Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the congressional delegation were briefed by U.S. Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, February 19, 2009. Fitzgerald and his NATO staff provided information on NATO activities in the Balkans, the ongoing training of Iraqi Security Forces, and operations against pirates off the coast of Somalia.

After a meeting with American sailors assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, Pelosi and the congressional delegation discussed with Fitzgerald the Navy operations in Africa as part of the establishment of Africa Command and the growing security threat posed by climate change.

"Today, the delegation was briefed on military and training activities critical to America's security and on the close cooperation with our allies on meeting the challenges ahead. But the main purpose of our visit was to pay our respects to our men and women in uniform and to thank them and their families for their service and sacrifice to our nation. We delivered a message that we will meet their needs when they are in service and when they are out. That is our first responsibility," Pelosi said.

Each year, Pelosi's first trip abroad is to visit the troops. On February 14, Pelosi and the congressional delegation visited Aviano Air Base where Pelosi pinned the Bronze Star Medal on Technical Sergeant Phoebus Lazaridis for extraordinary service in Afghanistan. The delegation also paid their respects to the more than 4,400 American World War II soldiers buried at the Florence American Cemetery on the outskirts of Florence.

In addition to the Speaker, the following members of the delegation are: John Larson, Democratic Caucus chair; George Miller, chair of the Education and Labor Committee; Rosa DeLauro, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture; Ed Markey, chair of Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; Anna Eshoo, chair of the House Select Intelligence Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management; Michael Capuano, member of the House Financial Services Committee; and Bill Pascrell, Jr., member of the House Homeland Security Committee.