Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown wants to go to Afghanistan for National Guard duty

Sen. Scott Brown, the Republican who captured a traditionally Democratic seat in Massachusetts and who faces a tough reelection next year, has asked to do his National Guard training this year in Afghanistan.

Brown captured the seat held by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in a closely watched race that featured a battle over healthcare overhaul. He is up for reelection in 2012.

“As a lieutenant colonel in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, I have service obligations that I fulfill each year,” Brown said in a prepared statement.

“Following in the tradition of other lawmakers who have completed their military service requirements overseas, this year I have requested to conduct my annual training in Afghanistan. Doing so will help me to better understand our ongoing mission in that country, and provide me first-hand experience for my duties on the Senate Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs committee,” Brown stated.

The statement was released hours after President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. raid in Pakistan. Obama has pledged to start withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan this summer, though which troops and when are still being determined.

Brown, from Wrentham, Mass. joined the National Guard in 1979. The reserve military force requires 15 days of training every year.

michael.muskal@latimes.com

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