The flexibility and mobility of our naval forces are unmatched, and these attributes have made the Navy-Marine Corps team the force of choice. I talk about our Navy today to remind some, and educate others, about what it is the Navy is doing to fulfill our national security strategy in an uncertain world. The numbers look like this 365 days a year. This is what we do, and nobody else does it better. It's called forward presence, and it's a mission as enduring as this great republic and this great city.
Forward presence is a critical component of our national security strategy.
By deploying combat ready Navy and Marine Corps forces to those regions of the world where America's continuing interests lie, we are able to shape the peacetime environment by promoting regional stability. This deterrent value, coupled with our ability to respond quickly to the brush fires which seem to dominate our daily headlines, make naval forces indispensable against the backdrop of the uncertainties and challenges of the 21st century. We will face an unstable world for as far as we can see into the 21st century. Crises and unrest will continue to threaten American lives and interests. Global economic interdependence and the prosperity it brings, require the peace and stability that our forward deployed naval forces underwrite so well.