Problems arose, however. The Deseret Morning News reported earlier this year that documents it obtained showed that Air Force studies estimated that nearly half of such guards hired nationally did not go through required background checks.

Also, documents said about one of every four had not completed required training before starting work, about one of every six was not weapons qualified, and about one of every three had not met requirements to be certified or licensed by states for security work. The Air Force said it was working to remedy those problems.

The Air Force did not have problems only with its new security guards. The Morning News last year also obtained documents showing that Hill Air Force Base failed to do background checks on many of the civilian contractors who obtained long-term passes there. Some who left employment there never turned in their access badges.

The Morning News this year also obtained documents revealing that Air Force inspectors found that Hill Air Force Base and other facilities often approved selling equipment as surplus without ensuring removal of components or data that America does not want to fall into the hands of enemies.

That included selling computers without verifying that their memories were erased, some guidance and control systems for missiles, some laser tracking systems, some safety and arming devices and more.

Because of 9/11, the military has been working harder to ensure such things do not happen — and that is why inspectors were looking for and found such problems.

Airport security

Since 9/11 involved using hijacked airplanes as weapons, some of the biggest and easiest to see changes targeting terrorism have come at airports. Listing just a few shows how much life has changed there since 9/11.

The nation replaced private contractors who screened luggage with the new Transportation Security Administration. It started screening all checked luggage with large X-ray machines (a process first begun at Salt Lake City International Airport because of the Olympics).

Many items are now banned specifically that once were not because of terrorist threats, including box cutters and all liquids (because of reported attempts to make explosives from them). "Sniffer" machines now puff air at passengers to smell for explosive compounds.

All passengers must remove shoes and send them through X-ray machines. Only actual passengers are now allowed through security and to airport gates. Passenger names are checked against terrorist watch lists.