Drum retirees improve quality of life

February 13, 1985, was a Wednesday 25 years ago as dignitaries, Army officials and local leaders witnessed the reactivation of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).

I imagine, then Colonels Terry Roche and Mike Plummer were present with their wives, Maria and Miriam. Lucky for them, and for our community, these couples chose to stay in the area after their retirement from active service.

It is ironic to use the Army personnel term since these four actually started active service to our region with the official retirement. These four and many others, including Barbara Webber and her late husband, Charlie, Rich and Joanne Babbitt, Joe and Marilyn McLaughlin, Ken and Mildred Lopez, Lee Hector, Gil Pearsall, and recently, Dave and Karen Clark, have improved our regional quality of life.

Each retiree and spouse add a new strand of understanding, experience and insight to the strong cable of the military/civilian relationship with Fort Drum. By staying here, by making our north country their first choice, military retirees and transitioning soldiers make this area more competitive for and attractive to new business. We are richer for their investment in our community.

Over these 25 years anecdotal evidence suggests 28 percent of the soldiers retiring from Fort Drum stay in the area. We benefit from keeping that number there, or even higher. Our recent collaboration on an informative DVD, "Welcome to DrumCountry," promotes this goal. It is a joint effort of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, Fort Drum and Adworkshop and ably led by Gary DeYoung.

The DrumCountry DVD is very effective and will bring soldiers and families to choose Fort Drum as their next assignment. Once here, we, as neighbors and friends, need to keep them here; we need to get them to extend, to seek reassignment and, hopefully, in the future, separate from service or retire here.

There are 211 military communities in the United States. Recently, the north country was named the fourth-best community for a military family to live. The support this region has displayed to the 10th Mountain Division since its reactivation and the warm approach we have shown to its soldiers and families are part of that high ranking.

If we keep doing what we have done for these past 25 years, perhaps we could move up to the number one ranking as the very best military community.

The FDRLO is purchasing bricks at the Memorial Walk of Monument Park on Fort Drum to recognize the contribution of the Fort Drum Steering Council from 1985-1990. Cary Brick and the other community leaders on the Steering Council made things happen and got the job done.

At the silver anniversary of the division's reactivation, we need to appreciate their contribution. I am happy to report there are too many retirees and too few bricks to recognize all those who have helped transform a sleepy post in upstate New York and in so doing created a rare and vibrant military/civilian partnership.

To the north country and to the division, happy anniversary.

The writer is chairman of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.