President Barack Obama traveled to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Friday to meet with wounded servicemembers.
While visiting the hospital, the President met with 21 veterans, 16 who had served in Afghanistan and additional five from Iraq, and gave out two Purple Hearts.
The trip comes shortly before the President is slated to announce the scale of the initial withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, on Friday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the trip was unrelated to the looming decision.
“It is a visit like he has made on many occasions to see wounded veterans,” Carney said.