He urged the sailors at Mayport, as well as the troops at Guantanamo Bay, to be ready in case war comes.

"You must be ready," he said, "and you must demonstrate you're ready" in order to improve the chances of a peaceful resolution.

"I need you to be at the top of your game," he told an assembly of several hundred troops at Guantanamo Bay, citing their roles both as a fighting force and as a positive example for a divided civilian society.

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