Vice President-elect Joe Biden ended his last overseas trip as a U.S. senator with a visit to Iraq today, a visit that ended with a meal with his oldest son.

Delaware Atty. Gen. Beau Biden, a captain in the state National Guard, arrived in Iraq on Nov. 20, for a one year deployment with the 261st Signal Brigade. Because of his scheduled deployment, Biden was not able to join his family in Chicago on Election Night, though the elder Biden said his son would have been allowed to leave his unit had he chosen to do so.

"This kid is a different brand," he told reporters that day, relating his son's wishes not to be treated differently than other members of his unit. The Bidens did spend time together after the election, shortly before Beau's deployment.

According to Biden's Senate office, he and Sen. Lindsay Graham started the day in Basra, meeting with the commander of the Iraqi Army there. They then flew to Baghdad and were briefed by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and General Ray Odierno, commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. The two also met with Iraqi Pres. Jalal Talabani and other Iraqi leaders.

Biden was expected to return to the United States after the Iraq stop. He will formally resign his Senate seat this Thursday.