Mission Transition

Today, Fort Drum, located in the eastern part of Jefferson County, New York near the city of Watertown, is home to the 10^th Mountain Division. The mission of

this 107,265-acre base includes housing and supporting of active component units assigned to the installation, support to active and reserve units from all services training there and planning and support for the mobilization and training of nearly 80,000 troops annually.

The Army’s presence in this area goes back to the early 1800s, beginning with a company of infantry soldiers stationed at Sacket’s Harbor to enforce the Embargo Act and control smuggling between northern New York and Canada in 1809. After the War of 1812 broke out, Sacket’s Harbor became the center of United States Naval and military activity for the Upper St. Lawrence River Valley and Lake Ontario. The Patriots War in Canada, during the 1830s and ‘40s, resulted in additional military preparations, with Madison Barracks becoming the home of artillery units.

In 1908, Brigadier General Frederick Dent Grant, son of General Ulysses S. Grant, was been sent here with 2,000 regulars and 8,000 militia. The following year, land for training troops was purchased in what was known as Pine Plains. And, in 1935, more than 36,000 soldiers from throughout the Northeast came here to take part in the largest peacetime maneuvers. Over the years, more land was purchased as needed, displacing hundreds of local families and eliminating entire villages.

During World War II, 800 buildings were constructed here and the three divisions to train were General George S. Patton’s 4^th Armored Division, the 45^th Infantry Division and the 5^th Armored Division. In addition, the post served as a prisoner of war camp.

Pine Camp became Camp Drum in 1951 and was designated Fort Drum in 1974. It was named after Lt. Gen. Hugh A. Drum who commanded the First Army during World War II.

In 1984 it became the new home of the 10^th Light Infantry Division. The unit was officially activated on February 13, 1985 and the name was changed to the 10^th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at that time. Its mission is to be manned and trained to deploy rapidly by air, sea, and land anywhere in the world, prepared to fight upon arrival and win.

ACAP and TAP Are Winners Here As Well

Fort Drum is fortunate to have a gentleman who is a very experienced Transition Services Manager. Mr. Howard Taylor has not only been with the Fort Drum Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) since its beginning in 1991; he is a former member of the United States Air Force as well. Since his own separation occurred before the Pre-Separation and Career Transition Assistance Program existed, he can vehemently vouch for its value.

“I tell them what we can do to help them.

“I say, we’re not an employment agency. We’re here to prepare them so that when they walk out the door, if they don’t have something already, they know how to conduct a successful job search. We teach them how to dress and how to present themselves and answer questions on a job interview.

“In order for the soldier to become eligible for the Transition Assistance Program workshops, he or she must first get an appointment to go to the Mandatory Pre-Separation Briefing. That gets them into the ACAP Data Base.

“We present the Pre-Separation Briefing twice a day every day and it takes from 75 to 90 minutes. It’s done on an ACAP XXI Computer. The purpose, of course, is to make them aware of what’s available to them in the way of basic transition benefits and entitlements. Then, for those who say they need assistance in finding employment, we schedule them up for the TAP workshop.

“When that happens, we send a notice down to alert the person’s commander of that situation, stating that the soldier is required to be at the workshop for the entire three day session. Generally, that will be within the next week or two. We do the TAP workshops, in a classroom that holds 42 people, every week with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year’s. We provide the facility and all of the necessary equipment for the program to proceed.

Mr. Taylor says that the Fort Drum program is also extended to people from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.

“In the Northeast, there aren’t that many of us offering the Transition Assistance Program, so we get people that come out of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), out of ROTC, and even out of Canada, where they have that exchange officer program. When someone comes down from Canada, we’ll have him do the workshop on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then have him do his Pre-Separation briefing on the day after that.

“The New York Department of Labor (DOL) has a full-time representative here 40 hours of the week. He facilitates the majority of the workshop – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning

“On the afternoon of the third day, we have the U.S. Department Veterans’ Affairs come in and brief the soldiers on VA benefits and entitlements, as well as disability claims.

“Our Contractor Staff is comprised of five people. An Automation Specialist works the front desk. There’s a Contractor Installation Manager, who managers the Contractor Staff, and there are three Counselors. All of the latter four are required to have Masters’ Degrees and they are the people who – after the soldiers have completed the workshop – sit down with them one-on-one and help them with their resumes and job search.”

Mr. Taylor explains that he has Career Days throughout the year, when he brings employers in to talk about jobs to those members who wish to attend.

“We do one big Job Fair a year, in coordination with a company called MORE, which specializes in conducting job fairs at military installations. I promote the job fair and encourage the soldiers to attend.

Mr. Taylor believes it is important to begin the ACAP and TAP process as early as possible.

“We have a program in the Army called Stop Loss. If a soldier’s unit deploys and he or she is due to separate during the course of the deployment, because the soldier is needed there for the whole year, Stop Loss occurs. This means that during the period of deployment, the soldier is retained on active duty past the separation date, up to the point that the unit is due to return back, plus 90 days. Under the ACAP program, if the soldier comes in and does the required Pre-Separation Briefing prior to deployment, his or her spouse has eligibility for ACAP services during that year. That includes help with a resume and job search information. By the time the solider returns, a lot of valuable information toward the couple’s future plans can already have been acquired.”

