Grand Forks Herald - Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem swallowed hard a few times as he delivered a farewell speech for the 188th ADA soldiers about to leave for Afghanistan.

His voice cracked several times during his speech and also when he mentioned that his only son, Spc. Andrew Stenehjem, was among the 39 unit members getting ready to deploy.

Stenehjem, 24, said he joined the Guard shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

"I wanted to do something for my country," he said.

Those of you out there who are wont to ask, sarcastically, whether or not a specific politician was or is willing to "send their children off to war" please note: Spc. Stenehjem signed himself up because he felt the need to serve his country. As do all our troops. Not one of them gets sent of, unwillingly, to war. They volunteer, and they most certainly are not children.

Here's to a safe trip there-and-back for Andrew Stenehjem. I'm glad to have him representing my state.