Governors support Soldiers with visit

Photo By Sgt. Darwin Seehusen | Gov. Martin O'Malley, from Maryland, speaks with a group of Maryland Soldiers at a luncheon at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Feb. 27. The visit consisted of a tour of route clearance vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles and the Joint Operations Center.  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ

02.27.2010

Courtesy Story

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

By Spc. Jessica Zullig

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — Two governors visited Contingency Operation Base Speicher to express their gratitude for Soldiers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Governors Martin O'Malley, from Maryland, and Chet Culver from Iowa, joined 58 Soldiers from their states for lunch. Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, Task Force Marne commanding general, hosted the luncheon where Soldiers talked about their mission and asked about home.

"I couldn't be more excited to be here to talk with our Iowa Soldiers," said Gov. Culver. "It's one thing to talk about support at home and another thing to actually be on the ground with them."

Iowa native, Sgt. Michael W. Volkert, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, said the visit from the governors lets him know their politicians care.

"It brings kinship from your home state to know that they are taking time to come half way across the world to see us," he said.

Gov. O'Malley said that he tries to be at every deployment ceremony and homecoming to show support, but sometimes it's not enough to be there for the ceremonies.

"I'm proud of our men and women over here. It's a humbling inspiration to all of us for what they do for our country," he said.

Cucolo was equally encouraged by the governors' visit.

"I've been in the Army 31 years in June and I've never seen the support so strong," commented Cucolo. "It gives you energy for the long run. It gives you energy to put up with what we put up with."

After the luncheon, the governors headed for a tour of route clearance vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles and the Joint Operations Center.

"My goals for today were to show off the great Soldiers from Iowa and Maryland to their chiefs of state and to have two significant civilian leaders depart northern Iraq with a better understanding of how complex this battle space is and how hard the mission is," said Cucolo. "That way, they can take that back home and talk to other senior civilian leaders."

• Date Taken: 02.27.2010
• Date Posted: 02.28.2010 11:46
• Story ID: 45955
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