On the Ground in Afghanistan and Iraq
Briefed on Ongoing Terror Threats, U.S. Military Operations, and Regional Instability During Trip to Middle East
I returned recently from a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq where I met with American military leaders, service members from Texas, and U.S. diplomats to discuss the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and bring greater stability to the region.
Kabul, Afghanistan
In Kabul, I received a briefing on the status of security efforts in Afghanistan from U.S. Ambassador Michael McKinley and military leaders there. I participated in a roundtable discussion with American leadership of the Resolute Support mission including General John Nicholson, the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan and commander of the NATO mission overseeing the training, advising, and assistance of Afghan security forces and institutions.
While in Kabul, I also visited with General Lee Henry from the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard, which deployed to Afghanistan earlier this summer to take over a regional command there, as well as Texans serving in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and at Bagram Air Base.
Baghdad, Iraq
From Afghanistan I traveled to Baghdad, where I met with U.S. military leaders and troops, including General Stephen Townsend, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, as well as U.S. Ambassador Stuart Jones and Iraqi government leaders, including Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The Prime Minister provided me with an update on Iraq’s political situation and ongoing efforts to liberate Mosul.
Following the meetings with American and Iraqi officials, I was briefed on ongoing American security efforts in Iraq by military leaders and observed U.S. operations against ISIS from an Operations Center.
Erbil, Iraq
The following day, I traveled to Erbil in northern Iraq to learn about regional security challenges there, including the effort to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to meet with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani.
There is a direct relationship between our battlefields overseas and our neighborhoods and communities here in America. What happens there matters here.
I am grateful for our Texans serving abroad and appreciated the update on our Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
