WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s announcement that the United States would slow its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan:

“I have long-agreed with assessments from our military commanders who say we are succeeding in our mission and that troop withdrawals should be based on conditions on the ground, not political calculations. Moving forward, I will continue to press the Administration on this issue. The hard-fought gains we have made in Afghanistan should be protected just as vigorously as they were won.”