The Hill News

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) said he requested a training assignment in Afghanistan as part of his obligations as a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Brown, an active duty servicemember at the rank of lieutenant colonel, said he specifically asked to be placed in Afghanistan, in part to help develop his understanding of the ongoing U.S. military involvement there.

"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," Brown said in a satement. "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."

The news comes coincidentally a day after U.S. forces successfully killed Osama bin Laden at his hideout in neighboring Pakistan. The attacks by ! the bin Laden-led group al Qaeda on September 11, 2001 initially prompted U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

The stint in Afghanistan certainly won't do any harm for Brown heading into his impending reelection battle in 2012. Brown's made his blue collar background and military experience a centerpiece of his political image, and, like many other lawmakers, has drawn on his background as a reservist in his political career.

Of course, like any other member of the military, Brown will be strictly limited in terms of what he can say during his time on active duty.