America is a nation at war, and our Navy and Marine Corps are focused on achieving victory in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever terrorist enemies may be found. Given this focus, we must examine the full range of implications of today's war. Our nation's maritime strategy reaffirms the use of seapower to influence actions and activities at sea and ashore, and adds to the core applications of naval warfare. Where tensions are high or where there is a need to demonstrate a commitment to security, we will aggregate forces to limit conflict or deter major war. Our maritime forces will also be positioned and tailored to support humanitarian operations, counterpiracy efforts, and the training of partner nations. These new core capabilities move us to adopt persistent global presence as a key tenet of our strategy. The increasing desire for presence is one of the driving factors in decisions on fleet size and fleet composition. I remain concerned that the value of presence is underappreciated. The world is a far more connected and interdependent globe today than it was in years past. Nations have moved away from the idea that they must have economic self-sufficiency and have largely recognized the value of trade.