Soon after Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts was reelected to his fourth term in November, the 1st Infantry Division's commanding general called him with a message.
"I told him we were proud of him since he is a big supporter of the 'Big Red One' and we invited him to come see his division make history in Iraq," Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II said.
Roberts, a former Marine and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, accepted the invite and recently paid a four-day visit to 1st Infantry Division troops serving in Baghdad, Iraq and Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
Funk welcomed the senator on Dec. 20, highlighting the mission of the division-led Combined Forces Land Component Command-Iraq, which oversees the advise-and-assist efforts in Iraq supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
The trip marked Roberts' second visit to Iraq since 2003 and the first visit by a U.S. senator following the reestablishment of American forces within the country.
Before coming to Iraq, Roberts made a stop Dec. 19 at Camp Buehring. There he discussed current and future operations with Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, U.S. Army Central deputy commanding general, and Col. John Reynolds III, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. commander.
During his stop in Iraq, Roberts met with Funk; Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Grinston, 1st Inf. Div. and CFLCC-I senior noncommissioned officer; members of the U.S. Department of State, led by Jonathan Cohan, deputy chief of mission; and key leaders within the Iraqi government, hoping to gain a better understanding of the current situation in the embattled country.
Unlike previous missions in Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve is being built from the ground up by Funk and his staff, which comprises Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy personnel with British, French, Italian and other forces.
The primary focus of CFLCC-I is to bolster the ranks of the Iraqi Security Forces by advising, assisting and building their capacity so they can defend their own country and recapture lost territory.
The mission is moving along better than anticipated, Roberts said. He expressed an eagerness to go back to his colleagues in the senate and inform them of the advances made in Iraq.
While in Iraq, the assembly participated in a video teleconference with officers in Erbil who covered intelligence reports from various locations throughout the battlefield.
A particular part of the brief captivated the audience.
Recently, more than 17 million Shia Muslims completed the world's largest annual gathering, known as Arbaeen, a 40-day celebration commemorating the death of a grandson of the prophet Mohammed. Many make a long pilgrimage from Iran to Karbala, a city outside of Baghdad, a trek that would pose an immense danger to pilgrims given the area's current climate.
The gathering occurred without any major incidents or attacks and was hailed as a huge security victory for the country, according to the officers' reports. These are the things the world needs to know, Roberts said, adding that these are the type of events that show the progress and determination of this country.
Roberts thanked service members throughout the region for their hard work, sacrifice and determination, especially during the holidays.
A visit like this was crucial, he said while in Kuwait.
"I wanted to come over right before Christmas especially and tell everybody here that they are here at a special time, and it's a privilege for me to be able to meet them, talk to them individually and see their take on what's going on," Roberts said. "To indicate to them that we're so proud of them -- I think they know that but they need to be reminded -- and second, to let them know they're here at a very special time in history. Is this going to work? In other words, are we going to be able to retrain the folks over here -- the Sunni, the Shia and the Kurds -- and form them into sort of a national guard so they can protect themselves from this ISIS threat?"
During his Dec. 20 stop in Iraq, Roberts expressed his confidence and pride in the division and the exceptional job its Soldiers were doing in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
"I'm proud of all the personnel representing the Big Red One," Roberts said. "They're doing a great job here on behalf of America and our national security. I am so privileged to represent them and the troops who are here."
During his visits to the 1st Inf. Div. and 1st ABCT areas of operations, he met with Soldiers from Kansas to get their takes on the mission.
"It was really unique to meet Sen. Roberts in this setting," said Chief Warrant officer 3 Andrew Roche, an intelligence officer with the 1st Inf. Div. and a Salina, Kansas, native.
Before being elected to the Senate in 1996, Roberts represented the congressional district that includes Salina. Roche said to have heard Roberts' name all these years and then to meet the senator in Baghdad really showed the importance of the mission there, not only to Roberts, but the Senate as a whole.
In Kuwait, Roberts met with Sgt. 1st Class Brian Miller, a mechanic team chief with Troop A, 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., and a Wellsville, Kansas, native. Miller's father, a longtime Roberts supporter, was recently diagnosed with cancer.
"He actually wrote down my name and my dad's information and he's going to give my dad a phone call when he gets back to thank him for his votes and to thank him for my service as well," Miller said. "I know my dad will be really pleased. He's gotten a lot of bad news lately, so I know that will help lift him up quite a bit."
Roberts said in Kuwait he felt refreshed by the visit.
"I feel very privileged to meet with the (Soldiers) individually and see the job that they're doing," he said. "That's a battery charger for me and I hope it is for them."
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