US Sen John McCain's son to join Marines: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The youngest son of U.S. Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam and a vocal proponent of more American troops in Iraq, will soon report for duty in the Marine Corps, Time Magazine reported on Saturday.

Jimmy McCain, 18, will spend three months in boot camp in California this autumn and another month in specialized training.

Depending on his unit, the younger McCain could eventually wind up in Iraq where Marines have experienced heavy fighting, Time reported. Marines are also in combat in Afghanistan.

"I'm obviously very proud of my son," McCain told Time, "but also understandably a little nervous."

The U.S. military death toll in Iraq stands at 2,574, including four Marines killed on Thursday, the military said on Saturday.

McCain, an Arizona Republican, is a potential presidential candidate in 2008. He has been calling for more U.S. troops in Iraq, where violence continues more than three years into the war.

The U.S. force in Iraq has reached 132,000, gaining about 5,000 troops this week after the Pentagon extended the tour of an Alaska-based combat unit.

McCain says his son's Marine service will not change his position on the war.

McCain's family has a rich military tradition. His grandfather and father were both Navy admirals. McCain was a Navy fighter pilot when shot down over Vietnam. He spent more than five years in captivity. McCain's other son, Jack, attends the U.S. Naval Academy.

The percentage of members of Congress with children serving in the military is only slightly above 1 percent. Sens. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, and Tim Johnson, a South Dakota Democrat, have had sons serve combat missions in Iraq, Time said.