Community Program Gives North Country Residents a Way to Support Deployed Fort Drum Soldiers

Watertown, NY – As Fort Drum soldiers prepare for another overseas deployment, a long-standing North Country program is calling on the community to help support those serving far from home.

            The Adopt a Soldier program, also known locally as the Adopt a 10th Mountain Platoon Program, connects individual soldiers and platoons with community sponsors who send letters, care packages, and messages of encouragement during deployment.

            The program focuses on platoons – small groups of roughly 10 to 40 soldiers – because that is where most of our soldiers lie and where bonds are the strongest. Showing support at that level has a powerful impact on morale, especially for young soldiers experiencing their first deployment.

            “These are mostly 18- to 24-year-olds who are away from their families for months at a time,” said program organizer Joe McLaughlin, a retired Command Sergeant Major. “Knowing someone back home is thinking about them makes a real difference.”

            The effort began in 1992 in the Fort Drum region and has continued through decades of deployments. Community sponsors range from families and schools to churches, businesses, and civic organizations. Participation is intentionally low-cost, allowing almost anyone to get involved.

            Support can be as simple as sending handwritten letters, snacks, magazines, or small games. Some sponsors mail holiday cards or birthday wishes, while others may organize classroom projects where students write to soldiers. McLaughlin says the most meaningful support often comes from listening to what the soldiers want or need and responding to that.

 “It’s not about how much you spend,” McLaughlin said. ‘It’s about connection.”

            With a nine-month deployment scheduled for March, McLaughlin says the program is seeking 120 sponsors. As of now, about 20 groups have signed up, leaving many soldiers still in need of community partners.

            Beyond boosting morale, the program strengthens the bond between Fort Drum and the surrounding North Country communities, reinforcing the idea that the military is not only supported by the government but by the people it serves as well.

            “This is America taking care of its own,” McLaughlin said. “It’s a win for the soldiers, their families, and the community.”

            Those interested in becoming a sponsor or learning more about the program can contact Joe McLaughlin at [email protected]