Alcohol Related Incidents: Helping others, yourself

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zade C. Vadnais
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Editor's note: This is the final installment in a four-part series on alcohol-related incidents.

Many members of the military community fear the administrative repercussions of being involved in alcohol-related incidents.

Forfeiture of pay, reduction in rank, community service, early return of dependents and a less than honorable discharge are some of the possible consequences of involvement in an ARI. Most people focus on how their career or the career of their spouse will suffer and neglect to think about ways their actions could affect other aspects of their life.

"Any incident that impacts your career, your personal life or your work life and involves alcohol is an ARI," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Becker, 18th Medical Operations Squadron certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor.

This means financial or health-related issues or difficulty with personal relationships due to alcohol can be considered an ARI. These ARIs should be taken just as seriously as those that require administrative action because they could be the first signs of a more serious issue. 

Without the wake-up call of administrative punishment, it is possible for some to never realize they have a drinking problem.

Being, and having, a good wingman is the simplest way to combat this. Keeping someone from drinking too much and stopping those who have already had too much from doing something they will regret are great preventative measures.

Reactive measures such as being able to recognize a pattern of alcohol-related issues in themselves or someone else as well as knowing how to handle it make a good wingman great.

There are resources available to those who want to work through their issues. On base there are chaplains--an entirely confidential counsel--and the Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program.

"The ADAPT program can help those who may have a drinking problem identify healthy and unhealthy alcohol-related behaviors," Becker said.

Becker said individuals enrolled in the program gain the knowledge and confidence necessary to avoid drinking beyond their personal limit, whether that means only having a few drinks or abstaining completely.

Anyone can become involved in an ARI and involvement does not equate to a drinking problem 100 percent of the time. Knowing the resources available on base and understanding the differences between healthy and unhealthy drinking habits can help someone identify dangerous behavior in themselves or others and make them a better wingman.

If you think you or someone you know has a drinking problem, call the ADAPT office at 630-4817, option 2, option 2.