This book honors the ordinary Americans who have sworn to defend their country as members of the National Guard. The role of the citizen-soldier is enshrined in U.S. tradition, dating back to the militias first formed by settlers in the 17th century. That same spirit of community self-defense would inspire the Minutemen, who, more than 100 years later, would rise up against the British to help establish the world s greatest democracy. Since then,...

Following the al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. government convened a special commission to investigate the intelligence failure that allowed the attacks to happen. Known informally as the 9/11 Commission, its report concluded among other things that none of the measures adopted by the U.S. government before 9/11 disturbed or even delayed the progress of the al Qaeda plot. An important step toward addressing this failure was...

Crime drains our society of billions of dollars every year and takes an appalling toll in terms of death and fear. Eliminating crime entirely is not possible, but prevention is. Police officers bravely patrol our cities and towns to keep us safe. But they cannot do it alone. There are many things we can do to help protect ourselves against crime. Under the expert guidance of police forces, ordinary citizens throughout the United States have come together...

The men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are dedicated to protecting our nation from the scourge of drugs and the violence that too often accompanies it. DEA agents work tirelessly to enforce U.S. drug laws, bringing those who break them to justice. They clean up our communities ravaged by drug gangs. The DEA is also heavily involved in fighting the drug trade around the world to prevent it from reaching American shores. Fighting...

Fire is simultaneously humanity s best friend and our most ruthless enemy. Fire warms and comforts, enables us to cook food, and powers much of our industry. But it can also be a raging killer. Once out of control, it destroys homes, lives, and lays waste to vast areas of land. Firefighters have a long history of courage and sacrifice in overcoming flames to safeguard their communities. The New York City firefighters, who risked and lost their lives...

The U.S. Army is the most powerful military force on Earth. Every hour of every day it guards the United States and its citizens at home and abroad, ready to respond to any emergency with its elite personnel, hi-tech equipment, and massive firepower. This book explores how the U.S. Army defends freedom and democracy around the world. Since its creation, the Army has proved itself fighting wars as well as keeping the peace by deterring aggression....