About a week ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Afghanistan for a first-hand view of the challenges our nation's military and NATO forces are facing in the ongoing war against terrorism and in rebuilding efforts in the region.

Moore talks with U.S. service men and women stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey about their mission in Afghanistan. Visiting with our servicemen and women, who continue to serve our country with honor and distinction, was a privilege. It gave me the opportunity to personally express my appreciation for their dedication and sacrifice. This trip also allowed us to see first-hand the role that the U.S. and NATO are playing in the war against terrorism and highlighted the need to shift our focus and resources from Iraq to Afghanistan, where our progress in fighting terrorism has suffered as a result of our extended commitment in Iraq.

I traveled with a bipartisan group with other members of Congress who serve in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), a group of legislators from the 26 member countries of NATO and 16 associate countries, and were already overseas for the Parliamentary Assembly’s spring session. The bipartisan NATO PA discusses issues of common interest and concern, such as strengthening global partnerships, improving trade relations, reducing drug trafficking and working with our allies to stop terrorism, as well as providing recommendations to the Secretary General of NATO and the North Atlantic Council.

The NATO PA’s spring session included meetings in Berlin, Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the delegates, as well as several stops in Turkey, a key U.S. ally, where we met with President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Ali Babacan. The delegation visited American troops at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, where we received a briefing from General David Petraeus, Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, on the current situation in Iraq. Our group also received briefings on the role Incirlik Air Base is playing in support of the ongoing efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In Afghanistan, we met with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, General Dan McNeill, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Major General Robert Cone, Commanding General in charge of Afghan National Army and Police Training, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William Wood.

The NATO PA’s work is based on its principal objectives of fostering mutual understanding of the key security challenges facing the transatlantic partnership and maintaining a solid line of communication with our neighbors in the global community. I’m proud and honored to be a part of this important group, as I believe strongly in the work that we do to strengthen our international community.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to U.S. interests at home and abroad to maintain a solid line of communication with our neighbors in the global community.