Prevention programs, battle buddies key to identifying substance abuse

Drug and alcohol abuse is by no means only an Old Guard or Army problem, but is a reflection of a worldwide health issue, according to George A. Suber, the Army Substance Abuse Prevention Education coordinator for Joint Base Myer Henderson-Hall.

Suber, who enlisted in the Air Force in 1981, said he has seen an evolution for the betterment of the military's culture concerning alcohol use.

Since coming to JBM-HH in 2009, he has also seen a change in JBM-HH's relationship with alcohol as well, he said.

Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) are vetted before acceptance into the Army's premier ceremonial unit, and Soldiers with past transgressions are not allowed to join the elite Old Guard.

Still, problems concerning abuse and potential abuse of substances can arise. The Old Guard works diligently to equip Soldiers to handle the pressures of working and living in a large metropolitan area like the National Capital Region, experts say.

If a Soldier develops an alcohol or other substance abuse problem, there are programs in place to help identify and address such issues.

Old Guard does it right

"They [The Old Guard] go out of their way to talk to Soldiers who they think are having a problem," said Terry Bates, clinical director of JBM-HH ASAP. "They plan social activities for them to draw them out."

Bates said ASAP's efforts to help Soldiers are totally supported by The Old Guard's leadership.

"There's not a commander or a first sergeant that I could call that I would say 'I think XYZ has a problem' that they would not consider it," she said. "I think they do a tremendous job supporting their Soldiers."

The Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) is comprised by a variety of individual preventative and treatment programs that emphasize readiness and personal responsibility.

"It's a supportive program," said Bates. "It is not a program that's disciplinary. It's not adverse."

The JBM-HH ASAP office serves Soldiers at The Old Guard and at the Pentagon.

The program does so by educating, raising awareness and intervening with Soldiers to eliminate alcohol and drug abuse, accordig to Suber.

"I think it's more of a choice than anything," said Suber. "We can lay everything out there and tell you why you shouldn't do it, but again, you have to make that choice."

Suber said his primary job is to educate units in alcohol abuse prevention.

The importance of education is instilling in a Soldier early in their assignment at The Old Guard the tools to discern what situations or behaviors will lead to problems, said Suber.

Instruction begins with the JBM-HH Start Right program, an orientation all new Old Guard Soldiers attend.

"Tools that you may put in your tool bag that you won't use today, but you may use at a later time," said Suber. "If you have the tool, then you'll recognize, 'Hey, I have a tool that will help me get beyond this.'"

These tools include teaching Soldiers to think about consequences and imagine "what-if" scenarios when going through their decision-making process, said Suber.

Soldiers must have four hours of yearly substance abuse training, per Army Regulation 600-85, said Suber.

This training can range from PowerPoint presentations to guest speakers and even just handouts.

"I look at things that are current in our American Society," said Suber. "I look at things such as what is the prevalent drug that people are using in this particular area?"

Units nominate a Soldier to be the subject matter expert on drug and alcohol abuse. Unit Prevention Leaders (UPL) take a 40-hour course to become certified.

The UPL conducts unit training and oversees the unit urinalysis program, which tests for substance abuse.

In addition to prevention training at the unit level, the Army also implements regular awareness campaigns, like Alcohol Awareness Month, October's Red Ribbon Campaign, or the 101 Critical Day of Summer. These campaigns are designed for UPLs and prevention coordinators to talk to Soldiers about good habits with prescription drugs and alcohol and abstinence from illegal drugs.

National Drug Take-back

Other programs like the National Take-back, coordinated through the Drug Enforcement Agency, help raise awareness of the need to dispose of outdated or unused drugs.

JBM-HH's National Take-back is scheduled for April 29 at the Fort Myer Commissary.

All of these efforts are part of an overall strategy to help Soldiers avoid high-risk behaviors before they escalate into something more serious.

Suber meets with the battalion prevention leaders (BPL) monthly to let them know what he's seeing, and what behaviors or trends should be addressed by the UPLs, he said.

Battle buddies key

Another key to education prevention is conditioning Soldiers to rely on their battle buddies as an additional safeguard. Reliance on friends to recognize substance abuse signs can help Soldiers address behaviors before they become problems.

"I think they are successful," said Suber. "The Army has been aggressive pumping in money and effort into helping Soldiers who are identified as getting the help that they need."

It would never hurt a Soldier's career to seek help if they feel they are having a problem with alcohol, added Bates.

Soldiers who are abusing alcohol are normally doing so as a coping strategy, said Bates.

Whether it is because of isolation from being away from home or a different catalyst, alcohol is employed to help reduce feelings of anxiety, she said.

Most times a Soldier who is abusing substances is not aware of the problem, said Suber.

Normally, the problem only comes to light after the substance abuse leads to criminal activity, such as getting arrested for driving while intoxicated or for domestic violence.

That's when most substance abuse problems are discovered, said Suber. Prevention and identification efforts are critical to finding such systematic substance abuse behaviors before law enforcement becomes a part of the solution.

"Sometimes it is just a mere placement of education," said Suber. "Helping people to realize they made a high-risk choice."

For more information, to include available resources, about the Army's Substance Abuse Program, visit https://acsap.army.mil.