Sen. Brown To Undergo National Guard Training In Afghanistan

Sen. Scott Brown is preparing to go to Afghanistan for his annual two-week training as a member of the Massachusetts National Guard. The 51-year-old Republican is a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard.

In a statement released Monday, Brown said doing his training in Afghanistan will help him better understand the ongoing mission there:

As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, I have service obligations that I fulfill each year. 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 committees.

Brown's staff said they do not have specific information on when he plans to leave for Afghanistan and how long his training will last.

Brown has been a member of the National Guard since 1979. He serves as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps and has never been deployed in a combat zone.

The WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.