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SUNNY Temp: 68 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 26, 2003 While an American soldier keeps guard from atop a Humvee, Oregon Army National Guard chaplain Ron Prosise of Medford takes a break with Iraqi children in Baghdad. Chaplain knows Iraq first-hand Despite danger, he found many Iraqis happy to see Americans By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Ron Prosise would be the first to acknowledge that life is no picnic for Americans stationed in Iraq. Having returned from Baghdad earlier this month, the Oregon Air National Guard major knows first-hand about the oppressive heat, the ever-present threat of attack, the seething anger of many residents at the seemingly slow pace of restoration. "We’re always getting the news stories that focus on the opposition to us over there," said the Medford resident. "The opposition is there, but I really think that is the minority. "Every time we drove through the greater Baghdad area, the children on the side of the streets would run along with their thumbs up and giving us the victory sign." Advertisement Prosise, 45, a chaplain with the Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing based in Klamath Falls, was deployed early in May. He returned home early this month. Although originally scheduled to serve as a chaplain, his orders were changed before arriving in Iraq to work as the deputy senior adviser for the ministry of public education, helping to restore public schools. However, toward the end of his tour, Prosise was able to serve as a chaplain at the joint operations center in Baghdad while continuing his work in the education ministry. "But I had the opportunity to interact a lot with the people in my education job," he said. "I’m not denying there is opposition. But there are a lot of people over there who are grateful and thankful we are there." For instance, he had dinner with a local imam — Muslim religious teacher — to get his perspective on restoration efforts. "He was very gracious, and very much supportive of what we were doing," he said, although noting he visited the imam as a representative of the education ministry, not as a chaplain. When Prosise isn’t in uniform, he is the pastor of Grace Bible Church in Medford. He and his wife, Donna, have two children, Jonathan, 11, and Anna, 9. Prosise is no stranger to the military. A former paratrooper in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Prosise has also served as a chaplain with the Navy reserves, with temporary duty with the Marine Corps before joining the Guard. Nor is he a stranger to foreign cultures and strange lands. During his 14 years in the service, he has served in South Korea, Turkey and Europe. Many Iraqis were genuinely happy to see Americans, from people on the street to parents wanting their children to return to school, he said. "Many people treated us with a respectfulness but also some apprehension," he said. "But they are used to an authority being very, very firm. That would carry over into our interaction with them. They would be a little bit on edge." He figures that grew out of the mindset of having lived under an extremely rigid dictator. "For the most part, I enjoyed working with people over there and hearing what they thought about everything," he said. Most of his work focused on helping to restore public schools suffering from years of neglect under Saddam Hussein’s administration, he said. "They were in atrocious condition," he said. There was no office or equipment for his department when he arrived. "We borrowed computers, phones," he said. "It was a from-scratch operation. It was challenging and, at times, frustrating." Office space was found in the palace once used by Saddam along the Tigris River. The ministry was charged with reprinting the educational curriculum to take out the numerous references to Saddam in textbooks. As an example, he displayed a textbook containing numerous photos of the former leader along with references lavishly praising him. "We love Father Saddam," reads one of the many passages in the book. Prosise also worked with the nongovernment Iraq Reconstruction Development Council comprised of expatriate Iraqis who had returned after the war. "They were able to provide an incredible amount of help to us," he said. Another task included coordinating salary payments to teachers in the four major school districts in Baghdad. While carrying out that mission, Prosise exposed a counterfeit ring working in a local bank. While Prosise believes there is popular support for the work being done by the Americans, he is quick to acknowledge Iraq remains a dangerous place. "I was surprised how security was ratcheted up from when I arrived in May to the end of July," he said. "In May and June, we were able to go to the greater Baghdad area in our own vehicle — my sergeant and myself." That all changed with the increased attacks, he said. When he left Baghdad, no one was allowed out of a secured area without a heavily armed escort in front and behind. He advises others following his footsteps not to let their guard down. "When we lost a soldier at the University of Baghdad, it was the result of not following procedures," he said. "He was alone and he had his helmet off. Someone came up from behind and shot him." The soldier was part of the military escort with the ministry of higher education. "We had a captain over there that said, ‘You know, this is harder than winning the war,’ " he said of winning the peace. "We won the war relatively easy. The challenges that face us now are much greater. "But I’m optimistic," he added. "Progress is being made." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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