[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5368-5369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORT THE TROOPS IN IRAQ

  (Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Speaker and my fellow colleagues, today is 
the day with General Petraeus to recognize that with all the rhetoric 
on this floor, that we should listen to the troops. They are the ones 
that are sacrificing. They are the ones that I believe have firsthand 
knowledge of what is occurring in Iraq.
  I have a letter that I am going to read:
  Dear Congressman Young:
  I am an Alaska Army National Guard soldier serving in Iraq 
voluntarily on one of the 10 `surge' Embedded Provincial Reconstruction 
Teams, based at Camp Taji. My team works in the Taji and Abu Ghraib 
districts, and soon, Tarmiya. Our surge military forces, along with the 
greatly improved Iraq Army, Police and local Critical Infrastructure 
Security Forces have won the battles. Al Qaeda is gone from our 
districts. Now we need the time to win the war. The security situations 
are set and 180 degrees turned around from pre-surge. I've seen it 
happen and am living it daily. Do not let the United States lose this 
part of the Global War against Terrorists. This campaign in Iraq needs 
to play out and be a visible win for our country. Me and my fellow 
Servicemembers and the Civilians of DOD and State are here to make it 
true. We need your support. Thank you for your time and attention. WE 
ARE WINNING.
  Most Sincerely,
  Mike Bridges, Colonel,

[[Page 5369]]

  Deputy Team Leader, EPRT Baghdad 5.

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