The National Guard has served America as both a wartime force and the first military responders in times of domestic crisis. Hundreds of times each year, the nation's governors call upon their Guard troops to respond to fires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

If I'm a leader, I have a mission.

America needs to get over it. We can't control everything. We can't control the storms.

You cannot depend on a sandbag dike to save your life. You put it up to try to save your property.

You know, we lose more homes every year to flooding than we do any other event in America.

In the military, as in any organization, giving the order might be the easiest part. Execution is the real game.

During the aftermath of Katrina, National Guard troops were positioned on every block to establish a sense of safety and source of help for the people in need. They did not leave communities until people were safe and sound.