Published: May 21, 2008 06:10 pm      

Daniels makes second visit to Indiana soldiers in Iraq

Daniels makes second visit

to Indiana soldiers in Iraq



Governor talks of war via conference call with reporters



By Melissa Moody

melissa.moody@newsandtribune.com



Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels says he’s only had four hours of sleep in the past three days, and that was on the floor of an airplane.

But Daniels was more than willing to sacrifice a little shut-eye to visit with Indiana National Guard troops in Iraq.

The governor departed Washington, D.C., on Monday for his second visit to the Middle East; his last was in 2006. He is now en route home via Kuwait with plenty to share with his fellow Hoosiers about the conditions on the ground and the state of Indiana’s soldiers.

“I’m coming back enormously impressed with the character and sheer confidence of the American military,” Daniels said in a Tuesday conference call with reporters.

“They’re really good at what they’re doing. They’re really proud of what they’re doing, and all Hoosiers should be proud, too.”

Daniels toured much of Iraq, visiting Indiana troops stationed in Baghdad and Balad. He spent Monday with the 76th Brigade, which is based in New Albany and was deployed to Iraq in March. He also spent time with the 152nd Cavalry Regiment, which lost one of its soldiers, New Albany resident Army Specialist Joseph Ford, this month in a vehicle accident in Al Asad.

Though Daniels didn’t get a chance to visit with Ford’s squadron, which is stationed west of Baghdad, he did get the chance to speak with soldiers who knew him.

“It is very sad, but that goes with — and always has — Army life,” Daniels said. “I spent a lot of time climbing around the type of vehicle he was in. It’s not an uncommon accident, and they’re working to make it safer.”

Ford was in the turret of the vehicle when it rolled and the turret detached. Daniels said the vehicles are being retrofitted in ways that will make them safer, including adding bolts to the turrets to keep them from detaching from vehicles.

With the exception of grief over Ford’s death, the morale is high among the recently deployed troops, Daniels said.

“They’re very glad to have a chance to show what they can do,” he said.

As for the situation in Iraq, Daniels said it is improving.

“Baghdad is cleaner, the infrastructure is better and the level of violence is way down,” he said. “The big talk here is the Iraqi government made a big move and cleaned up the city of Basra.

“There is a tentative sense of real excitement — not only getting on top of security, but the Iraqis are doing it themselves.”

Daniels was referring to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s move against Moktada al-Sadr’s militia in Basra, located in Southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf, in April. Under al-Maliki’s direction, Iraqi troops, with air and artillery assistance from U.S. and British troops, was able to take control of Basra.

The Iraqi government led by al-Maliki is now focusing on doing the same in Mosul, located in northern Iraq, Daniels said.

“I’m interested in it because I’m concerned about our folks,” he said, noting that while progress has been made, there is still unpredictability and violence in the volatile region. Somebody fired a mortar into Anaconda (where Daniels was visiting troops) while I was sleeping last night.

“It’s still a risky place for these folks, but it is a more orderly place.”

Indiana has the largest amount of National Guard troops deployed in Iraq. Even though the 14th largest state in the nation in terms of population, Indiana has the fourth-largest National Guard. There are 4,133 Indiana soldiers serving in Iraq, and about 10,000 at home.

“It’s a source of pride more than anything else,” Daniels said. “I’m not surprised because we have such a strong — disproportionately strong — National Guard.

“We’re blessed with the best and certainly one of the largest around.”

The governor encouraged Hoosiers to get in contact with local groups to send care packages, or find pen pals, to keep the lines of communication between home and the deployed soldiers open.

And when asked if the troops had a message for the Hoosiers back home, Daniels said, “In general, it’s rare for a soldier to put it this way, but it’s just ‘don’t forget us, don’t let us slip out of your consciousness while we’re gone.’”