In an era of regional crises and threats, warning times may be measured in days and hours, not weeks and months. Strategic agility to respond expeditiously to these threats is often critical. Naval forces can maintain their presence in an area of interest indefinitely, free of major land-based infrastructure for support. In the event of conflict, Marine Corps ground fighting forces who carry their own initial sustainment and resupply can be deployed in harms way without having first to begin a logistics build-up to support operations ashore. After a crisis or conflict is resolved, naval forces can remain in the region to help win the peace, again without political or large logistic encumbrances ashore.
Seaborne forces can attain access to all littoral states of the world.
Internationally recognized as sovereign territory, naval forces can be positioned abroad to influence events in politically sensitive areas without necessarily polarizing foreign public or political opinion with respect to the intentions of the United States or her allies. But whatever the political situation, the critical issue is that American political leaders can employ naval forces to further national objectives without the requirement of asking permission for access from foreign governments. Although naval forward presence operations provide a host of statecraft tools, their most important missions are deterring and if necessary winning regional conflicts such that U.S. security and economic interests are protected. It is these essential missions which will determine the shape our force packages will take and where forward deployed forces will be positioned. Our force packages must demonstrate substantial credibility.