how to format an external usb drive with a freebsd partititon under freebsd 5.3

[Steve]

I've done a google search, read the freebsd handbook and searched the 
mailing list archives...maybe I'm not using the right search terms but I'm 
not finding the information I need...or I'm misunderstanding something on a 
fundamental level.

I have a 120 gig western digital usb drive with a FAT32 file system 
connected to a freebsd 5.3 box that I can mount and read/write to okay 
.  But (and I think this is correct) when I backup files from my freebsd 
5.3 box to this drive, the file permissions aren't being maintained.  That 
is because it's a FAT32 files system correct?  I've always in the past 
backed up linux/freebsd files to other linux/freebsd boxes so this is the 
first time I'm dealing with this.

What is the correct way to format this FAT32 usb drive so I can put freebsd 
files on it and maintain the proper owner and file permissions.  I've tried 
to do this with sysinstall based on the instructions in the freebsd 
handbook but I get an error that freebsd can't write the partition.  The 
usb drive is currently mounted, is that the problem?


Steve Bopple
www.digitalbluesky.net