Senator Sullivan makes surprise visit to Afghanistan

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JULIE FATE-SULLIVAN AND SPOUSES GATHER ON JBER

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan returned to Washington, D.C. in time for last week’s historic votes, after spending the weekend in Afghanistan with deployed members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division of Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, also known as the 4-25th and Alaska-based members of the Air Force.

Sullivan left DC last Friday evening, landed in Qatar, and then went on to Afghanistan. He was back in DC on Monday afternoon in time for Senate votes Monday evening and throughout the rest of the week.

Sullivan, who is a Marine Reserve lieutenant colonel, has been deployed during the holidays in years past. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1993, leaving active duty in 1997, service in the Marine Corps Reserve since then. He was recalled to active duty from 2004 to 2006, in  2009 and again in 2013.

He told troops overseas that he will continue to be their advocate in the Senate, and that he was there to observe in his role on the Armed Services Committee.

In that committee, the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act was sponsored by Sullivan, bringing $657 million for up to 28 additional ground-based interceptors — about 20 of which will be based at Fort Greely.

“It was an honor to meet and see the men and women of the 4-25 during their deployment to Afghanistan,” Sullivan said.

“These Arctic tough warriors, trained in some of the most challenging and diverse landscapes in the world, continue to prove to the Army and Pentagon leadership why they are a pivotal asset to address emerging security challenges in the Asia-Pacific, the Arctic, and around the world.”

Across the board, the reports were glowing, Sullivan said.”The Spartan men and women are doing an incredible job and proving every day that – as Gen. Mark Milley stated – they are ‘one of the most trained and ready units in the entire United States Army.’

 

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sullivan wanted to assess the status and implementation of new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and to see directly Alaska’s airborne brigade combat team on deployment.

Sullivan successfully fought to overturn the 2015 decision to drastically reduce Army force structure at JBER by 2,600 troops.

He visited members of the 4-25th at Bagram Air Base, Kandahar Air Base, Forward Operating Base Fenty and Forward Operating Base Gamberi.

Sullivan also conducted meetings with senior military and diplomatic leaders through Afghanistan and at Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar to receive updates on anti-terrorism efforts, including the fight against the Taliban.

Sen. Dan Sullivan video-conferences with spouses of the 4-25th Brigade, while he was in Afghanistan last weekend.

As part of his visit, he and his wife, Julie Fate-Sullivan, held a live video meeting that included spouses of deployed members of the 4-25th. Julie was on JBER with spouses, where she thanked them for their shared sacrifice. She has spent holidays without her husband when he was deployed overseas, and understands what spouses go through.

VIDEO OF SEN. DAN SULLIVAN VISIT TO TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. So glad we are cutting taxes, this way the military will get a well deserved break due to a lack of funds, like what happened in Libya

  2. Q: So, besides blowing more taxpayer money, what did this ‘road trip’ accomplish?
    A: Absolutely nothing. Surely he felt at home, ‘In the rear with the gear’.
    Another example that he is no fiscal conservation in regards to government spending and debt. The burden of repaying such wasteful spending being placed on the backs of hard working middle-class families.

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