U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon), who serves as the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, led a bipartisan group of lawmakers on a trip to Afghanistan over Memorial Day weekend.  This is Thornberry’s second trip to the region in the last few months.

“It is always helpful to talk to folks in the field and see them in action, and our Special Operations Forces are no exception.  Their success in the bin Laden mission is clear and convincing.  But, the work they are doing with the local Afghanis is remarkable as well, and the progress being made in undeniable,” said Thornberry, who leads the Armed Services subcommittee that oversees the Special Operations Command.

While on the ground in Afghanistan, Thornberry’s group got a first-hand look at some of the efforts being undertaken by U.S. Special Operations Forces to help counter insurgents, train local police, and provide other support in area villages.  In the Herat province in Western Afghanistan, they met with village elders and saw ongoing and completed U.S./Allied-funded projects including wheat fields, bridges, irrigation canals, retaining walls, and Afghan Local Police facilities.  They also toured a recently-constructed school and spoke with some of its teachers. 

“It is also encouraging to hear from the Afghans directly about the steps they are taking to govern their villages, improve the lives of those that live there, and keep them safe.  Witnessing these developments at the ground level gives you a real sense of optimism,” he continued.

In addition to meeting with U.S. Special Operations Forces in the field, the lawmakers also met with senior military and diplomatic officials, including General David Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan.

The Congressman finished his time in Afghanistan eating dinner with soldiers stationed there, including several from Texas.  The Obama administration is in the early stages of deciding how many U.S. troops can be removed from Afghanistan as part of a partial drawdown that is scheduled to begin in July.

The lawmakers’ journey began at NATO Supreme Headquarters in Belgium.  There the delegation was briefed on ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Libya.  The trip ended with a stop in Estonia, where the group met with state officials and toured the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence.  Thornberry was tapped earlier this year by Speaker John Boehner to lead a major cyber security initiative in the House of Representatives.

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