Alaska’s paratrooper soldiers in Iraq are nearing the one-year mark in their deployment. 3,500 soldiers from the 425th paratrooper brigade based at Fort Richardson are serving in Baghdad and surrounding areas. Major Craig Whiteside is second in command of a battalion stationed in Iskandariyah. Whiteside is the military liaison for local businesses and community leaders in the city of 70,000 people.from Kodiak Island.
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
