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.

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

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

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

You were born free by accident. You live free by choice. To die free is your responsibility.

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.