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***image1***There are at least 1,600 people in the KMC who believe passionately
that people should not drink and drive. So much so, that last year they
each gave up one of their own Friday or Saturday nights, and early
mornings, to volunteer with the Armedforces Against Drunk Driving
program. They waited by the telephone between the hours of midnight and
6 a.m. and they responded. Last year, the AADD volunteers took nearly
3,500 people safely to their homes.
In recent months, the number of DUI incidents involving Airmen and
Soldiers has surged. And the volunteers of AADD are urging those who go
out drinking to have a plan.
It’s no longer safe to go by the “one beer per hour” rule of
thumb, said Chief Master Sgt. Jim Davidson, first sergeant,
Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe. One liter of German beer can
put a person over the legal limit, he said.
“The minute the glass touches your lips, your judgement goes away,” he said. “Best bet is, don’t drive.”
Chief Davidson has been spreading that message for years. As first
sergeant, he has been on call 24/7 for his Airmen, should they find
themselves in need of a ride after drinking alcohol.
He too is concerned about the increase in DUIs. Last week he put out
the word asking for volunteers to join him and his family at AADD for
Memorial Day weekend. A couple dozen people responded.
“I’ve had friends who have died drinking and driving,” Chief Davidson said.
Beverly Davis, a procurement analyst at HQ USAFE, has volunteered four
or five times at AADD. She helped Chief Davidson organize the Memorial
Day weekend volunteers.
“It’s a gratifying experience knowing that maybe, just maybe for that one
person, that one night, you made a difference,” Ms. Davis said.
This year, about 400 people have volunteered to answer the phones at
the AADD office on Kapaun Air Station and use their own cars to drive
Airmen safely home, said Tech. Sgt. Marie Takishita, president of AADD.
To date, they have safely driven more than 700 people home. Sergeant
Takishita has volunteered for such organizations at every base she’s
been assigned, “to prevent needless deaths and injuries from driving
under the influence,” she said. “I’m a surgery technician and I’ve seen
the injuries after DUI.”
AADD provides a ride home to individuals in an attempt to prevent drunk
driving and the consequences. The program is free to the individual and
also delivers their vehicle to their home.
“It’s disheartening that we’ve had an increase in DUIs,” Sergeant Takeshita said. “There are always alternatives.”
Plans should always include a designated driver, Sergeant Takeshita
said. There are three cab companies in the K-Town area that service
Ramstein, Vogelweh, Landstuhl and Sembach bases. Call your wingman,
call your first shirt, she said.
Chief Davidson is challenging other units to volunteer one night with
the AADD program. The group needs people who field the calls and
drivers who go out in teams of two to pick up callers and take them and
their car home. It’s not a bad way to spend an evening – preventing an
accident or loss of life, Chief Davidson said.
“I’ve seen very promising careers become mediocre, just like that,”
Chief Davidson said. “To lose a stripe – that’s a hard thing to let
happen in today’s Air Force.”
