SPRINGDALE, Ark. — This week marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving behind one of the deadliest and most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history. In the aftermath, thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to assist with recovery and restore order in the hardest-hit areas.

Among them was Colonel Joel Lynch of the Arkansas National Guard, who was one of the first to respond to the call for help. On Aug. 28, two decades later, he reflected on the experience that changed his life — and the lives of so many others.

"I get a phone call from my administrative officer in Warren, says, ‘We got the call. We're going to New Orleans,’” Col. Lynch recalled.

Shortly after Katrina made landfall in 2005, Lynch and his unit were deployed to Louisiana.

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