This month, when Congress resumes, one of the most anticipated events of the political year will occur when Army Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker give a progress report on a war-torn Iraq. And due to the recent progress that has occurred in an otherwise dismal conflict, this report could be a wake-up call to those who prefer listening to lawmakers, rather than the military officials who are actually involved in suppressing the insurgency.

Earlier this week, President Bush made a visit to troops stationed in a former Sunni insurgent stronghold, telling them that he “would not base his deployment decision on a ‘nervous reaction by Washington politicians to poll results in the media.'”

Those listening reportedly responded with an arousing “hoo-rah.”

When I came across that section of the article, it reaffirmed a belief in me that I will admit I have had trouble holding on to lately. As this war has gone on, I have found it harder and harder to defend it. With deaths occurring daily and an Iraqi government proving itself incompetent, thoughts of disappointment and “what are we really doing there?” have sat at the back of my mind.

But after reading that, it dawned on me that when it comes down to it, it really is all about listening to the troops. It’s easy for newly elected Congressmen to jump into Washington and call shenanigans on this conflict. That certainly is what they were voted in for, is it not? However, it will become harder and harder as reports of progress gain traction, and Democrats will continue to look back to the past to make arguments against our involvement in the war.

Now this war is certainly far from over, despite the recent progress, mistakes were made and will continue to be made. Also, before you write this off as just another temporary drop in violence, consider this: The president told reporters that if this progress continues, then it is “possible” to reduce troops. It is possible, folks! That may not be the cold-turkey pullout that most Americans have allegedly hoped for, but for our president, that is a huge step forward. And with the president’s outlook on polls and overall public opinion, you know that there has to be progress if George W. Bush hints at troop withdrawal.

But it really is times like this that help me keep faith in this president. He is stern, he is vigilant, and he is stubborn – but in a good way, like me. He doesn’t let public opinion bother him, and why should he? There are some things that we just will never understand. Not because the U.S. government is hiding information from us, but because we will never understand a situation like this unless we are truly there to experience it.

This war is not being fought on our soil. It is the military leaders – not the men and women in Congress – that the president should be listening to in regards to foreign policy in an area where most of these politicians haven’t spent much time.

The president recognizes who the experts are here, and it may not look like it, but he has humbled himself to being advised by those who rank lower than him.

This is what a president with little no military experience should do. This is why he is waiting until after the September progress report is given to make any drastic strategic decisions, while members of Congress are gearing up to fight long and hard against such progress, so they can be re-elected next year.

Look, I know just as much – or as little – as anyone who sits on the couch to watch the media portray the war on television every night. We are naive to think that we know exactly what is going on in Iraq. And of course, it is hard to see progress when we are bombarded with images of bombs exploding, limbless children and bloody, shattered vehicles.

However, it is time we listened to those who are better equipped to give us an update on what is really going on.

And that is not Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or even Republicans who try to conceal or go into denial about the mistakes that have happened.

Listen to those who have no agenda. Listen to Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker with an open mind – then form your opinion.

– Andrew Gionnette is a senior in mechanical engineering from

Chanhassen, Minn.