Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta visited the USS Peleliu off the coast of Camp Pendleton Friday, not just to talk with the Marines and Sailors - although he did do that, both at Camp Pendleton and aboard the Peleliu.
No, the reason Panetta came out to our neck of the woods was to make a point about the future direction of the United States military. And he said the USS Peleliu was the perfect place to do so.
Panetta told service members gathered during an all-hands call aboard the USS Peleliu that rogue nations like Iran and North Korea are trying to destabilize the world:
“So we’re facing a lot of threats that we have to confront if we want to keep America safe and if we want to give our children a better life.”
He explained to his audience that the force of the future has to be smaller and leaner - but agile, flexible, and technologically advanced. He said the USS Peleliu represents those very qualities, and that's why he wanted to visit the amphibious assault ship.
Take a look at this Pentagon Channel report on Panetta's visit:
