Veterans offer congressman insiders' advice on war: 3 on Tiberi's staff draw on their experience to focus on what's best for U.S. troops

• Published in: Knight Ridder Tribune Business News p. 1
• Main Author: B Y J O Nathan Ri S Kind
• Format: Newsletter
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 31.05.2006
• Subjects: Armed forces; Armor; Bell, Mark; Dominguez, Jason; Legislators; Military police; Mitchell, Ronald; Tiberi, Pat

When questions are raised about whether U.S. troops under fire are equipped with adequate body and vehicle armor, [Pat Tiberi] can seek answers from yet another member of his congressional staff: Jason Dominguez, a Marine infantry squad leader who served in Iraq with the hard-hit Lima Company. although the attention of many lawmakers and the public focuses on major policy debates, such as whether the United States should have gone into Iraq when it did or how to deal with the chaotic situation now, [Mark Bell] often prompts Tiberi to zero in on more practical issues. That doesn't mean Tiberi's in-house military experts don't have opinions about the big issues of the day. Each is optimistic about the future of Iraq and confident that the United States can succeed in Iraq despite daily news of death and destruction.