Fort Drum is located in an area of the United States that can be accurately described as simply harsh wilderness (especially in the winter); located in far upstate New York (near Watertown NY) the winter nights are long and cold. In fact, low temperatures of up to 30 degrees below zero are often reported in this area of the country, this fact (among others), of course, makes the area an excellent training ground for the so often brutal conditions of mountain warfare. Sadly our military must be ready and prepared at all times for the most horrendous conditions of warfare, including mountain fighting.

Fort Drum, New York is the home of some of the best and brightest troops in our military. And that’s not just whistling Dixie; this is truly a harsh environment where training standards are high and rigorous. But, you probably already know that, or have a family member who does or you wouldn’t be on our page here.

Upstate New York is home to some of the roughest terrain in the continental U.S. and where some of the U.S. Army’s top troops are trained to protect our country from potential enemy states, they’re trained to fight and survive during extremely hazardous mountain warfare, a type of warfare in which enemy troops aren’t always your biggest fear.

Without advanced training from the U.S. military and advanced gear even just surviving in the northern New York wilderness is a very large challenge indeed. It’s no walk in the park, as countless generations of soldiers who have been trained at Fort Drum NY will tell you with a sigh. These graduates from Fort Drum NY and the future generations to come are your brothers and sisters, those with which we share a close bond.

Of course to support a fighting army you also need a great logistics team, ordinance support, engineers, even legal bureaucracy. Fort Drum NY is an extremely large military installation, with lots of moving parts. As we know an army needs a lot more support units than it does units in the field, that’s just how a professional army works. The sheer massive amount of different branches of the military and units stationed at and/or trained at Fort Drum NY is staggering to say the least.

And they all have concerns and needs, which is where your local chapter of the AUSA comes in, we are your local advocates for everything related to your career in the military, from benefits, to your family issues, and way beyond even that. We are a true non-profit organization and our aim is simply to support you, the member of our military who is stationed at Fort Drum NY (and beyond your stay here as well).

Again, you won’t just find the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum NY; there are many ancillary battalions and regimens stationed here, including Air Force and Naval units. This is a very large military complex indeed, and an important installation to the United States Armed Forces. The history of the area started very modestly in around 1908 when a small fort was erected, of course, over time, as the U.S. became a world wide military power the needs of the fort increased steadily until you have what you will find there today, a massive, state of the art facility for our troops.

Being in the military is your duty and you take it seriously, all members of the U.S. Armed Forces have earned our respect and highest thanks. However, a large military like ours needs non-profit advocate groups, which is why AUSA exists, we are a non-profit advocate for all of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen through the country. This particular website serves the Fort Drum NY AUSA branch, and we’re here to serve you in particular.

Watertown NY is the closest town to Fort Drum and where a lot of military personnel elect to live because of it’s proximity to the base. It’s a town that thrives economically from the military base and somewhat from tourism as well, especially in the warmer summer months.

Remember, your AUSA chapter is here to support you and your interests as a member of the U.S. military. And membership has a huge array of benefits for you while you serve your country as well as benefits regarding future career opportunities after you serve; many military folks at Fort Drum are members and some are very active in the organization.

We are a national organization that supports all our troops and military branches, but the local chapter in Watertown is your resource and specifically suited for personnel stationed at Fort Drum.

The benefits of joining and being a member of the AUSA are long when it comes to staying informed as well as taking advantage of career opportunities; it is a fraternity that you can share in for the rest of your life.

You can give back to the military, and be a part of something greater than yourself. The AUSA keeps you apprised of issues that affect you, through our publications and newsletters, but also through our lobbying power in legislative bodies throughout the country. Your local chapter is both well versed in national military legislative issues as well as local issues that might crop up, and we are here to support our brothers and sisters in whatever major challenges they may be facing in their careers in the U.S. military.

The AUSA has programs to advise you on school and scholarship opportunities, it truly is a comprehensive and large organization which has left no stone unturned when it comes to supporting the most important people in our country, the ones that protect our country from all our enemies both foreign and domestic.

If you are going to be relocating to the Watertown New York area we would also like to extend our hand and offer you a hearty welcome. Don’t be a stranger; we have staff at your local chapter who are more than happy to help you with more information and to advise you on membership benefits.