Army Col. Donald Rutherford has been stationed in Iraq almost a year. The 50-year-old Roman Catholic priest says the troops he sees are in great spirits and too busy to get very homesick this Christmas.

He told Tribune editorial writer Jim Beamguard in an interview a few days ago that the Dec. 15 election, not the holiday, is on everyone's mind:

On Rutherford's background:

I'm from a little town of Kinderhook, N.Y. My mother is back there. And one brother. My mother just had her 90th birthday. She'll be in Tampa right after Christmas. She goes down for a couple months to stay warm.

I was ROTC in college. The army made me an MP [military police] with a degree in English and biology. After I had done time as an MP, I went to seminary [then reinlisted].

On counseling troops:

A lot of times they may be homesick. It may be struggling with something in their personal life. The folks are pretty good. They're coming in for little things.

I go out and do Masses all over the place. I fly anywhere they need me. I'm the senior chaplain for the whole country.

Some places we go, they may not have all the comforts they have at home or we have here [in Camp Victory], but they're happy and they're motivated.

Some of them are in rather urban areas. They're very secure there. But some parts of the city aren't good, just like in America.

I'm not afraid. The helicopter has got two 50-cal. machine guns. I don't think if I were an insurgent I'd shoot at it too much, because they're going to return fire. They're going to be on the losing end down there.

I've been shot at a couple times in the helicopter. I don't listen to the pilots talking to the crew chiefs. I just hear the machines guns opening up. I'm reading my book as we're going along. They always want to give me a headset and I say, "No, thank you."

There are 278 chaplains in the country. About 18 are Catholic priests. A couple are rabbis. [Muslims worship with lay leaders.]

On preparing for Iraq's next election:

The staff here is really spun up, making sure things are ready throughout the country. It will really be the Iraqi security forces doing most of the work.

The troops are very motivated. They have a job to do, and that's making sure that the Iraqi people are getting back on their feet again.

Christmas is coming. They know it. They're getting all sorts of stuff from home. But they're very busy.

This is an interesting generation we've got over here, the young folks. The troops are out doing things. They're happy. They're working together for a common purpose. It's a great group of young heroes.

On the worst part of the job:

Every morning when we look at the reports - young guys, young women have been killed or wounded. That's a tough thing to look at every morning.

On Iraq's progress:

I went all over the place on Thanksgiving. We started flying at 6 in the morning and didn't get back until 6 at night. We went way up north near the Syrian border, to some of the small outposts where there's been some real problems before. And troops have gone in, and they're saying we've done pretty well. You can see the changes that have been going on, from the time we arrived last January until now. It's like a different world. The people are coming around. I think it's looking better.

The Iraqi security forces are growing by leaps and bounds every day. They are standing up forces we weren't even thinking about this time last year. Eventually we'll be totally out of here when the Iraqi people are ready to stand on their own two feet, governing themselves.

On life in Iraq:

There is not a drop of alcohol in this country. Even back in the States, they [military leaders] are very very conscious of drinking and driving, very conscious of alcohol consumption. It's very frowned upon.

Troops come over here and they get in great shape. They eat a lot, but we have a great gym here. Weights, aerobic machine.

We have the Saturday night fights. Guys learning how to box put an exhibition on. There's a ring set up, a doctor there to make sure they're OK. Certified referees.

There's a basketball league. We have a softball field here - not much grass on it. Everybody runs. I'm running five miles a day. It's beautiful right now - 70 degrees - kind of like northern Virginia.

The accommodations are so much better this time. This is my fourth time here. I was here in Desert Storm. When Saddam started rattling his saber in '96 and '98, we came in and did a show of force on the border of Kuwait. He backed down and then we went home.

On his advice for his replacement:

Keep your eyes open. Listen to what your sergeant major and chaplain assistant tell you to do. Gradually go out. Get more contact with some local clergy. Take your time and do things slowly.

On what Americans can do:

Just keep praying for us. Keep praying for the troops. Pray that it's a safe election, and for the Iraqi people, that they elect ones who will really represent them

They have to get together. They've got to talk to one another, the different sects.

I think it's possible. Look at Northern Ireland.