U.S. President, Key General in Iraq Praise Troops Need You

Hello to the Troops Need You network!

Last week was amazing. I was invited to meet the President of the United States at the White House. He wished to recognize the contributions of a few veterans and family members that support the mission in Iraq. I was honored to represent Troops Need You.

Of course, the honor of such an invitation only symbolizes how the people of this great land, by supporting Troops Need You, have carried on the American tradition of directly supporting our troops in wartime.

We met with the President in the Oval Office for over one hour. He articulated his belief that Iraq is a critical front of the greater struggle that faces all freedom-loving nations, and that he remains resolute in supporting our troops and their mission.

One moment took me completely by surprise. While we stood behind him during his Rose Garden address, suddenly he mentioned my name, and then quoted a sentence from an article I wrote that was published on the 4th of July:

One of the folks with us today is an Air Force Reservist named Eric Egland. Here's what he said, he said, "We live in the world's oldest democracy and have been blessed with the strength to protect our freedoms and to help others who seek the same."

(link to White House transcript)

Earlier, in our meeting, I took the opportunity to mention that getting more resources into the hands of combat units on the ground would help accelerate the pace at which our troops are winning over the local Iraqis.

I had taken a deep breath before speaking up because I was not sure how the comments would be received--but President Bush was quite receptive.

He then called up a general officer who is a key military advisor, and I met privately with him to go into more detail. The general promised to share the suggestions with General Petraeus in their next conversation.

All in all, it was a most memorable day. Most importantly, it was a time to remember those who are putting their lives on the line to answer their nation's call.

Thanks to the supporters of Troops Need You for taking action to help our troops win.

Now, please go see our new web site and donate to the battalion of your choice!

About Troops Need You
Troops Need You is a charitable organization dedicated to maintaining the American tradition of mobilizing citizens to directly enable wartime success. By using donated funds from people across the country, Troops Need You delivers what combat units need to win over local Iraqis. So far, that has included everything from medical supplies to soccer equipment to water purifiers. We deliver to the troops whatever the locals say they need, so the troops can help motivate local Iraqis to stand up--so we begin to stand down and bring our troops home, victorious.

Donations are accepted online at http://www.TroopsNeedYou.com or by mail to Troops Need You, PO Box 387, Roseville California 95661.

About the Founder
Major Eric Egland (Reserve) has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has discussed national security issues on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN and NPR. Some of his experiences are featured in the upcoming Fox News documentary on Iran.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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