 I'm James Costas, the U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. While I have the privilege to serve as the official representative of the President and the American people here in Spain, all of you men and women working for the U.S. military or as civilians abroad are also serving as ambassadors of the United States in your own way. I'm proud to welcome the sailors of the USS Porter, the third U.S. destroyer to be home ported at Naval Station Rota. Alongside the Donald Cook, the Ross, and eventually the Carney, these ships will help protect the European allies, U.S. forces in the region, and the U.S. homeland against the threat of ballistic missiles. All U.S. forces stationed here in Spain, whether the Marines, the Army, the Air Force, or the Navy, and whether it Rota, Morone, or Tera-Home, play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of the people of the United States and our allies. I want to thank you for your service and for your significant contributions to keeping our strong partnership with Spain and with all of our allies across Europe thriving. We are moving forward together.