 I speak to you today from the frontier of NATO's border as the senior representative from the United States Army and as the commanding general of all U.S. forces assigned to NATO. NATO was born in 1949 amidst the ashes of a war-torn Europe. It was an alliance of nations weary of war who resolved to prevent war, not by ignoring regional bullies, but by becoming stronger together as one. And ten years ago Estonia joined NATO. Since then, the leaders of this great country have taken their obligation to NATO seriously, modernizing their military even in hard economic times, dedicating Estonia expertise to the NATO Response Force. Estonia is a small country, but as they say in boxing, Estonia fights above its weakness. Through years of partnership and military-to-military exercises, we have built a relationship between our two countries of mutual trust and respect. We have a common bond in our militaries. We know intimately the consequences of war, and because of that we seek to prevent conflicts from occurring, and we do that by training together. The arrival of the elite 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is a manifestation of the United States of America's commitment to Estonia and to the NATO Alliance and our commitment to peace. The 173rd is the most prestigious brigade in the United States Army. And I will tell you it's the most relevant, the best trained, the best led, the best disciplined. We chose this legendary organization because we wanted to demonstrate our ironclad commitment to the people of Estonia. We will focus on bilateral training and interoperability. It will make us both stronger, and it will make the NATO Alliance stronger. We are honored to be invited to this great country to serve and train with these great soldiers, and we're proud to demonstrate our resolve and our commitment to Estonia and to the NATO Alliance. Know that today, Estonia, you are not alone on the frontier of NATO's borders. The entire Alliance stands with you. Thank you. God bless you.