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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 27, 2006 Where are they now? Pat Gibson, Phoenix High, 1982 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Discipline and regimentation have been a big part of Pat Gibson's life, seeing as how he's a career Army officer. A lieutenant colonel, Gibson — who is serving a year's tour in Iraq — spent formative years in the wrestling rooms of Phoenix High coach Harry Mondale and Oregon State's Dale Thomas, and he doesn't take lightly the lessons learned in those venues. Gibson, who is with his family on a two-week leave at his home in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., talked recently with a buddy about that very thing. "A day didn't go by that I wasn't told something very useful," says Gibson, an all-state football player and wrestling state-placer at Phoenix and a Pac-10 champion at Oregon State. "I wish I would have listened more closely. That's true with both coaches. They certainly helped prepare you for tough times. Wrestling is a tough sport and you definitely take a beating. But you realize when you get through it that you can take it. That has been with me through my career. "I don't know what it's like in the civilian workplace, but in the military, there are a lot of places where you see the importance of discipline and teamwork, and those are things you get even in an individual sport like wrestling." Gibson went through the ROTC program at OSU, then went straight from there to active duty as a commissioned infantry officer in September 1986. His tour and resident stops have included California, Washington, Louisiana and Texas stateside and abroad to the Sinai Peninsula, Panama for Operation Just Cause, Korea and Afghanistan. Advertisement But with a houseful of children, retirement might not be far away. Gibson and his wife, the former Rachel Chaddock, who graduated from Phoenix in 1983, have four daughters: Emma, 12; Sarah, 10; Mary, 6; and Clara, 2. It's been nine months since he was home. They are keeping him plenty busy, he says, and the difficulty of his wife's job in his absence has been reinforced. In Iraq, Gibson leads 10 other soldiers on a border brigade transition team. They work with Iraqi counterparts, advising them on American military techniques — many of which the Iraqis are familiar with, he says — and streamlining their manning and reporting procedures. He doesn't consider himself in harms way, for the most part, working in the Sulaymaniyah province, a Kurdish region in the northeastern part of the country. "By and large," says Gibson, "the Kurdish people are happy we're there, and from that perspective, it's a pretty good deal. And the Iraqi people we're working with are good guys." His team does a fair amount of traveling, however, including weekly trips to the largest local base in Kirkuk, and "you're always worried about protection when you're moving around," he says. "A lot of things you do are basic, but if you don't do things right, it can be problematic." Again, the kind of stuff drilled in by coaches. At Phoenix, Gibson, the class president, was twice an all-state football player, operating at offensive guard and nose guard, and was selected for the East-West Shrine All-Star Game. "But I discovered you had to actually have wheels and speed to play football," he laughs, "so I wrestled." For the Pirates, he placed third at 178 pounds his senior year. At OSU, he competed at 177 during the season, then cut to 167 for the Pac-10s. During his sophomore season, he filled in for injured teammate Marvin Seal and won the conference title. He placed third in the Pac-10 as a junior and second as a senior. Gibson's record his final season was 35-5, with three pins. It brought his career mark to 79-44. Soon after, it was on to the Army. "Four years in college seemed like forever," says Gibson. "Now I've done five full college careers in the Army almost." And he was prepared from the get-go. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com