ANSBACH, Germany (June 3, 2015) -- The U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach Army Substance Abuse Program partnered with a handful of USAG Ansbach and 12th Combat Aviation Brigade organizations to host several interactive training sessions for hundreds of Soldiers at Bismarck Theater recently that illustrated the hazards of alcohol use.
ASAP partnered with the USAG Ansbach Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention office, Family Advocacy Program, Exceptional Family Member Program, public health nurses, and Soldiers from the 12th CAB Griffin Platoon and C Company, 412th Aviation Support Battalion.
More than 500 Soldiers ranked staff sergeant and junior attended the sessions, which included information and demonstrations on the consequences of binge drinking as it relates to family violence and high-risk behaviors.
Richard Fry, the USAG Ansbach sexual assault response coordinator, led Soldiers of C Co., 412th ASB, in performing a sketch that highlighted the consequences of binge drinking -- many of which may be unintended -- as it relates to sexual harassment and assault. The segment concluded with a presentation of statistics highlighting the presence of alcohol as a factor in the USAG Ansbach military community's sexual assault cases.
Scott Harris, the USAG Ansbach Family Advocacy Program manager, led the next segment. Harris discussed with Soldiers the increased risk for spousal abuse, child abuse and child neglect when alcohol is being abused at home.
During this segment, volunteers performed a demonstration to illustrate the irreparable damage that takes place when violence is committed in the home. The audience discussed the high correlation alcohol has with domestic violence and child abuse/neglect cases in the USAG Ansbach community.
The last "Heavy Drinking -- Considerable Consequences" segment featured Elizabeth Schuster-Shoaf and Michelle Konstantinidis, USAG Ansbach public health nurses, who were joined by 12th CAB Griffin Platoon Soldiers to perform a sketch highlighting the consequences of binge drinking as it relates to sexually transmitted infections and other high-risk sexual behaviors. The segment ended with a presentation of statistics highlighting the correlation between alcohol and sexually transmitted infections in the USAG Ansbach community.
More than 190 leaders ranked at least sergeant first class attended the "Strong Choices -- Leading Well" training, a research-based drug and alcohol prevention program focused on leadership skills to help influence Soldiers' drinking choices.
Leaders were encouraged to assist their Soldiers with following the recommended "0-1-2-3 Low-Risk Guidelines" (refer to the second graphic or to the "Low Risk Drinking Guidelines" in the "Related Links" section to the right of this article) prescribed by the Army and discuss the challenges of doing so, specifically within the Army. Leaders were challenged to reflect on how their behavior, communication and attitudes about alcohol use may influence their Soldiers' behaviors and actions. This discussion spurned a conversation among the leaders on the specificity of required guidance for individual Soldiers.
To learn more about how drinking can impact your life, see the "Related Links" section to the right of this story.
Related Links:
After Deployment: Alcohol and Drugs
USAG Ansbach official blog site
USAG Ansbach official Twitter feed
USAG Ansbach official home page
Franconian News: USAG Ansbach official news page
USAG Ansbach official Facebook page
USAG Ansbach official Flickr page
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