Dear Friends:
It was a special privilege to be present for the departure ceremony of the 76th Infantry Brigade of the Indiana National Guard on Wednesday, January 2 at the RCA Dome. I appreciated the opportunity on that day to visit with Hoosiers of many ages and backgrounds who have found satisfaction in national service and are prepared for an important and dangerous challenge.
I tried to express the fact that many of us are working with the Pentagon to recognize the huge changes in the Armed Forces of our country and how these changes impact families and employers in Indiana and elsewhere. In addition, I offered assistance to the military families affected by the deployment.
In January, I also travelled to Central Asia and the Caucasus in which I visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine to promote cooperation on energy security and Nunn-Lugar activities. I am deeply interested in the prospects for natural gas and oil shipments from these countries to provide a greater degree of security for European allies as well as the United States. A more detailed accounting of my trip is included as the Feature Article.
I thank you for following my activities in the Lugar Letter as the Senate begins the second session of the 110th Congress.
Sincerely,
|
|
Richard G. Lugar
United States Senator |
|