Bordallo Returns from Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—June 6, 2006—Washington, D.C.—

Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo returned today from Iraq with an official Congressional Delegation led by Congressman John Kline (MN).  Congressman Bob Etheridge (NC) and Congressman Michael Conaway (TX) also traveled with the Congressional Delegation (CODEL).  In addition to visiting U.S. troops and evaluating the ongoing military effort by American forces, the CODEL assessed the progress of the Iraqi unity government and the Iraqi Security Forces. 

The four-member delegation met with military and civilian officials as well as U.S. troops currently serving in theatre.  Congresswoman Bordallo visited Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and Balad Air Base in northern Iraq.  Bordallo also visited troops at Camp Victory and in the Multi-National Brigade-North area of operations in and around Mosul, Iraq.  During her time at these locations, Congresswoman Bordallo met with members of the Guam National Guard deployed in support of the global war on terror as well as numerous sons and daughters of Guam serving in active duty Army, Marine and Air Force units. While with these troops she had the opportunity to dine with them, visit their bases, view the equipment and vehicles they utilize in carrying out their combat duties and receive briefings on their missions.

“Meeting with service men and women from our island is always the highlight of my trips to the Middle East.  A special thank you goes out to Tita’s Guguria, whose generous donation of our favorite island cookie brought many smiles to the faces of Guam’s sons and daughters that I met with in Iraq.  And while the guguria filled bellies with the taste of home, with the generous donation of hundreds of phone cards by the Guam USO, we also made sure our men and women could reach home as well,” Bordallo said.

Bordallo’s visit in Iraq also included meetings with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad and senior military commanders from both the U.S. and Iraqi military.

This trip to Iraq was the eighth for Congresswoman Bordallo, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in her second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Congresswoman Bordallo traveled to Iraq in April to visit troops from Guam and to meet with military and civilian leadership in the area. 

As a current member of the HASC, Congresswoman Bordallo is a member of the subcommittees on Readiness and Projection Forces.

Photo 1: Congresswoman Bordallo with troops from the 101^st Airborne and Stryker Brigade in Mosul, Iraq.

Photo 2: Congresswoman Bordallo with Guam National Guard soldiers at a barbecue in Balad, Iraq.

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Contact:  Alicia Chon in Washington, D.C. at (202) 225-1188 or Joseph E. Duenas at (671) 477-4272/4.

www.house.gov/bordallo

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