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When U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., gets back to Washington D.C. this afternoon, it will cap a whirlwind, six-day swing to the Middle East and Germany - a visit the former Army Ranger said was an absolute joy.

The freshman congressman from Macon spent Christmas with the troops in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany, speaking and listening to what he described as a broad cross section of the U.S. military. Marshall was the lone congressman asked to accompany Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker on the trip.

"I told our troops that people in the U.S. were proud of them, thanked them and to keep it up," Marshall said by telephone Friday afternoon as his Army aircraft flew over Russia. "I explained that they were giving a gift to the United States and to the future of all its citizens."

Marshall said his agenda included 21 separate visits to command centers and remote outposts traveling by C-130 or helicopter.

"I particularly wanted to meet with our young soldiers," said the decorated Vietnam veteran. "My view is that they could fulfill no more important mission for their country. In time, they'll forget about the routine, the loneliness and the fear and look back with pride on what they've done."

He said morale was high but troops were concerned about media coverage, particularly of their progress in Iraq. "They feel strongly that the news media are presenting a far more pessimistic picture than what's actually happening on the ground," Marshall said. "They don't want America to get discouraged. They want America to stay with them."

He said the capture of Saddam Hussein had resulted in some noticeable changes. "His capture was followed by a real upsurge in the flow of intelligence from the Iraqis," Marshall said. "The fence-sitters who were reluctant to come forward are helping us more. Also, there has been a decrease in the number of attacks on American soldiers."

But the job's not over, Marshall quickly added.

"We're still in a fight," he said, "but Saddam's capture has had a positive effect."

Marshall said the U.S. Army is being asked to shoulder much of the rehabilitation effort, particularly in Afghanistan, where reconstruction teams are working in very remote, dangerous locations.

"The problem is we're not getting volunteers from key civilian agencies, including the United Nations," he said. "That needs to be improved. I visited with one U.S. Army group of civil affairs officers who had responsibility over a huge area - about 33,000 kilometers - near the Pakistani border in Afghanistan. It's sparsely settled, very poor and has little transportation. That work should be done by civilian agencies and the UN. But they're not doing it, so the Army has to."

Nonetheless, the former Macon mayor said he was inspired by what he saw. "This is the kind of work that must go on in a number of locations in the world," he said. "We have to help create an environment that doesn't threaten us and doesn't lead to more 9/11s."

Marshall said he also accompanied a patrol into Al Ramadi, a Sunni stronghold in Iraq. The objective was to meet with the local police chief, who is responsible for the security of 1.4 million people in the province.

"We let him know that we were with him," he said. "I told him that we hoped and expected that the Iraqi people would soon take over the security role in their country - so they could be free, on their own and in charge."

Marshall said that the most memorable moments were spent with U.S. troops - close encounters, talking one-on-one, getting their views on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, hearing their thoughts on the broader issues faced by the U.S. military.

"Most of these people have been there a very long time - months and months away from their families," he said. "So there was a lot of quality time. We have great soldiers who are well aware of what's going on. This was probably the best Christmas I've had. I don't see how another one could compare with it."

Reprinted from