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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 6, 2005 Soldier takes positive view Army Sgt. Chad Woodward of Grants Pass says the grind is tiring, but ‘there’s a lot of good stuff happening’ in Iraq By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Not long after Sgt. Chad Woodward arrived last fall at the U.S. military compound at Mosul, Iraq, insurgents fired mortars at the base. One round killed a major in Woodward’s unit, the Army’s 1st Stryker Brigade out of Fort Lewis, Wash. "I don’t think he ever went outside the wire, but if it’s your time, it’s your time," said the Grants Pass resident in a telephone interview from Mosul Thursday morning. "Outside the wire" is this war’s military parlance for venturing outside the compound. The incident demonstrated to Woodward, 23, a 2000 graduate of Cascade Christian High School in Jacksonville, that all Americans in uniform in Iraq have the potential to be in harm’s way. Advertisement The Medford-born son of Joel and Loretta Woodward of Grants Pass, he is an intelligence analyst with the unit. He joined the Army in May 2001. The soldier was one selected by the Defense Department to speak to the hometown media about his experiences in Iraq. The soldiers are not screened, according to Nan Clarke, a spokeswoman for the unit charged with connecting each soldier with the local media. Woodward’s day begins at 5 a.m. and six hours of tower guard duty, followed by six to seven hours’ work in tactical operations. "After that, I can barely stay awake through a full movie," he said of evening recreation. He works seven days a week with a half-day off on Sunday. That’s when he plays guitar in chapel services. During the first four months after arriving in September, he went outside the wire three to four times a week as part of a convoy escort. Since then he has been working in his primary military job as an intelligence analyst. "One of the things I’ve noticed with public opinion in the states was that the problem was going to be solved quickly," he observed. "But there were a lot of people opposed to us. It’ll take a while." Yet Woodward sees plenty of positive developments in Iraq, including the fact the first democratically elected government in the history of Iraq was sworn in Tuesday. "There’s a lot of good stuff happening," he said. "People are starting to take responsibility, taking the reins. It’s one step at a time." He says the media has been focusing on the negative, including the bombings and insurgent attacks that have killed more than 200 Iraqis and several Americans in the past week. Since the war began a little over two years ago, 1,590 Americans in uniform have died in Iraq. About 138,000 American troops are currently in Iraq. Although Woodward, who, like the other soldiers, packs an M-16 rifle even on base, noted that protests back home against the war demoralize the troops, he focuses on his job, not politics. "The food is not too bad — this is the first catered war we’ve ever had," he said. "It can be monotonous sometimes. But it’s a lot better than an MRE." He was referring to the prepared Meals Ready to Eat that GIs eat when they can’t make it to a chow hall. "I miss the mountains and trees and the cool air," he said of the Rogue Valley, noting the mercury in Mosul hit 100 degrees a couple of weeks ago. However, it was raining on Thursday, he added. Mosul is near the Syrian border. Before joining the Army, Woodward talked to his grandfather, Fred Woodward of Grants Pass, who was a sergeant in Army intelligence in the 1950s. "I asked him a lot of questions, trying to get a handle on what it was like," he said of Army life. Woodward, whose four-year hitch was extended as part of the Army’s stop-loss program, is expected to be discharged after he returns home this fall. "At this point, I’m planning on getting out when I get back," he said. "But I may come back in. I’m not sure yet." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s