in college was to find a career that wasn't working in the restaurant, right? So I was studying computer engineering. I thought I was gonna go into cyber and network security. I was writing code in a computer lab. And I just kept looking in the mirror and asking myself like, what impact am I having on the world?

What can I go do about everything that's happening right now? And I had no idea what that meant. It's like, I want to go have an impact on the global war on terror. How do you do that? So I started to, Talk to people. I went to these career days. I started with federal agencies, so FBI, DEA. I'm like, what are these things all about? I go to this FBI career day.