News you can use

Tester praises work of troops in Afghanistan

Says information gained will be 'very valuable' in Senate's work

Montana's junior senator said the information he and other senators gained while touring the war zone of Afghanistan will be useful, and at the same time lauded the work of U. S. soldiers aiding Afghan troops in defending the country, fighting terrorism and rebuilding infrastructure.

"We had a full day of gathering information and visiting with folks on the front lines, " Tester said in a press release Friday. "America's troops are doing a great job over here. We got a ton of input that'll be very valuable as we move forward in the Senate, discussing the future of our mission in Afghanistan. "

Tester toured the region with Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Jack Reed, D-R. I., stopping in Iraq early in the week before stopping in Yemen en route to Afghanistan.

He said in an interview last week that conditions had improved dramatically in Iraq since his tour of the country in 2007.

Tester met Friday with Montana troops serving in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan, including Lance Corporal Stephan C. Wall of Belt, who recently was selected as Regional Command-Southwest marine of the year.

Tester was also briefed on the infrastructure construction being carried out by combat engineers with the Red Horse squadron out of Malmstrom Air Force Base. and met with several U. S. and Afghan officials, including Lt. General David Rodriguez, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, and the governor of the volatile Kandahar Province, Tooryalai Wesa.

A third-generation Big Sandy farmer, Tester also talked about agricultural economic development with Gov. Wesa, who also a farmer.

Tester also planned to meet with staff members of the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction to assess morale and talk about the importance of their work to save taxpayer dollars and bring to justice contractors who steal from or defraud the United States, the release said.

Tester was one of a handful of senators who voted last year to require the Defense Department to share with the American public a detailed plan for future American involvement in Afghanistan. He said during the interview that his tour of the region would allow him to assess U. S. plans for its troops in the region, including a draw-down of troops over the next three years.

He said it may take some time for him to form his opinion even after seeing and talking to leaders and troops in the region.

Montana's junior senator said the information he and other senators gained while touring the war zone of Afghanistan will be useful, and at the same time lauded the work of U. S. soldiers aiding Afghan troops in defending the country, fighting terrorism and rebuilding infrastructure.

"We had a full day of gathering information and visiting with folks on the front lines, " Tester said in a press release Friday. "America's troops are doing a great job over here. We got a ton of input that'll be very valuable as we move forward in the Senate, discussing the future of our mission in Afghanistan. "

Tester toured the region with Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Jack Reed, D-R. I., stopping in Iraq early in the week before stopping in Yemen en route to Afghanistan.

He said in an interview last week that conditions had improved dramatically in Iraq since his tour of the country in 2007.

Tester met Friday with Montana troops serving in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan, including Lance Corporal Stephan C. Wall of Belt, who recently was selected as Regional Command-Southwest marine of the year.

Tester was also briefed on the infrastructure construction being carried out by combat engineers with the Red Horse squadron out of Malmstrom Air Force Base. and met with several U. S. and Afghan officials, including Lt. General David Rodriguez, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, and the governor of the volatile Kandahar Province, Tooryalai Wesa.

A third-generation Big Sandy farmer, Tester also talked about agricultural economic development with Gov. Wesa, who also a farmer.

Tester also planned to meet with staff members of the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction to assess morale and talk about the importance of their work to save taxpayer dollars and bring to justice contractors who steal from or defraud the United States, the release said.

Tester was one of a handful of senators who voted last year to require the Defense Department to share with the American public a detailed plan for future American involvement in Afghanistan. He said during the interview that his tour of the region would allow him to assess U. S. plans for its troops in the region, including a draw-down of troops over the next three years.

He said it may take some time for him to form his opinion even after seeing and talking to leaders and troops in the region.

 

Reader Comments(0)