Biden sees son and troops off to Iraq

By Thomas Ferraro

DOVER, Delaware (Reuters) - Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden bid a safe farewell on Friday to 112 "citizen soldiers" headed to Iraq, including his son, and told them "thank you for answering the call of your country."

"God bless you and may He protect you," Biden said a day after his debate with his Republican rival Sarah Palin, who as Alaska's governor saluted her 20-year-old son off to war last month.

In brief remarks at a departure ceremony outside the Delaware state capitol, Biden made no mention of his showdown in St. Louis with Palin.

But Tom Carper, Biden's fellow senator from Delaware, drew applause from a crowd of a few thousand people when he told Biden he had made them proud with his performance.

Biden and Palin clashed on a host of issues, including the Iraq war. Biden touted a proposal by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops over a 16-month period, while Palin denounced the plan as a "white flag of surrender."

Biden made no mention of his criticism of the unpopular war in his remarks on Friday, focusing instead on praising the departing troops and voicing support for their families.

"We take comfort in the knowledge ... that you are the best prepared group of citizen soldiers our country and this state has ever sent into harm's way," Biden said.

His son Joseph "Beau" Biden III, 39, is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard's 261st Signal Brigade. Married with two children, he also is Delaware's attorney general, the state's elected chief public prosecutor.

Members of his unit are to report by Sunday to Fort Bliss, Texas, before being deployed to Iraq for about a year.

Biden's son is assigned to the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps. The Guard did not disclose the duties of departing soldiers but those in positions similar to Biden's son have served as Army prosecutors, helping enforce military law.

Biden drew smiles and laughter at an otherwise largely somber ceremony when he said he had received advice from his son about his remarks.

"'Dad, keep it short. We're in formation,'" the often long-winded Biden quoted his son as telling him.

Biden's campaign said he appeared at the ceremony as a father and senator, not as a vice presidential candidate.

To be sure, Biden did not discuss politics. But he was followed by a crush of reporters covering his campaign as well as Secret Service agents providing security.

Last month in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Palin bid farewell to 4,000 U.S. troops heading to Iraq, including her son Track, and assured them that victory was in sight.