160304-N-JY507-028 TACOMA, Wash. (March 4, 2016) – Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter speaks to U.S. service members from commands throughout the Pacific Northwest during a troop talk at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In the last day of his trip to the West Coast to strengthen ties between the Defense Department and the technology community, the secretary said the active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members who work jointly at the installation constitute a significant asset as the military faces challenges such as the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese and Russian aggression, North Korean threats, Iran, and the accelerated fight to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Seth Coulter/Released)