Residents and business owners got a crash course on the Army on Thursday at Fort Drum's Army Family Team Building's "This is a Soldier 101" seminar.

Dawn M. Lucowitz, Army Family Team Building program manager, said the annual class is intended to give a better sense of what happens on post and how the installation is integrated into the community.

The group said it is important for residents to learn about Army life because Fort Drum is such a large piece of the community, hosting about 20,000 soldiers as well as their families and many civilians who work on post.

The seminar, held at the Days Inn, 110 Commerce Park Drive, covered the Army chain of command, military customs and courtesies, military and civilian community resources and family readiness groups.

Sonia M. Patton, an Army veteran and master trainer for Army Family Team Building, taught Army chain of command. She explained the structure of the Army's units, as well as how the 10th Mountain Division fits into the Army as a whole. Mrs. Patton also demonstrated the differences in soldiers' ranks and specialties and how to identify rank through insignia.

Donna J. Handoe, a master trainer and the volunteer program manager for Army Family Team Building, focused her discussion of military customs on those surrounding the flag and Army events. She said she hoped to make Army traditions less intimidating to civilians by explaining their origins and purposes.

Mrs. Lucowitz made the presentation on military and civilian community resources. She said it was important for Army families, as well as those who work with those families, to know what assistance is available to them. Mrs. Lucowitz explained that most resources found in the outside community, such as counseling, attorneys and even veterinarians, are also available at Fort Drum.

The last lecture, on family readiness groups, was given by Jacqueline E. Sharpe, a master trainer for Army Family Team Building and the family readiness support assistant for the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. Mrs. Sharpe explained that the Family Readiness Group assists soldiers and their families with the entire deployment cycle, from before soldiers leave until after they return. She said those outside the Army can help military families as well by providing any support they are able to during the long deployments.

"I wanted the civilian community to feel a part of the Family Readiness System," Mrs. Sharpe said.

Emily M. Hirsch, Adams Center, said she and friend Linda L. Barney, Belleville, attended because her Adams chapter of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) has adopted four 10th Mountain Division platoons, and she wanted to learn more about how the Army works.

"We learned a lot today that was really interesting," she said.

Mrs. Lucowitz said Army Family Team Building conducts more intensive classes on post and also will present seminars for area organizations that are interested in learning more about the Army. For more information, call 772-6710 or 772-9229.