U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden enter before a news conference where Obama announced his national security team in Chicago December 1, 2008. Obama on Monday announced his national security team, nominating former rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and asking Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay on in that role. REUTERS/John Gress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama vowed on Monday to continue to invest to strengthen the U.S. military, increase ground forces and ensure success against al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Announcing his national security team, Obama said Defense Secretary Robert Gates had agreed to remain in office, and reiterated his intention to announce a new mission as soon as he took office to end the war in Iraq.

“We will also ensure that we have the strategy -- and resources -- to succeed against al Qaeda and the Taliban,” Obama told a news conference. “And going forward, we will continue to make the investments necessary to strengthen our military and increase our ground forces to defeat the threats of the 21st century.”