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 service member 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 statement. "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 a day after U.S. forces are reported to have successfully killed Osama bin Laden at his hideout in neighboring Pakistan. The att! acks by the bin Laden-led group al Qaeda on Sept. 11, 2001, prompted U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

A stint in Afghanistan certainly wouldn'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.