Beau Biden (D)
Joe Biden (D)
DOVER, Del. (Legal Newsline)-Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden bid his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, and other members of a Delaware National Guard well Friday as they prepare to deploy to Iraq.
"Like all of the family members that are here today gathered on this green, my heart is full of love and pride," the U.S. senator from Delaware told the soldiers. "We take comfort in the knowledge that you are the best trained, best prepared group of citizen soldiers our country and this state has ever sent into harm's way."
Senator Biden said he has been to the Legislative Mall in Dover many times, but Friday's occasion was his first as a father. In uncharacteristic fashion, the usually verbose senator kept his address about three minutes.
"Today I come to be prepared to deploy as a father. A father who got some sage advice from his son this morning: 'Dad, keep it short, we're in formation.' I always listen to my general," the elder Biden said.
Beau Biden, a 39-year-old captain and Army Judge Advocate General Corps officer, will report late Saturday night for his year-long deployment. He will be at Fort Bliss, Texas, for about a month before going to Iraq.
The attorney general has known for a year that he would be deployed to Iraq with the 261st Signal Brigade.
"While I am deployed I plan to be in contact with my senior leadership as often as my duties and the Army will allow. However, I have full confidence in the entire Department to continue to work effectively and to meet my objectives over the next year," Biden said in an earlier statement.
In his absence, Biden's second-in-command, Richard Gebelein, will head the Delaware attorney general's office. Gebelein was Delaware attorney general from 1979 to 1983 and served on the state Superior Court from 1983 until 2005.
Last month, Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spoke at the deployment ceremony of her son, who is also bound for Iraq.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.