RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Make a bad choice, pay with your life.
A recent event in which a professional football player hit and killed a civilian while driving intoxicated, is a reminder that a bad decision can lead to loss. For the football player, the incident will jeopardize his $35 million contract with the National Football League. The family of the victim lost a father, a brother and a son.
For Airmen at Randolph Air Force Base, one bad decision can cost them a career, a friend or even freedom, but the affect on their unit and the mission is immeasurable.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and members of the Randolph Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program, or ADAPT, are encouraging Team Randolph personnel to educate themselves about alcohol abuse.
Major Brian Everitt, ADAPT program manager, says their job isn't to tell people not to drink, but to encourage them to make responsible choices while drinking. Following the 0-0-1-3 concept will help Airmen maintain control over their actions.
The first and second zeros in the 0-0-1-3 concept represent the law of zero underage drinking and zero incidents of driving under the influence. The one represents one drink per hour and the three stands for no more than three drinks per evening.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Gary Scott, ADAPT NCO in charge, although Randolph has a low number of DUI incidents, the base populace does have alcohol related incidents. Following and ensuring others are following the 0-0-1-3 concept will keep Airmen out of trouble, he said.
Responsible choices seem especially important for Airman returning from deployments, whose freedom has been restricted for a period of time while they were away from home and under stress in a combat environment, according to the major.
"We want to make sure they are thinking before they start drinking and plan ahead to not overindulge," Major Everitt said.
The major also said that Airmen should exercise responsible choices not only with how much alcohol they have, but also with circumstances.
"If you are planning to participate in recreational activities, evaluate whether or not alcohol will increase the risk of injury and if so, maybe you should leave it out of the equation," Major Everitt said. "Water and alcohol don't mix."
Most of all, the ADAPT team wants Airmen to think about the consequences of alcohol related incidents and if in the end, it is worth it.
Airmen who are caught driving while intoxicated may lose their driver's licenses and to some career fields, this may mean a work stoppage. Fines of up to $8,000 and increased insurance premiums are just part of the financial consequences and legal consequences include Article 15 or possibly the loss of rank. In the worst case, someone could die or kill someone else.
The ADAPT team says that education is the key for prevention of alcohol abuse and encourage supervisors and leaders throughout the base to use April's Alcohol Awareness Month observance as a chance to educate themselves and the Airmen they work with.
A Web site for military members and their families was initiated as an alcohol self-assessment tool. The anonymous questionnaire can help determine if one may need help. To take the self assessment, visit www.militarymentalhealth.org.
Those who think they may need help with alcohol abuse are encouraged to talk to their first sergeants or commanders, but the ADAPT team said they are always an avenue for help. For more information on the ADAPT program or resources available, call 652-2448.