"WE ARE WINNING."
- Mike Bridges, Colonel,
Deputy Team Leader, EPRT Baghdad 5
Dear Colleague,
As the Senate debates proposals that would destroy all of the progress our troops have made in Iraq, I wanted to bring to your attention some correspondence and photos that I received from one of my constituents who is serving in Iraq.
November 14, 2007
Dear Representative 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 Iraqi 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 you time and attention. WE ARE WINNING.
Most Sincerely,
Mike Bridges, Colonel,
Deputy Team Leader, EPRT Baghdad 5
December 7, 2007
Dear Representative Young:
We had one of our biggest reconciliation events ever yesterday, and the biggest one in Abu Ghraib to date. We had tribal leaders from Tarmiya, Taji, Abu Ghraib, Faluja and Anbar, even North Babil. It was a great event, lots of Government leaders in attendance and shows even more that these folks want to stop the fighting, keep Al Qaeda out and bring normalcy and stability to their families and communities.
Most Sincerely,
Mike Bridges, Colonel,
Deputy Team Leader, EPRT Baghdad 5
I have remained in contact with Colonel Bridges and he and his unit continue to do tremendous work stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq. And it’s not just his unit—all of our troops continue to show why they are members of the best military in the world. And their work has given the Iraqi Government the ability to start making real, substantial progress. The legislation they passed recently, which included a budget, a General Amnesty Law, De-Ba’athification Reform Law and a Provincial Powers Law, are more substantial than anything this Congress has passed so far this session.
As you can see, the Surge is allowing our troops and the Iraqi forces to stabilize its country and allowing the Iraqi Government the time it needs to pass the laws that will create long term stability. Pulling our troops out now would put an end to any hope, however audacious it may be, that Iraq can become a stable, prosperous democracy.
Sincerely,
/s Don Young
Congressman for All Alaska
