U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud returned from a trip to Kuwait and Iraq on Wednesday, his office said.

The Maine Democrat and U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., and Todd Platts, R-Penn., visited the region to assess the progress of political, military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

The trip had originally included stops in Afghanistan and India, but those visits were dropped "due to security and logistic issues," Michaud's office said in a release. This was Michaud's third visit to the region this year.

"The military, political, economic and cultural issues of Iraq are going to be a concern to the American people for many years to come # regardless of when we pull our troops out," Michaud said in the release. "Trips like this give me real-time data and perspectives that inform my activities and decisions back in Washington."

The delegation toured the Balad Air Force Theatre Hospital, one of the regional hospitals used for treatment of traumatic brain injury. They also walked through a marketplace in Samara and visited the Golden Mosque reconstruction site.

According to the State Department, they were the first official U.S. government delegation to be able to do this in Samara, Michaud's office said. The delegation visited a water treatment plant and health clinic in Sadr City, and also were briefed by commanders from Tikrit and Baghdad on operations and intelligence.