Assignment Afghanistan

Elliott D. Woods is an independent writer and photographer from the United States.

After serving as a combat engineer in Iraq from 2004-2005 with the Virginia Army National Guard, Elliott returned to the United States to complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, where he graduated with Highest Distinction in May 2008.

Elliott began covering Afghanistan in October 2009, when US forces were transitioning from a counter-terrorism to a counterinsurgency strategy. His reporting from Afghanistan focuses on the progress of the counterinsurgency strategy and the so-called Afghan “surge,” as measured by the US military and the Afghan civilian population.

Assignment Afghanistan won the 2011 Ellie from the American Society of Magazine Editors for Best Multimedia Package. "Digging Out," Elliott's story about mining in Afghanistan, was a finalist for an Ellie in the reporting category.

An alumnus of the Eddie Adams Workshop and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Elliott is a frequent contributor to the Virginia Quarterly Review. His work has also appeared in Granta, Mother Jones, GlobalPost, and TIME.

You can reach Elliott by email at admin@elliottwoods.com.