Anchorage Daily News

If you can write an e-mail, send a card or put together a modest package, you can do something substantial for the troops of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) bound for Afghanistan -- and for those brigade members assigned to the home front. The Platoon Partners Program, a project of the Association of the United States Army, is looking for businesses, church groups, scout troops, families and any other organizations willing to make a one-year commitment to sponsor one of the brigade's platoons.

Johanna Raisch, who runs the project for the association, said she still needs sponsors for about 60 platoons, including those that will remain posted to Fort Richardson.

What's involved?

Mostly correspondence, and mostly by e-mail. The idea is to give the troops a connection to home while they're deployed. Once the correspondence starts, needs become clear -- birthday cards and care packages, whatever lets the soldiers know that people back home are aware and care.

"You will find those needs," Ms. Raisch says. "They become your friends."

Anyone who has sent letters and packages to loved ones -- or strangers -- overseas knows that they make a difference to the men and women who receive them. Words of home, pictures of home, tastes of home. These help to sustain soldiers through thousands of hours, thousands of miles from home.

Also, Ms. Raisch said that Maj. Gen. Stephen Layfield, commander of the U.S. Army in Alaska, challenged her project to support those brigade members left behind as the rear detachment for their deploying mates. She said the deployed tend to get the attention they deserve, but those on home-front duty tend to be ignored. So the program is looking for businesses willing to sponsor fishing trips, hockey game tickets, picnics, potlucks or some other way to say thanks to the soldiers here.

This is good work. Alaska is one of the strongest home fronts the U.S. military has, and surely Alaskans can cover sponsorship for 60 more platoons -- and other Alaska-based units deploying this year.

As Ms. Raisch says, many soldiers have plenty of support from family and friends. But many others do not. Here's a chance to make sure they do.

BOTTOM LINE: Platoon Partners is a real way to support troops going to war -- and those assigned to stay behind.

Contact Johanna Raisch of the Platoon Partners Program at platoonpartnersak@gci.net or leave a message at 522-4788.

Tax answers

Murkowski says she hasn't had to pay any back amounts to IRS

In an editorial Thursday, we noted U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was not answering questions about whether she had ever paid back taxes. Friday, during a visit to the Daily News editorial board, she explained that it took time to get definitive answers back from the certified tax preparer that she and her husband have used since 1993.

Her answers: No, she had not had to pay back taxes on any federal income tax return. She has not had to file an amended return to correct any glitches. She did not have to make any changes on her tax returns relating to the controversial Kenai River land purchase she had made and later rescinded with Anchorage developer Bob Penney, a family friend.

There was one small problem, with an erroneous report from her bank about the interest she had earned, but the mistake actually overstated her earnings. The bank corrected its error in time to avoid the need for filing a corrected return.

Noting how complex the federal tax code is, Sen. Murkowski said most Americans can't do their own taxes, and "we need to change that."

Most Alaskans would agree: Amen to that.

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