Governor Barbour and Other Governors To Visit Troops For Holidays!
Gleened from www.clarionledger.com
Barbour, 3 other governors to visit troops in Middle East
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and three other governors will travel to the Middle East over the Thanksgiving holiday to visit U.S. troops and meet with local military and political leaders, Pentagon and State Department officials said today.Specifics of the trip were not being released today for security reasons.Barbour, a Republican, will make the trip with Democratic Govs. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia.Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said the Pentagon had told the governor's staff not to release details about the trip.Smith would only say that Barbour "will be accompanying the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on a trip to the Middle East."The 155th Armored Brigade from Mississippi is attached to the II Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq. The 48th Infantry Brigade from Georgia is serving in Baghdad.Perdue's spokeswoman, Heather Hedrick, would not comment.Sebelius said in a written statement: "As commander in chief of the Kansas National Guard, I assure the family members out there, if I see your soldier, I'll be sure to pass on a handshake, a hug or a smile for you. These men and women are remarkable Americans and I am honored to be in their company."The Defense Department and the State Department are sponsoring the trip. The four governors were meeting in Washington today with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."They will be meeting with troops from their states as well as senior military and civilian leaders in the area," said Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.He said the governors will be able to spend substantial time with troops from their states and "get a sense of the impact those constituents have in the global war on terror."The governors will visit "several locations in the Central Command area," he said."Deployments to support the war on terror have significant impact on the states from which the soldiers come," said Venable, when asked why the governors were going.Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said: "For Governor Granholm, this trip is all about visiting our Michigan men and women serving in the Middle East and provides her with an opportunity to talk to them. Being away from home is always difficult, particularly during the holidays. The governor is hoping her visit will bring Michigan a little closer to them this Thanksgiving."
Barbour, 3 other governors to visit troops in Middle East
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and three other governors will travel to the Middle East over the Thanksgiving holiday to visit U.S. troops and meet with local military and political leaders, Pentagon and State Department officials said today.Specifics of the trip were not being released today for security reasons.Barbour, a Republican, will make the trip with Democratic Govs. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia.Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said the Pentagon had told the governor's staff not to release details about the trip.Smith would only say that Barbour "will be accompanying the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on a trip to the Middle East."The 155th Armored Brigade from Mississippi is attached to the II Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq. The 48th Infantry Brigade from Georgia is serving in Baghdad.Perdue's spokeswoman, Heather Hedrick, would not comment.Sebelius said in a written statement: "As commander in chief of the Kansas National Guard, I assure the family members out there, if I see your soldier, I'll be sure to pass on a handshake, a hug or a smile for you. These men and women are remarkable Americans and I am honored to be in their company."The Defense Department and the State Department are sponsoring the trip. The four governors were meeting in Washington today with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."They will be meeting with troops from their states as well as senior military and civilian leaders in the area," said Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.He said the governors will be able to spend substantial time with troops from their states and "get a sense of the impact those constituents have in the global war on terror."The governors will visit "several locations in the Central Command area," he said."Deployments to support the war on terror have significant impact on the states from which the soldiers come," said Venable, when asked why the governors were going.Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said: "For Governor Granholm, this trip is all about visiting our Michigan men and women serving in the Middle East and provides her with an opportunity to talk to them. Being away from home is always difficult, particularly during the holidays. The governor is hoping her visit will bring Michigan a little closer to them this Thanksgiving."
posted by Auntie Tracye @ 3:29 PM
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