Secretary of Defense William Cohen spoke to the crew of USS Independence (CV 62) aboard the flight deck officially announcing the Independence's deployment to the Arabian Gulf.
Cohen said Independence would relieve the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) to keep the presence of America in the Gulf as a reminder to Saddam Hussein that he needs to comply with the United Nations resolutions.
"You and others are going to be in the region. You are going to send a very strong signal that this is the power of the United States," Cohen said to the Sailors. "We are determined to make sure that the sea lanes of communication remain open."
Cohen said the most important thing he had to do when he was asked to become the Secretary of Defense was to make an examination of what the DoD's strategy would be for the future. It was called the Quadrennial Defense Review.
"Our strategy involves three key elements, shaping the environment, responding to the whole series of crisis that you will have to face and we will have to face as a nation, and being prepared to invest for the future," Cohen explained.
"You are the key element as far as shaping the environment in ways that are friendly to the United States and to our allies," Cohen stressed to the Sailors. "You are what we call the steel and the sword of freedom, and you are at the tip of that sword."
Cohen continued, expressing to the Sailors that they are carrying out an important national security mission for the United States, Japan, and all of the nations in the region. He said the reason he wanted to discuss "shaping influences" as being important, was due to the possibility of the operations in the Gulf turning into a combat situation. Cohen quickly remarked that the United States hopes to avoid going to war with anyone.
"And the best way to do that," he added, "is to be prepared as you are today to carry out in that war should it be necessary."
"All of this equipment, all of these aircraft, as sophisticated as they are, and the ship, as sophisticated as it is really is secondary in importance," Cohen said. "The most important quantity and quality we have to offer is the people who serve us. The people who are standing in front of me right now, you," Cohen stated.
"You are the best and the brightest that we have to offer," Cohen continued. " You are the reason why we are able to say that we are the number-one super power and the only super power in the world today. It's because of the quality of the people who are coming into our service today."
After speaking to the sailors Cohen re-enlisted a group of Independence Sailors and shook hands with Sailors from his home state of Maine. Cohen is on a two-week Asian trip and will make his last stop in South Korea after the Independence visit.
Photos by JO3 Joseph L. Rehana