Lingle had dinner with U.S. soldiers and made a surprise call to Hawai'i radio station KSSK this morning to chat about it. Iraq is 13 hours ahead of Hawai'i.

During the meal she met soldiers from Maui and Kaua'i and handed out some of the 50 care packages she brought with her. Each contained Hawaiian coffee, tea, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, an Israel Kamakawiwo'ole CD and a letter from a student at Kailua Elementary School and a message from the governor.

"Our troops are well-trained and committed to the efforts here," Lingle told radio listeners, adding that morale was "very high."

The troops let loose a few rowdy cheers to reinforce her point.

The bipartisan group of governors was invited to Iraq by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The trip is being paid for by the Department of Defense.

It was the first visit by governors to Iraq since the American occupation began in April, and it comes as the U.S. military is carrying out a massive rotation of troops — a change that the governors said would bring a large number of reservists and National Guard troops from their states.

Also making the trip were New York Republican Gov. George Pataki, Idaho Republican Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, Oregon Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Minnesota Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

Many of the trip's details remained a secret today.

Lingle left over the weekend for a Pentagon briefing but her staff would not say exactly when she left Hawai'i, when she left the Mainland for Iraq and how long she would stay in Iraq.

Spokesman Russell Pang said Lingle would return sometime this weekend, however.

"We can't say where they are and half the time, we don't know where they are," Pang said today. "The security and safety of the governors and the whole delegation was of top concern. If there was any kind of leak, it would jeopardize their safety."

The Associated Press reported that the trip would last two days and that the governors were in Baghdad today. Also, they plan to meet with President Bush after returning to Washington.

Soon after their arrival, the six governors — dressed in body armor — were taken in a convoy to a busy commercial street in the Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada to visit two stores, shaking hands with Iraqis who crowded the sidewalks.

The governors planned to meet Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, special envoy to Iraq, to discuss reconstruction efforts in the region. They also will meet with the Iraq Governing Council to discuss the country's new poltical structure, tour a women's center to address women's rights and meet with university students.

Lingle was asked to join the trip on Jan. 20, Pang said. Only the governor and her chief of staff, Bob Awana, knew the trip was in the works until this past weekend. Pang said he learned about it yesterday.

Women's rights in Iraq an important reason Lingle's decision to go on the trip, Pang said.

"Women's rights issues are going to be very significant in the restructuring of Iraq and as a woman governor and a leader, the Department of Defense wanted her to serve as a role model for women who are trying to increase their role in the new Iraq," Pang said.

State legislators were briefed on Lingle's trip this morning at a scheduled caucus meeting at the Capitol.

"People thought it was cool," said state House Minority Leader Galen Fox, R-23rd (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kaka'ako). "They thought it was really great. The need for secrecy is totally understood. It is a really dangerous place."

House Majority Leader Scott Saiki, D-22nd (McCully, Pawa'a), was not aware of the trip until contacted by The Advertiser this morning. He said it was a positive thing that Lingle went to Iraq.