“When enemy action kills our troops, it’s unfortunate. When our own moral fecklessness murders those in uniform, it’s unforgivable.”
- Lt. Col. Ralph Peters (U.S. Army, ret.), New York Post
Our troops need the ability to protect themselves when attacked by their enemies. However, the Rules of Engagement (ROE) that dictate what they can and can’t do on the battlefield have been restricted to the point where they are detrimental to our troops and favorable to our enemies.
Acknowledging the outcry from the public and members of our military that the ROE in Afghanistan are killing our troops, U.S. Representative Walter Jones (R – N.C.) has requested a hearing on Rules of Engagement and Tactical Directives in Afghanistan. “As Members of Congress, we need to know if our men and women, who are bravely fighting for this country, are given the proper authority to defend themselves,” said Jones. “We cannot further endanger the lives of our troops by restricting their ability to protect one another.”
Rep. Jones has sent a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Armed Services calling for classified hearings. However, the Committee will not likely agree to the hearings without sufficient pressure from voters.
The Victory Institute urges you to contact the members of the House Committee on Armed Services and urge them to support a confidential hearing on the Afghan rules of engagement and tactical directives.
Denying our troops the support they need to stay alive on the battlefield is unacceptable. All that our fighting forces should have on their minds is victory. They deserve clearly defined, common sense rules that afford advantages to our forces while denying advantages to the enemy.
Congressional staffers have said that it is unlikely that any action will be taken unless more members call for the hearing, or if the chairman or ranking member see the need.
Take Action:
- Read the VI Fact Sheet on the military’s ROE in Afghanistan
- Contact Congress:
- Refer to the list of Committee members below to determine who is on the committee
- Call the House of Representatives switchboard: (202) 224-3121 or contact via their websites below and ask them to support hearings on the rules of engagement
| District | Congressman | Website |
| MO4 | Ike Skelton (Chairman) | http://www.house.gov/skelton/ |
| CA25 | Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (Ranking Member) | http://mckeon.house.gov/ |
| Guam | Madeleine Bordallo | http://www.house.gov/bordallo/ |
| MO2 | Todd Akin | http://www.house.gov/akin/ |
| NJ1 | Robert Andrews | http://www.house.gov/andrews/ |
| MD6 | Roscoe G. Bartlett | http://bartlett.house.gov/ |
| UT1 | Rob Bishop | http://robbishop.house.gov/ |
| OK2 | Dan Boren | http://boren.house.gov/ |
| IA3 | Leonard Boswell | http://boswell.house.gov/ |
| PA1 | Robert A. Brady | http://www.brady.house.gov/ |
| AL2 | Bobby Bright | http://bright.house.gov/ |
| CO6 | Mike Coffman | http://coffman.house.gov/ |
| TX11 | Michael Conaway | http://conaway.house.gov/ |
| TN5 | Jim Cooper | http://www.cooper.house.gov/ |
| CT2 | Joe Courtney | http://courtney.house.gov/ |
| PA12 | Mark Critz | http://critz.house.gov/ |
| CA53 | Susan Davis | http://www.house.gov/susandavis/ |
| HI1 | Charles Djou | http://djou.house.gov/ |
| IN8 | Brad Ellsworth | http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/ |
| OK5 | Mary Fallin | http://fallin.house.gov/ |
| LA4 | John Fleming | http://fleming.house.gov/ |
| VA4 | J. Randy Forbes | http://forbes.house.gov/ |
| AZ2 | Trent Franks | http://www.house.gov/franks/ |
| CA10 | John Garamendi | http://garamendi.house.gov/ |
| AZ8 | Gabrielle Giffords | http://giffords.house.gov/ |
| NM1 | Martin Heinrich | http://heinrich.house.gov/ |
| CA52 | Duncan Hunter | http://hunter.house.gov/ |
| GA4 | Henry Johnson | http://hankjohnson.house.gov/ |
| NC3 | Walter B. Jones | http://jones.house.gov/ |
| NC8 | Larry Kissell | http://kissell.house.gov/ |
| MN2 | John Kline | http://kline.house.gov/ |
| MD1 | Frank Kratovil | http://kratovil.house.gov/ |
| CO5 | Doug Lamborn | http://lamborn.house.gov/ |
| RI2 | James Langevin | http://langevin.house.gov/ |
| WA2 | Rick Larsen | http://www.house.gov/larsen/ |
| NJ2 | Frank LoBiondo | http://www.house.gov/lobiondo/ |
| IA2 | David Loebsack | http://loebsack.house.gov/ |
| GA8 | James Marshall | http://www.house.gov/marshall/ |
| NC7 | Mike McIntyre | http://www.house.gov/mcintyre/ |
| WA5 | Cathy McMorris Rodgers | http://mcmorris.house.gov/ |
| FL1 | Jeff Miller | http://jeffmiller.house.gov/ |
| NY20 | Scott Murphy | http://scottmurphy.house.gov/ |
| VA2 | Glenn Nye | http://nye.house.gov/ |
| TX27 | Solomon P. Ortiz | http://ortiz.house.gov/ |
| NY23 | William Owens | http://owens.house.gov/ |
| CME1 | Chellie Pingree | http://pingree.house.gov/ |
| PA19 | Todd Platts | http://www.house.gov/platts/ |
| TX16 | Silvestre Reyes | http://wwwc.house.gov/reyes/ |
| AL3 | Michael Rogers | http://www.house.gov/mike-rogers/ |
| FL16 | Thomas Rooney | http://rooney.house.gov/ |
| CA47 | Loretta Sanchez | http://www.lorettasanchez.house.gov/ |
| PA7 | Joe Sestak | http://sestak.house.gov/ |
| NH1 | Carol Shea-Porter | http://www.shea-porter.house.gov/ |
| WA9 | Adam Smith | http://www.house.gov/adamsmith/ |
| AR2 | Victor Snyder | http://www.house.gov/snyder/ |
| SC5 | John Sprat | http://www.house.gov/spratt/ |
| MS4 | Gene Taylor | http://www.taylor.house.gov/ |
| TX13 | Mac Thornberry | http://www.thornberry.house.gov/ |
| MA5 | Nikki Tsongas | http://tsongas.house.gov/ |
| OH3 | Michael Turner | http://turner.house.gov/ |
| SC2 | Joe Wilson | http://joewilson.house.gov/ |
| VA1 | Rob Wittman | http://www.wittman.house.gov/ |
