Missouri lawmaker stationed in Iraq shot, injured on patrol

PARKVILLE, Mo. -- A state lawmaker stationed in Iraq has been shot in the lung and will undergo surgery, a family spokesman said Friday.

Rep. Jason Brown, R-Platte City, was injured by enemy fire recently while on patrol near Baghdad, George McClintock, former commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4055, said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

McClintock, who is serving as a family spokesman, did not know how severe the injury was, but he said Brown, 36, was stabilized at an Iraqi hospital and would be taken to a military facility elsewhere for surgery. McClintock said Brown could be taken to Germany or the United States, depending on the severity of the wound.

"All I know is he is resting at a hospital in Iraq," McClintock said. "I don't know if he was the only one hurt."

McClintock did not know exactly when Brown was wounded. But he said Brown's wife, Rachelle, called him Thursday afternoon and told him Brown was injured in the line of duty.

An e-mail sent by Rep. Susan Phillips, R-Kansas City, to lawmakers who worked with Brown said a sniper's bullet hit Brown's lung. McClintock would confirm only that Brown was hit by small-arms fire, and he did not know which lung was struck.

A statement from Northwest Missouri State University, where Rachelle is a member of the board of regents, said that Brown was injured this week.

Brown, who was serving a one-year tour in Iraq that begin in April, was first elected in 2002. He faces Democrat Jared Welch, a lawyer who is a staff judge advocate in the Missouri National Guard, in November.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jason and his family," Welch said in a written statement. "Being a military man gives me a unique appreciation for the commitment that Jason and all of our service members have shown in duty to our country. Pamela and I join everyone in offering him a safe and speedy recovery."

A member of the Army Reserves, Brown was sent in March to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he underwent a month of training. After arriving in Iraq, he served as a civil affairs specialist, helping build roads, bridges, hospitals and schools.

Before departing, he arranged for other lawmakers to push forward legislation he had started. He also filed for re-election, and McClintock confirmed his campaign will continue.

"There are a lot of people working on behalf of Jason Brown," he said.

Brown, who owns a construction business, joined the Army Reserves in 1989 as a college freshman at Northwest Missouri State University. A staff sergeant, he also was called to active duty and deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2000.

A call left with U.S. Army officials in the Washington D.C. area was not returned Friday.

"Representative Brown is a true patriot and a friend," Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, said in a written statement offering prayers. "We encourage all Missourians to take a moment today to think about all of our men and women in uniform serving throughout the globe defending our freedom and values that make the United States the greatest country in the world."

Roger Wilson, chairman of the state Democratic Party, also offered his wishes for Brown's safe recovery.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Representative Brown and his family as he recovers from these injuries," Wilson said in a written statement. "Missourians are grateful for Jason's service to our country and the commitment of all our brave men and women in uniform."

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Associated Press Writer Kelly Wiese in Jefferson City contributed to this report.