Lt. Col. Robert J. Darling (Ret)

Lt. Col. Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2007 with just over twenty years of active-duty service. After an impressive early career piloting attack helicopters in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and as a presidential pilot for President Clinton, serving with Marine Helicopter Squadron One, he was handpicked in October 2000 to work for President Bush at the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in this position that, during the attack of September 11, 2001, he supported the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor in the underground President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) and witnessed unprecedented leadership and decision making at the highest levels of our government.

Lt. Col. Darling chronicles these developments in his book: "24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker, 9/11/01: The White House", and shares the principles of crisis leadership and decision making with his audiences with an "edge of your seat" presentation that’ll take you from the moment the attack was realized, to the courageous decisions made to stop it, to the safeguards and policies our country now has in-place in an attempt to prevent it from ever happening again. This presentation is designed to ensure we, as a nation, never forget the events of 9/11/01, and to inspire all leaders to take the necessary steps to protect and safeguard their employees, organizations and their communities.