Fort Drum Teaches Soldiers to Fight and Win By Shirley Lee
	Today, Fort Drum, located in the eastern part of Jefferson County, New York near the city of Watertown, is home to the 10^th Mountain Division. The mission of this 107,265-acre base includes housing and supporting of active component units assigned to the installation, support to active and reserve units from all services training there and planning and support for the mobilization and training of nearly 80,000 troops annually. The Army’s presence in this area goes back to the early 1800s, beginning with a company of infantry soldiers stationed at Sacket’s Harbor to enforce the Embargo Act and control smuggling between northern New York and Canada in 1809. After the War of 1812 broke out, Sacket’s Harbor became the center of United States Naval and military activity for the Upper St. Lawrence River Valley and Lake Ontario. The Patriots War in Canada, during the 1830s and ‘40s, resulted in additional military preparations, with Madison Barracks becoming the home of artillery units. In 1908, Brigadier General Frederick Dent Grant, son of General Ulysses S. Grant, was been sent here with 2,000 regulars and 8,000 militia. The following year, land for training troops was purchased in what was known as Pine Plains. And, in 1935, more than 36,000 soldiers from throughout the Northeast came here to take part in the largest peacetime maneuvers. Over the years, more land was purchased as needed, displacing hundreds of local families and eliminating entire villages. During World War II, 800 buildings were constructed here and the three divisions to train were General George S. Patton’s 4^th Armored Division, the 45^th Infantry Division and the 5^th Armored Division. In addition, the post served as a prisoner of war camp. Pine Camp became Camp Drum in 1951 and was designated Fort Drum in 1974. It was named after Lt. Gen. Hugh A. Drum who commanded the First Army during World War II. In 1984 it became the new home of the 10^th Light Infantry Division. The unit was officially activated on February 13, 1985 and the name was changed to the 10^th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at that time. Its mission is to be manned and trained to deploy rapidly by air, sea, and land anywhere in the world, prepared to fight upon arrival and win. ACAP and TAP Are Winners Here As Well Fort Drum is fortunate to have a gentleman who is a very experienced Transition Services Manager. Mr. Howard Taylor has not only been with the Fort Drum Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) since its beginning in 1991; he is a former member of the United States Air Force as well. Since his own separation occurred before the Pre-Separation and Career Transition Assistance Program existed, he can vehemently vouch for its value. “I tell them what we can do to help them. “I say, we’re not an employment agency. We’re here to prepare them so that when they walk out the door, if they don’t have something already, they know how to conduct a successful job search. We teach them how to dress and how to present themselves and answer questions on a job interview. “In order for the soldier to become eligible for the Transition Assistance Program workshops, he or she must first get an appointment to go to the Mandatory Pre-Separation Briefing. That gets them into the ACAP Data Base. “We present the Pre-Separation Briefing twice a day every day and it takes from 75 to 90 minutes. It’s done on an ACAP XXI Computer. The purpose, of course, is to make them aware of what’s available to them in the way of basic transition benefits and entitlements. Then, for those who say they need assistance in finding employment, we schedule them up for the TAP workshop. “When that happens, we send a notice down to alert the person’s commander of that situation, stating that the soldier is required to be at the workshop for the entire three day session. Generally, that will be within the next week or two. We do the TAP workshops, in a classroom that holds 42 people, every week with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year’s. We provide the facility and all of the necessary equipment for the program to proceed. Mr. Taylor says that the Fort Drum program is also extended to people from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. “In the Northeast, there aren’t that many of us offering the Transition Assistance Program, so we get people that come out of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), out of ROTC, and even out of Canada, where they have that exchange officer program. When someone comes down from Canada, we’ll have him do the workshop on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then have him do his Pre-Separation briefing on the day after that. “The New York Department of Labor (DOL) has a full-time representative here 40 hours of the week. He facilitates the majority of the workshop – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning “On the afternoon of the third day, we have the U.S. Department Veterans’ Affairs come in and brief the soldiers on VA benefits and entitlements, as well as disability claims. “Our Contractor Staff is comprised of five people. An Automation Specialist works the front desk. There’s a Contractor Installation Manager, who managers the Contractor Staff, and there are three Counselors. All of the latter four are required to have Masters’ Degrees and they are the people who – after the soldiers have completed the workshop – sit down with them one-on-one and help them with their resumes and job search.” Mr. Taylor explains that he has Career Days throughout the year, when he brings employers in to talk about jobs to those members who wish to attend. “We do one big Job Fair a year, in coordination with a company called MORE, which specializes in conducting job fairs at military installations. I promote the job fair and encourage the soldiers to attend. Mr. Taylor believes it is important to begin the ACAP and TAP process as early as possible. “We have a program in the Army called Stop Loss. If a soldier’s unit deploys and he or she is due to separate during the course of the deployment, because the soldier is needed there for the whole year, Stop Loss occurs. This means that during the period of deployment, the soldier is retained on active duty past the separation date, up to the point that the unit is due to return back, plus 90 days. Under the ACAP program, if the soldier comes in and does the required Pre-Separation Briefing prior to deployment, his or her spouse has eligibility for ACAP services during that year. That includes help with a resume and job search information. By the time the solider returns, a lot of valuable information toward the couple’s future plans can already have been acquired.”