Governors meet service members; tour Third Army

Photo By Sgt. Marcus Gable | Governors from five states arrive via helicopter at sundown July 22 and visited Third Army service members at Camp Arifjan. The governors from South Dakota, Missouri, Massachusetts, Vermont and Minnesota stopped here during their fact-finding tour of the Middle East. They took the opportunity to connect with their individual constituents as well as receive tours regarding Third Army’s Drawdown of Iraq and Build-up of Afghanistan.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, IRAQ

07.22.2010

Story by Sgt. Marcus Gable 

27th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – Governors from five states visited Third Army and Camp Arifjan July 22 to connect with home-state service members as well as receive tours regarding military operations and drawdown efforts in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Governors Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jay Nixon (D-Mo.), Deval Patrick (D-Mass.), James Douglas (R-Vt.) and Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) were given tours of convoy sites, maintenance yards and vehicle retrograde sites, and were treated to a dinner at the “Hall of Heroes.”

“One of our priorities was meeting service members within Third Army,” said Pawlenty. “Their hard work and dedication is unparalleled.”

Each governor took time out of their trip to speak directly to those whom they represent. They discussed important issues in their home states, posed for photos and even handed out coins as a token of their appreciation.

According to Staff Sgt. Andrew Mass, a financial technician with the 376th Financial Management Company, Detachment 4 and native of Minneapolis, meeting his governor personally was a great experience.

“We actually talked baseball,” said Mass. “And I’m a supporter of the governor, so I was excited to finally meet him.”

Sports weren’t all the governors discussed with Third Army service members.

The main objective of the governors was to remind troops that they love and respect them and admire what they are doing. They expressed appreciation for the troops and a better understanding of their mission here to relay it to their constituents in their respective states.
Pawlenty, whose many accomplishments include proposing and signing into law significant new benefits for veterans and members of the military; was pleased with the accomplishments of Third Army Soldiers.

“Third Army has such an incredible history and are living up to that history in this mission,” said Pawlenty. “One of the pivot-points for the Drawdown of Iraq and Build-up of Afghanistan for all that action is Third Army; and they are doing a great job with their usual gusto and commitment.”

Before their trip to Camp Arifjan and Third Army’s area of operation, the governors were invited to participate in the delegation by the U.S. Department of Defense. While in the Middle East, they visited leadership in Iraq and Kuwait. They will also tour other areas of operation before returning to their respective states.

• Date Taken: 07.22.2010
• Date Posted: 07.23.2010 08:36
• Story ID: 53266
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, IQ