What does resilience and response mean in federal service, both civilian and the naval service. Why is it so important on the world stage for the USA to demonstrate its ability to respond to disasters in an effective manner? Is there a great power struggle to provide that aid? What should a young naval officer be thinking about today with regard to disaster support in the near future? Ms. Caitlin Durkovich is the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Resilience and Response at the White House National Security Council. As the Senior Director, she is responsible for the advancement of policies and programs that enhances the resilience of the United States, and strengthens the U.S. posture to physical and cyber threats to the nation’s critical infrastructure.