Caserma Del Din -- Soldiers and civilians of 509th Signal Battalion were recognized Aug. 6 for another year of being free of alcohol- or drug-related incidents.
For the fourth consecutive year, the unit was presented a streamer by the U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza Army Substance Abuse Program for their accomplishment.
Sandra Class, ASAP program manager, said this is one of the longest streaks in Europe, and possibly even the U.S. Army.
"This is a great accomplishment and the unit should be proud," she said.
Unit safety officer, Sgt. 1st Class Tedvis Adams, agrees. "Over 1,500 days straight without a DUI or positive urinalysis is absolutely amazing," he said.
During this streak, the 509th has had three battalion commanders and a rotation of more than 100 civilians and 150 Soldiers. Current battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brent O. Skinner, assumed command in June, just as the unit surpassed its fourth year in a row.
"This is a true testament to the emphasis the leaders and supervisors place on safety within the unit and the fact that they want to take care of each other," Skinner said.
Command Sgt. Maj. Gregory Rowland, battalion command sergeant major, expects the incident free streak to continue long after his tenure is complete.
"The noncommissioned officers and junior leaders stress the importance of doing the right thing and making sure that everyone understands this applies even when off duty," he said. The incident-free four years can be attributed to the culture of the 509th as much as the individual Soldiers and civilians, according to one Soldier assigned to the unit.
"No one wants to be THAT GUY or GIRL to break the streak," said Pvt. 1st Class Jonathan Deans. "This is a team effort, and we want to make sure it continues."
Many 509th Soldiers and civilians give credit to their fellow teammates for acting responsibly and using a "battle buddy" while partaking in any adult beverages. Soldiers say they know to always have a designated driver or take a cab back to their residence, and not take any unnecessary risks by getting behind the wheel when drinking alcohol.
The "Small but Mighty" 509th's mission is to build, operate, and defend network and information technology services across 12 sites spanning seven countries, enabling mission command for units south of the Alps and in Africa, to include U.S. Army Africa and 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
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