Tour of Iraq shows progress being made by troops
JOHN CORNYN U.S. SENATOR

Wherever I go around our state, I'm impressed by the deep appreciation that Texans have for the service of our military men and women-particularly those serving in harm's way abroad. Everyone supports our soldiers, and they all want the troops to know that.

I had an opportunity in early January to deliver that message myself to our warriors on duty in two front lines in the war on terrorism, in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was also able to evaluate progress, particularly in Iraq, and make certain our military is getting the resources it needs to keep terrorism away from our country.

There are almost 160,000 Americans now in Iraq. Another 25,000 serve in Afghanistan. Since one in ten active duty military call Texas home, it's easy to find Texans in every area of both countries.

My first stop was Afghanistan, at Bagram Air Base, a former Soviet military complex. I was briefed by Major General David Rodriguez, previously at Fort Hood, who now commands the 82nd Airborne Division. He told me we have doubled our combat forces in Afghanistan over the past year and are taking the fight to the enemy. We're making progress, but al Qaeda and the Taliban are resilient. We agreed-we can't let up.

I went on to a remote forward outpost, Firebase Torkham Gate, near the Khyber Pass, on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Over lunch, I got a first-hand report on the conflict from several Texans, including Staff Sgts. Christopher Torres and Daniel Warden of San Antonio, Clifton McFatridge of Fort Worth, and Sgt. Cory Messingham of Lewisville. These men are doing a great job under dangerous conditions.

Later, back in Bagram, we met with Air Force Brig. Gen. James "Bill" Hyatt, originally from San Marcos, commander of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. We met again with Texas troops who are servicing and flying the A-10 Warthogs and F-15 Eagles that support our ground forces in eastern Afghanistan.

From Afghanistan I flew on to Iraq. This was my third visit to Iraq and my first since President Bush sent 30,000 additional American troops there last year. There is no doubt that the security situation in Iraq has improved dramatically since they arrived.

On my first morning, I sat down with Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno from Fort Hood. He's now commanding general of the Multinational Corps Iraq and reports directly to Gen. David Petraeus. He shared details on progress in lowering the violence in Iraq-and importantly, in reducing American casualties.

We saw that vividly when I traveled by military convoy to a market in a section of western Baghdad that only months ago was beset by intense fighting and bombing. Today, the atmosphere is calm, terrorists have been killed or driven away, and the market is operating again. I was able

to walk around, visit shops and have

tea with local Iraqis who told me how grateful they are for America's steadfast determination to defeat al Qaeda in Iraq.

With two other senators, I later met with leading Iraqi politicians to discuss the slow progress of reconciliation among the major ethnic groups in Iraq-Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis. We emphasized that Iraqis need to reach an agreement soon so that our American sons and daughters can come home.

We continually encountered Texas troops. At Maverick Security Station in Baghdad, for example, we shared a meal with Pfc. Cody Chandler of Houston and Staff Sgt. Clayton Vaughn of Alvin. They were proud of their efforts in Iraq.

The men and women I met are away from their families, sometimes on a second or even a third deployment, living under adverse conditions. They were candid, as soldiers are, in discussing the challenges they face in the field. But every single one was proud of his service, and rightfully so, and had a better appreciation for the contribution our forces are making for world peace than do many politicians in Washington.

I came home convinced that our military has al Qaeda on the run in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It has taken time, but we've now got the policy right and it is succeeding.

More importantly, our troops know that. They also know that their patriotism, their sacrifice and their service to their country is appreciated by all of us back in Texas.