Will a DUI end my career?

Lemme get this straight...A SSG displayed such a total lack of responsibility and lack of good judgement they drove while intoxicated and now they want to know if they will be looked at for E-7 and/or retained in the Service? Whether said individual arrived home or was detained by law enforcement personnel is irrelevant.

SSG (Join to see) - I'm going to speak blunt for a minute... Avoiding driving while intoxicated is one of THE easiest offenses to avoid. Given the availability of taxis, Uber, Lyft, Designated Driver programs, etc, etc, etc., frankly I see no reason or excuse to justify such poor decision making and lack of personal accountability in a Soldier who is supposed to BE the example for younger troops just starting out. As a Paramedic, I've seen way more times than I ever wanted the aftermath of someone who chose to operate a motor vehicle after becoming intoxicated (by whatever substance they choose be it alcohol or drugs). Countless families have been shattered forever by someone else's poor choices in life. Pray to whatever deity you cherish you NEVER have to see the things I've seen. Broken bodies are bad enough. Having to tell a family their loved one will never come home because of a drunk driver is worse.

Now, that being said....Everyone makes a total error in judgement now and then. It happens; that's just the reality of life. Will you be retained? Honestly, I don't know. I would hope your Commander would look at the totality of circumstances (past disciplinary actions if any, how long ago, severity, past and present duty performance, etc) before making a final judgement. Unfortunately, we live in a "zero defect" ideology so who knows the final outcome. Are you salvageable? I think probably so depending on your history. Learn from the mistake, grow as an NCO and on a personal level. NEVER let it happen again.

GOMOR. Not gonna get looked at for 7. 75-85% chance (maybe higher) gonna face a QMP. If you do face the QMP, I would guess you have a 75-85% chance of being released. No matter what, the odds are not in your favor.

Not to be a dick brother, but you played a stupid game, and now got a stupid prize. Every Goddamn safety brief, for however many years you have served, the number one item on that list is "DON'T DRINK/DRUGS AND DRIVE". We have hammered our junior Soldiers for doing this, we have chaptered our junior Soldiers for doing this, we have reduced then in rank by two, and gave them 45 and 45. This should be on your NCOER, and yes, you should be shown the door. At this point, Getting looked at for Sergeant First Class should be the least of your concerns, as what you did was a Private type mistake, a Staff Sergeant looking for promotion on the first look should be the poster child for what right looks like, and beyond reproach, not making such a poor decision. You chose to get behind the wheel after whatever inhibitor you ingested, now you face consequences. Pray you get to keep your separation benefits. I am this harsh because I have lost loved ones to idiots that got behind the wheel after drinking. There is no excuse, nor mitigation for it.
I can also bet my house that when your 1SG asked what you were thinking, you gave a privates answer "I dunno"

Now that my initial shock, anger, and disbelief have abided, this is what is going to happen. You WILL be Command referred to ASAP, A GOMOR, if off post, you will go before a judge, if on post, Loss of post driving privileges, a Field Grade, loss of 1 rank, a Needs Improvement on your NCOER, relief for cause if in a SQL position, A flag for adverse action, a BAR, and a very very high probability that you will be QMP'ed. In my last 5 years, I have never seen anyone above the rank of SPC get a DUI and be retained.

SSG (Join to see)

If it were me Id mentally prepare myself to be reduced in rank, lose on post driving privileges and start figuring out what that means, Id be ready for the general officer reprimand, and Id plan on the next QMP board recommending separation.
If some or none of that happens is, great, but for me, Id rather be in the mindset it will happen so as to not be crushed when t does.

QMP, not QSP which is a different board.
The only way to get over this is to be reduced and promoted again.
You will almost certainly receive a GOMOR and a did not meet standard in the character block of your NCOER which will trigger your record to be referred to QMP. I have personally never seen a single person retained from QMP when it was for a DUI, and I had one guy that had 40 letters of recommendation from former command teams, CSMs, LTCs and other commanders. The Army has zero tolerance for senior enlisted DUIs.

The only way to circumvent the QMP is if you are reduced and repromoted prior to when the SSG Evaluation board rolls around and looks at your QMP.

The hardest thing that I ever had to do was to give a eulogy at both a Military Funeral and at a Unit Memorial Service for a Great friend of mine, a career NCO SFC Infantryman, who was killed because of DUI. Not only was he killed but the Grandfather and grandson 8 years old that were also involved in the accident. My friend the NCO was the drunk on the highway that night, drunk, going the wrong way on an interstate. I had to do the Eulogy. How do you not stand up in front of the family and say, "My friend, your son, would be alive today if he were not an idiot." I was angry as I wrote it and sad at the same time...I wrote it for his mom who had lost her husband in an F-4 over North Vietnam, and another son on a training accident...and then her last son to stupidity. I wrote words to comfort a grieving mother that had already laid a heavy sacrifice on the altar of freedom.

SSG (Join to see) , You don;t know me and I am not trying to slam on you. You have enough of that on this thread. Please get some help. Please learn from this and don't make your best friend have to get up and eulogize a moron.
This may have been a one time thing, but I would bet not. For every time that a guy gets caught there are ten he did not, or maybe he was just ON THE LINE...Make a vow to never drive if you have had even one drink... The only time I will drink anything and drive, the wine comes in a little cup and the pastor says "The Blood of Christ shed for you" aside from that sip, if it has alcohol, I refuse to even have my car keys on me.

This may end your career but it does not have to end your life.

Usually can be overcome at the lower ranks, but as a SSG, and being the one to preach to not get a DUI to your joes, you are the one to get the DUI. You will get a GOMOR and be lucky to be retained

SSG Joseph Gully I'm sorry to learn that you let this happen. I hope you get through it and don't let it happen again. Mom & Dad were hit by a drunk driver in 1949. They took me to the spot on K-18 in Manhattan, KS when they visited me at Ft Riley in 1998. They spent 6 months in the hospital. Upon their release her Dad and cousin drove up from Missouri to bring them home. As soon as they got on the highway BOOM it happened again; another head-on collision with another driver who fell asleep after drinking alcohol. Everyone survived but Grandpa never walked again and eventually died of wounds in 1952. So I never met him. I'm going to ask you to quit drinking and driving. Its a BIG DEAL. Look what its already done to you personally. Its just not worth it.

The military frowns on things like dui and being that you are a higher ranking nco so you are setting a bad example for lower enlisted soldiers so I would be surprised if they look at you for promotion, things like this usually get you demoted and you will have work your way back up to the demoted rank and be on your best behavior and that is if they don't put you out. I was in a company with people getting dui's every week soldier's getting demoted, put of after duty work some getting chaptered out because of stuff like that, so it is iffy. I served when the military was alot stricter (1997-2000). So good luck to you.

In the good old days as long as you did not miss any work you were good. Not so much these days. Good luck!