Pictured Center: Congresswoman Renee Ellmers with Fort Bragg Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson. General Anderson serves as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC) and as Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. He is the Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg.
 

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement following her visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of a bipartisan delegation of female Members of Congress this week:

"Over the last week, I was honored to visit with the men and women of our armed forces serving in Afghanistan. What made this journey so heartwarming was the chance to spend Mother's Day with our troops and share some quality time with so many women who are making painful sacrifices in order to protect the freedom of others."

"I would like to thank Congresswoman Martha Roby, the staff of the House Armed Services Committee, and all the members of our military for putting this CODEL together and the invaluable insights we gained during our time on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We must continue to remain focused on our mission there and work to provide a responsible draw down so that our sacrifices on behalf of our freedom and national security have not been in vain."

This past weekend, members of a bipartisan Mother's Day congressional delegation visited with soldiers of the International Security Assistance Force Northern Regional Command at Camp Marmel in Masar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. Congresswoman Ellmers was invited to participate in this bipartisan CODEL on behalf of her colleague Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama, who has led the trip for the past three consecutive years. The congressional delegation included Congresswomen Martha Roby (R-AL), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Cheri Bustos (D-IL).

The Congresswomen hosted female service members for a Mother's Day luncheon, where they discussed the challenges facing mothers deployed in service to their country. They also delivered Mother's Day cards to soldiers stationed at the post. The cards were handmade by elementary students from the Congresswomen's districts.

Congresswoman Ellmers also visited with Fort Bragg Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson. General Anderson serves as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC) and as Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. He is the Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg.

** Photos from the trip were taken with troops from the International Security Assistance Force Northern Regional Command at Camp Marmel in Masar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan and can be viewed by clicking here **