The events that occurred last May and June in the Twin Cities were a national tragedy. What started when George Floyd was killed while in police custody ended with dozens of others across the country injured or killed, and thousands of businesses and properties destroyed. Locally, reports indicate that 1,600 properties were damaged, with more than 100 completely destroyed, totaling more than $350 million in damages.

The early planning and activation of additional law enforcement and National Guard in advance of the Derek Chauvin trial is designed to prevent that kind of tragedy from occurring in our communities again.

As events unfolded last spring, law enforcement and emergency services were overwhelmed. Property was damaged, emergency responders were attacked, and emergency services were blocked from responding to areas that needed their aid. The governor activated the National Guard to assist in bringing back stability and to allow law enforcement to better focus responses where they were needed.

When our Guardsmen arrived they were mostly met with appreciation from local citizens. Guardsmen were assigned responsibilities that freed up law enforcement to better respond to threats to the community. These included security for critical infrastructure, escort for fire and emergency medical services, and simply being present in communities. The decreased incidents of violence and destruction in Minneapolis and St. Paul mirrored the increase of Minnesota National Guard presence.

Contrary to many false reports, the Minnesota National Guard did not use munitions such as rubber bullets, paint balls or tear gas during our response, nor were we involved with damaging personal property (i.e. slashing tires). ("Minneapolis doesn't need National Guard," March 1.) Our members provided security and helped re-establish peace and stability to a chaotic environment.

The role of the Minnesota National Guard, now as then, is simple. We support communities, law enforcement agencies, and other interagency partners in ensuring peace, protecting people and property, and enabling the peaceful exercise their First Amendment rights. We are members of your communities, with more than 500 of our soldiers and airmen living in the areas affected most by last year's chaos.

The members of the Minnesota National Guard that you see on your streets could be neighbors, co-workers or even your friends and family. We are here to protect people, businesses and our communities. We are here to provide a safe space where voices can be heard, grievances can be aired, and grief and sorrow can be shared.

The Minnesota National Guard and our local, state and federal partners cannot do this alone. We need public support to make this a peaceful process.

If you see anything that you feel may be used to disrupt peaceful protest or bring violence back to our communities, report it.

If you are at a location where chaos is interfering with the message of peaceful protest, please leave so that you are not drawn in with those who are breaking the law, inciting chaos, or infringing on the rights of others.

As the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, and on behalf of the more than 13,000 citizen soldiers and airmen in our ranks, I want to thank you for supporting us in our efforts this past year as we responded to COVID-19, flooding in the Red River Valley and civil unrest, all while continuing to support national deployments around the world.

I want to applaud you for standing up to injustice and peacefully exercising your First Amendment rights.

And I want to celebrate your communities for pulling together after tragedy to rebuild and make a difference.

We need that unity and community spirit as much today as we ever have. I commit to you that the Minnesota National Guard will continue to be here for the people and communities of Minnesota. We live here, we work here, and we are honored to serve here.

Always ready, always there.

Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke is adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard.