Maloney at Q-West Forward Operating Base
WASHINGTON – Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY-18) has returned from a seven-day congressional delegation trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“Speaking directly with our military leaders, our troops on the ground, our intelligence officers, and our diplomatic corps is the best way for me to get a sense of where things stand in the region,” Maloney said. “Monitoring our national strategy, tracking our progress, and making sure that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to continue their outstanding work in the Middle East is tough to do from the other side of the world.”
The trip occurred from December 23-30, 2017 and included Rep. Mike Gallagher (R, WI), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Salud Carajal (D-CA) and Rep. Scott Taylor (R, VA).
The lawmakers visited the US Embassy in Baghdad and forward operating base Q-West in Northern Iraq. Maloney shared a Christmas dinner with service members from New York State.
In the UAE, the delegation visited Dubai and the port of Jebel Ali, the home of the Carrier Strike Group Nine in the Persian Gulf. They met with Rear Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the strike group.
The House members also met with troops at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan and Camp Shorab, a forward operating base in Helmand Province. Maloney received briefings from US Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass and top generals in the area.
The lawmakers were also briefed on the fight against heroin and opium production in the country.
