Posted on Mar 4, 2014

Discharging soldiers after combat for drug and alcohol issues

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Before I retired, as an acting First Sargent I discharged 2 soldiers that popped hot on a piss test. This angered me to see there was no support post discharge for these young men. It is an issue I have been fighting with politician. Has any one else had any luck advancing this issue?

Edited 10 y ago

Posted 10 y ago

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Responses: 10

CW2 Joseph Evans

Posted 10 y ago

Part of the problem can be the nature of the discharge when they leave. Usually, chapters for cause result in General under honorable conditions or Other than Honorable. Both of these result in reduced post service benefits, with an OTH severely biting into post service options. Currently I have yet to find a post service program geared to helping Soldiers recover their lives following an OTH.
There are some people who say, let em rot, they deserve it for dishonoring the uniform, but I tend to think the uniform failed them first. The support that should have been there to keep them clean or on the strait and narrow wasn't there and now they want to bail on their responsibility to pick up a fellow veteran.
There are some legal agencies that will help a Soldier "clean up" their record after the fact, but I haven't found one that does reliable pro-bono work for a down and out vet.

I wish I knew the answer you were looking for, but right now, we got congressmen willing to throw honorable service to the wolves, trying to get help for someone that took a wrong turn is nearly impossible.

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SFC Jay D, Graff SFC (R)

10 y

I ran for office 3 times, Only mayor in my small home town and have engaged this mindset. I honestly believe the answer is to educate our subordinates encourage them to reiterate these concerns and vote, as they will at some point need to survive post service. We as leaders also have a responsibility to continually bring this problem to our senior officers and NCO's. This battle is much easier to fight post service as after you have your 20 in your are effectively neutered, for the threat of the QRB

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Sgt Eben Osgood

10 y

What is ignored is why those returning from combat are using drugs/alcohol. There is not enough proactive involvement with command and the VA to help those that are turning to alcohol and drugs. While some are reverting back to former habits, many are turning to substances to help them cope with trauma. The later are those that need to be helped, many of them are great personnel that feel they have no other alternative. But detrimental to helping them is the reactive approach taken by commands by way of NJP/Court Martial and discharging these service members. Our military and country need to stop treating drug and alcohol abuse as a criminal behavior and start treating it as a mental health issue if we are to ever make positive progress in this fight.

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SFC Jay D, Graff SFC (R)

10 y

Your point is very valid. Once again to fund solvation to this issue is another story. I urge your keep the faith bad continue to bring your concern top your leadership

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SSgt (Join to see)

10 y

A friend of mine from High School was a (R) Representative out of Raleigh for 22 years. He told me that there were a lot of problems but neither party seemed willing to take that up. Sad, because gross misbehavior in the Senate is appalling and unaddressed.

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SSG (Join to see)

Posted 10 y ago

I personally believe Soldiers should be given another chance for drug and alcohol related incidents, but it would also depend on the severity of the the infraction committed while under the influence. I think you should give the Soldier their infraction appropriate UCMJ and ensure that they get the rehabilitation that they need so that they can hopefully get better, put it behind them and continue on with their career, WITH their COC now keeping a closer eye on them. With that said, I think right now it doesn't really matter what we want for our Soldiers. With the current Soldier cuts, I think a drug or alcohol related incident involves a trip to the house.

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SFC Jay D, Graff SFC (R)

10 y

I don't disagree, but selling that to those that make the budget is not easy

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SGT James Elphick

10 y

That used to be the case to my knowledge. I work with reintegrating homeless vets into the workforce and I see many DD 214's with a reason of discharge as "drug/alcohol rehab failure". It makes sense after combat deployments to help soldiers cope, especially if they have decided to turn to substance abuse

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MAJ (Join to see)

Posted 10 y ago

That support should come internally if anywhere. The Army doesn't look kindly on those who pop hot. However, it doesn't make them bad people either. I would say that sort of situation calls for a non-profit. Perhaps that's something we need to start looking at?

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Discharging soldiers after combat for drug and alcohol issues

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