Rep. Renee Ellmers Pleased by Hopeful Signs in Afghanistan
By Drew Brooks, Military Editor
The Fayetteville Observer
Friday, May 16, 2014

Rep. Renee Ellmers traveled to Afghanistan hoping to learn more about the war many of her constituents have sacrificed for.

She learned, but she said she also brought back increased hope for that country's future.

Ellmers, a Republican congresswoman whose 2nd District includes Fort Bragg, said she has always had great faith in the nation's military.

But now, after a three-day stay in Afghanistan, she has a much more positive view of how far that country has progressed since U.S. troops invaded in 2001.

"I did not anticipate the growth and the commitment and effort that's being put forth by the Afghan people," Ellmers said Thursday, a day after returning from a visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of a bipartisan delegation of female members of Congress.

The visit to Afghanistan over Mother's Day weekend was the second for Ellmers, who also traveled to the country in 2012.

On the earlier trip, Ellmers said, Afghans she met with still were worried about a possible Taliban resurgence after the drawdown of coalition troops.

The congressional delegation left with a feeling that the "glass was half empty," she said.

This time, on the heels of a national election that has been largely praised by international observers, Ellmers said there is a sense of optimism among both Afghan and U.S. military leaders.

"There was such a turnout from the Afghan people," Ellmers said. "It has really changed. We are truly in a supportive role."

While in Afghanistan, Ellmers met with some familiar faces, including Fort Bragg and 18th Airborne Corps commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, who commands the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul.

She said U.S. military leaders are cautiously optimistic about Afghanistan and confident in their role supporting Afghan security forces instead of leading them.

Ellmers said she wanted to visit the war zone so that she could help her constituents understand why they or their loved ones have sacrificed so much in Afghanistan.

She said the nation is war-weary and eager to see that efforts have paid off after more than a decade of fighting.

She said the U.S. must maintain focus on the mission in Afghanistan and work toward a responsible drawdown so as not to endanger the gains made from those sacrifices.

"That commitment and sacrifice, it is paying off," Ellmers said. "It's a great thing - a real starting point."

Ellmers had an opportunity to witness some of that sacrifice. She said she and the rest of the delegation rode in a C-130 with the body of a fallen soldier on their way to Kabul from an outlying base.

"It was incredibly sad," she said while outlining the respectful way the soldier's body was treated.

The "sobering experience" was an honor to witness, Ellmers said.

Ellmers traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan with Reps. Martha Roby, R-Ala.; Niki Tsongas, D-Mass.; Susan Davis, D-Calif.; and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.

The delegation hosted a Mother's Day luncheon for female troops to discuss the challenges facing deployed mothers and delivered Mother's Day cards made by elementary students from their districts.

The group also met female elected officials and activists in both countries and met with leaders of a school for girls in northern Afghanistan.

Ellmers said she was struck by the fact that, years removed from Taliban rule, the women she spoke with are now working on issues similar to those faced by women politicians in America, including encouraging more political involvement by women.

"Our message is very much the same," Ellmers said. "We're working on the same issues...We're all in this together."

Ellmers said the empowerment of women will be a litmus test for success in Afghanistan.

She said the women of Afghanistan are more active than they were in 2012 and have a much stronger voice.

"There is a real sense of confidence and there is a real sense that their voice is being heard," she said.