In 2005, I led a Congressional Delegation trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I was unable to meet with the soldiers of the 940th MP Company of Kentucky, who were stationed in the southern part of Iraq at the time, I was still able to make sure they received a taste of home. With the help of UPS and Skyline Chili, six cases of Skyline Chili were delivered to the soldiers. Getting the Skyline Chili to the soldiers was a small way for me to express my appreciation and support for the soldiers who are sacrificing a great deal to keep us safe. Our troops are doing an amazing job in Iraq and elsewhere around the world protecting us, and it’s critical that they know we here at home support them.
As a former Army officer who served in a Middle-East peacekeeping operation, I am deeply concerned about our troops and their families. I have friends and West Point classmates serving in the war against radical Islam. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), I am working every day to ensure that our troops have the tools and training they need to accomplish the mission and return home as soon as possible.
Iraq
Troop increases and General Petraeus’ strategy for Iraq
In January 2007, General David Petraeus implemented a new strategy for Iraq employing increased U.S. forces, with particular focus in Baghdad, for the purpose of assisting Iraqi security forces in combating sectarian strife. Since General Petraeus’ strategy was put into action, violence in Iraq has declined and terrorists have been denied safe havens. In addition, the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the Presidency Council have enacted a budget and passed important laws to bring political reconciliation to Iraq. It is far from perfect, but the situation in Iraq has demonstratively improved since the surge of U.S. forces into Iraq began in 2007.
Iraq Must Assume Greater Responsibility for its Own Security
Both from an operational and from a cost standpoint, Iraqis need to understand that our commitment is not open-ended. It is the ultimate responsibility of the Iraqis to defend their nation, and the training of Iraqi security forces should be completed as soon as possible. Iraqi security forces must continue to assume the lead in operations against insurgents, sectarian militias and other forces that pose a threat to Iraq’s future. The Iraqis are making progress in this regard. For example, in 2008 the Iraqi government, on its own initiative, conducted a major operation in Basra (Iraq’s second largest city and chief port) to neutralize Shiite militia forces in the city and restore government authority.
Additionally, Iraq is generating significant oil revenue which it can and should use for its security and reconstruction. The trend is in that direction. In Fiscal Year 2008 we spent a total of $5 billion on Iraqi security forces and reconstruction. For 2008, the Iraqi government planned to spend $30.1 billion on their security forces and reconstruction efforts. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, this is an issue I will continue to monitor closely.
Pace of withdrawal from Iraq
While I want to see our troops return home as soon as possible, we must redeploy our forces carefully and deliberately. We must not let extremists believe that we have abandoned our commitment to a secure and stable Iraq. Success continues to be necessary to ensure stability in the Middle East. Redeploying our forces too hastily could undermine the gains we have achieved and leaving Iraq a failed state would be disastrous to our national security interests. General Petraeus’ strategy implementing the surge has been successful and the United States has reduced its presence in Iraq. With continued progress in the situation on the ground we should continue to see more of our men and women serving in Iraq return home.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan remains critical in the war against radical Islam. In the Taliban, we face a tough, resourceful and resilient enemy. In cooperation with our NATO partners we must continue to conduct vigorous counterinsurgency operations; train, advise and assist the Afghan National Army and National Police; conduct reconstruction activities; and work with the government of Pakistan to eliminate or at least severely restrict Taliban base areas in that part of northeast Pakistan that lies adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
I have argued for years that our Army and Marine Corps have been too small to fight both the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. Fortunately, as we begin drawing down our forces in Iraq, we will be able to begin deploying additional forces to deal with the increasingly serious situation in Afghanistan. Our commanders there believe that at least 10,000-15,000 additional NATO troops are necessary beyond the 4,500 already planned to arrive in early 2009. I welcomed calls by both presidential candidates to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
However, while increasing our forces there, we must also continue to encourage our NATO partners and other nations to shoulder an increasing share of the burden for Afghanistan’s security and reconstruction.
Our efforts and those of our allies in Afghanistan have resulted in noteworthy gains for the Afghan people. For example, ninety-eight percent of boys and sixty-eight percent of girls in Regional Command East, where most U.S. troops are stationed, now attend school. The legitimate Afghan economy is growing faster than the narco-economy, and for the first time in ten years, the grain harvest was sufficient to meet domestic consumption. In another significant indicator of progress, the infant mortality rate has declined by twenty-six percent in the past five years.
I will continue to closely monitor the situation in Afghanistan to ensure our troops have all they need to be victorious and that our tax dollars for Afghan reconstruction are spent wisely.
Funding for Our Troops
I was proud to support H.R. 2642, an emergency supplemental funding bill for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This legislation will ensure that our troops and their commanders will have access to the resources they need. The bill provides more than $160 billion in emergency funding for our troops for the remainder of fiscal year 2008 and part of fiscal year 2009. H.R. 2642 also provides $21 billion for other spending, including an important modernization of the GI bill that will ensure our veterans have access to a quality education. H.R. 2642 passed the House by a vote of 416-12 on June 19, 2008 (Roll Call Vote 432). The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 92-6.
Supporting our troops
In September 2008, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. This legislation reflects a continued commitment to ensuring that the men and women who serve in the U.S. military have the resources they need to continue protecting the security of our nation.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides the annual authorization for the Department of Defense, as well as for national security programs administered by the Department of Energy. For FY2009, the NDAA authorizes $531.4 billion in budget authority for these two agencies and an additional $68 billion to support current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This year’s NDAA ensures that our service men and women and their families receive important benefits. The bill includes a 3.9% pay raise for all members of the armed forces. This will continue efforts to reduce the pay discrepancy between the uniformed service and the private sector. The bill also provides tuition support for military spouses.
The NDAA (S. 3001) passed the House of Representatives on September 24, 2008, by a vote of 392-39 (Roll Call Vote 631). The legislation passed in the Senate on September 27, 2008. I was very pleased to support this legislation which is a significant achievement in support of American service members around the world.
To learn more about my support of America’s veterans, click HERE.