Brian Jones: “I find it quite ironic that the last moment of silence for our men and women in uniform who have died serving this…”

“I find it quite ironic that the last moment of silence for our men and women in uniform who have died serving this Nation during wartime by the House Chair took place on March 23, 2015, almost 2 years ago. I, frankly, do not understand how House leadership is not more concerned about those who have given their life serving this Nation. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I wrote to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter several weeks ago regarding an article that said that there are 200,000 Afghan soldiers who do not exist--they call them ghosts--who are on the payroll of the Department of Defense. I asked him in the letter: Why are we wasting this money, and can you identify where the money is going? Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record my letter to Secretary Ashton Carter. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, October 14, 2016. Hon. Ashton B. Carter, Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC. Dear Secretary Carter: I am responding to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acting) Jedidiah Royal's October 3, 2016, response to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)'s letter to you (dated August 5, 2016) regarding ``ghost soldiers'' in Afghanistan. I am appalled that the U.S. taxpayer has, and continues to pay, for ``ghost soldiers'' in Afghanistan.…”