If for 9/11.
Like most Americans, it's a day I'll never forget.
Saw on the news, the first plane that hit the tower
And I could see the twin Towers smoke coming out of one of the towers.
I realized something was really wrong.
when the second plane hit.
We were in the office in the meeting,
and then all of a sudden, next thing you know, doors opened up.
Secret Service came in,
the vice president came in, and then we went to work.
Getting out of my building
after being locked down for 8 hours and watching the Pentagon burn.
Of course the Pentagon was tragically hit
in proximity to many of the offices that I was affiliated with.
After about two days, I called the office at the Pentagon
and said, “This is Lieutenant Colonel Ken Clarke just checking in.”
And the person on the phone said, “Colonel Clarke, we thought
you were dead.”
Creating the department was key
to responding to the terrorist attacks of 911,
to bringing all these diverse agencies together under one roof
so they could focus on the mission of Homeland Security.
The 22 agencies that all came together as part of the Department of Homeland Security.
It was very important to improve the synchronization.
Governor Ridge, at the time, he knew it was a challenge,
but he said we can do it because we needed to protect the homeland.
And the mission of the department was to prevent another terrorist attack like 9/11.
So it was a lot of challenges trying to figure out how you're going
get everybody under one hat, one location to do the job.
Many of the departments that came had their own autonomy and to get them
to be part of the department, to be part of the same team.
The fact that you had 22 different departments and agency elements
that had to come together.
To get everyone operating on the same page, understanding
that we're now focused
on a different mission set.
Because we all had the same drive,
because we all had the same love for the nation and love for the public.
We felt like we needed to come together.
We protect the American
people and enhance the nation's economic prosperity by safeguarding U.S.
borders.
We serve as the research
and development arm of DHS.
We lead the national effort
to understand, manage and reduce risk to our cyber
and physical infrastructure.
We integrate intelligence
into operations across DHS components and to our partners,
to identify, mitigate and respond to threats.
We lead efforts and coordinate with domestic and international partners
to safeguard the U.S.
against commercial, chemical, biological, radiological
or nuclear IED enhancements and health security threats.
We protect the nation's transportation systems to ensure
freedom of movement for people and commerce.
We enforce the nation's laws at sea,
protecting the marine environment and the nation's vast
coastline and ports.
We provide enterprise situational awareness, a common
operating picture, information sharing and decision support
on threats, incidents and events impacting the homeland.
The federal law enforcement training centers, through strategic partnerships,
prepares as a federal law enforcement community to safeguard
America's people, property and institutions.
We preserve national security and public safety
through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws.
We help people before,
during and after disasters.
We ensure the safety
and security of the nation's highest elected leaders
and protect the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States.
We uphold America's promise as a nation of welcome
and possibility with fairness, integrity and respect
for all we serve.
And I remember telling my daughter, if I don't get up in the plane
on the anniversary on 9/11 and go where I need to go to do work
for the department, then we're letting them win.
I missed holidays and snow days with my family,
but it's okay because someone has to make the sacrifice
and I'm glad that I had the circumstances to be able to make that sacrifice.
Moving from place to place because of different assignments and roles
and responsibilities has taken its toll on my family.
But all in all, they know it's for the greater good.
And they've been there to support me and has continued to support me.
Everyday
DHS does something to make
you and America safer.
We've been moving really quickly these last 20 years.
We've accomplished a lot.
We've merged so many agencies together under one mission and one banner.
Our mission will be to conduct scientific research in the Arctic to understand
how it's changing and how it affects the rest of the world, really.
I believe wholeheartedly in the role
that DHS plays in national security.
It's an amazing organization.
You won't find too many people
that don't feel the passion to actually be part of homeland security.
We are a team.
There's no “I” in the work at DHS.
It's everybody showing up to do their function
so that everybody's function can be the best it can be.
But if you ask me, would I do it again?
In a heartbeat!
With honor and integrity,
we will safeguard the American people
our homeland, and our values.
We are DHS!