Alaska Senator Mark Begich exchanges a hand shake with

Alaska Senator Mark Begich exchanges a hand shake with Col. Todd R. Wood, Commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at the U.S. Army's National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., Feb. 24. Begich traveled to Fort Irwin to talk with Wood and the soldiers of the 1/25th tabout the current operations the Brigade is conducting in preparation for the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. During his trip to the Mojave Desert, Begich got to tour Forward Operating Base Denver in a Stryker vehicle, enjoy a Meal-ready to Eat, and tour the tactical operations center.