U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told servicemen and women in Hawaii they are the heart of the military’s refocused attention on the Asia-Pacific region.

Carter spoke to about 200 troops in an aircraft hangar at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam today.

He said U.S. military power has been the single most important factor behind the peace and stability the Asia-Pacific region has experienced since the end of World War II.

He said the U.S. rebalance toward Asia means the military will continue doing what it’s been doing.

Carter said a few words and answered questions from the troops. He shook hands with service members afterward.

Carter stopped in Hawaii after a trip to South Korea and Malaysia. He also visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.