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.

Before Katrina, it was a longstanding tradition in our country for political officials to wait until the last minute to warn, to take action, to evacuate. No more. With Irene, you had mass evacuations - mandatory ones - issued days ahead of time. That was the right thing to do.

They went into stores to get food to stay alive. Looting isn't the right word. I call it survival.

People need to be cautious because anything built by man can be destroyed by Mother Nature.

Leadership is working with goals and vision management is working with objectives.

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

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.