Since 1636, the 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 National Guard to respond to fires, floods, hurricanes, and a host of other natural disasters. Preparing for, and responding to, whatever Mother Nature throws our way – from Hurricane Katrina to Avian Flu – is how we live up to our motto: The National Guard: Always Ready, Always There.