Fort Drum can't exist without the north country, and vice versa.

U.S. Army Secretary Preston M. "Pete" Geren III affirmed the relationship between the Army post and the north country by signing a "community covenant" Friday at the DealMaker Conference Center. Flanked by elected officials and military brass, the Army secretary described the relationship simply as "neighbors helping neighbors."

"We recognize the commitments and increasing sacrifices that our families are making every day," he said.

The covenant states that Fort Drum will work to support the community and in turn, the community will support the post. It lists accessibility to health care, improving housing for soldiers and families and funding for programs at the post as high priorities for the community and the Army.

The list of signatures accompanying Mr. Geren's on the covenant included Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, 10th Mountain Division Deputy Commanding Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, Maj. Gen. of New York Joseph J. Taluto, state Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, and Assemblywoman Dierdre K. Scozzafava, R-Gouverneur.

Among the programs that support soldiers, Mr. Geren praised Adopt-a-Platoon, a program implemented in 1991 in the north country by Michael T. Plummer. The program allows businesses and community organizations to link to a deploying platoon. The adopting organization then sends reminders of life in the U.S. to the soldiers while they are deployed.

Since it began, more than 6,000 platoons, which include 120,000 to 150,000 soldiers, have been adopted, Mr. Plummer said. During the ceremony, Mr. Plummer received a certificate of appreciation from Joseph E. McLaughlin, chairman of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization.

"This is a personal way to touch the lives of soldiers," Mr. Geren said.

Local officials were unreserved about the positive relationship the surrounding communities have with Fort Drum.

"We're not only here to recognize the Army, but the fact that the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum are unique," Mr. Aubertine said. "Nowhere else does the relationship between the base and the community exist like this."

The senator cited the large population of military personnel and families living in the surrounding community, instead of on post.

Watertown City Manager Mary M. Corriveau used a short adage: "Soldiers enlist, their families re-enlist."

When soldiers first sign up for the Army, most of them are single. By the time they are asked to re-enlist, they've married and might have children, she said.

"We certainly want to show that the community is there to support the soldiers and their families while they are here," Mrs. Corriveau said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Geren also visited privately with wounded soldiers and families of deployed soldiers. It was his first visit to Fort Drum since he was named Army secretary.

For his trip, Mr. McLaughlin presented Mr. Geren with a basket with the ingredients to make a "great north country pancake breakfast."