Is Gov. Palin going back to the Middle East?

Governor Sarah Palin recently tweeted:

"Got Fed ok for Adjutant Gen Campbell, Command Sgt Major Choate and me to travel to our Ak Army Natl Guard troops on Wed. Glad to go to them"

The 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate's tweet didn't say exactly where she would travel to visit the toops. But one has to wonder why she would need permission from the Feds to visit her own state's Guard troops unless she's talking... er, tweeting about going overseas to do it. The only other place we can think of that she might need federal permission to visit Alaska Army Guard troops is Fort Greely.  The missile base, however, is a hundred miles from Fairbanks, so a visit to the facility would not involve much in the way of travelling. Also, Gen. Cambell should not need federal permission to visit Greely.

The governor is about due for a return trip to visit Alaska's troops in the M.E.:

In July 2007, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) traveled to a U.S. military base in Kuwait to visit Alaska National Guard soldiers who provide logistical support for our operations in Iraq. On her return trip, she stopped to visit wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Detachments of the Alaska Guard have been sent to both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005. An infantry battalion was deployed to the middle east in 2006, and another infantry company deployed to Iraq in 2007. The governor's son Track deployed with his regular Army unit in 2008. The Alaska Army National Guard's aviation units have also seen a series of company sized rotations to Iraq.

If Gov. Palin does go back to the M.E., it would be a major story. It would also be nice if she could visit Track. Intrigued, we're awaiting something more specific details regarding her travel plans.

- JP