 This is a very special occasion as we witness the passing of the baton from one American unit to another here in Tapa, Garrison. We are very glad to see the continued American presence on Estonian soil. This is a clear proof of the unwavering friendship between our two countries, a relationship we are very proud of. First of all, I would take this opportunity to thank the 173rd Airborne Brigade Company, the Sky Soldiers, for their effort and commitment. I hope your training and exercising here together with Estonian troops has been fruitful and has increased the level of interoperability between our troops. Your work here has meant a lot for Estonia and my country will welcome you back in the future. The presence of American troops in Estonia is not only a sign of our standing as friends, but also as allies in NATO. Your presence here further increases the reassurance and deterrence effect that our alliance already provides following the Russian aggression against Ukraine. This aggression and its aftermath reminds us that war is unfortunately still a reality even in the 21st century Europe, but obviously our task is to prevent a war, to prevent an aggression and this also requires us to be ready to counter any threat of aggression. With that note, I would like to say welcome to the troops from the B Company, 2nd Italian 8th Cavalry First Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. Hosting a unit from a Cavalry Division is a new experience for us. The equipment and tactics you employ are surely going to be quite different from an airborne unit. I think this offers our soldiers, our military, a great opportunity to enhance our cooperation from a new and different angle. This will be a learning curve for our military and I hope that our frequently harsh winters will also provide a new experience for you. As I've heard during the first few days in Estonia, the two biggest issues, the two biggest concerns have been the somewhat chilly weather, but also the lack of the possibility of observing American football leagues. I surely hope that we will be able to address this latest shortcoming. I'm afraid that it will be somewhat more difficult for our government to provide you with the nice Texan weather. Anyway, I would once again take this opportunity and thank the 173rd Airborne for your hard work and extend a warm welcome to 2-8 Cav. Thank you.