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As Sgt. Mark Arnett wraps up his tenure teaching kids about the effects of drugs and alcohol, he can look back knowing he made an impact on children’s lives.
For the past two years, Sergeant Arnett has taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in the KMC’s four elementary schools.
“It’s been great for me to see the difference D.A.R.E. is making in kids’ lives,” he said. “The light bulb goes on and the wheels are turning.”
Since 1983, D.A.R.E. has taught millions of students worldwide about the effects of alcohol and drugs. Each April, National D.A.R.E. Day is commemorated in the states by a presidential proclamation, community events and activities. This year, the event was held Thursday.
It’s been a few weeks since Sergeant Arnett wrapped up his final class. Still, when kids see him in the community, they ask him to come back.
“That’s rewarding, to know that they learned and that it was a fun experience for them,” Sergeant Arnett said.
While at Fort Meyer, Va., Sergeant Arnett shook hands with kids in costume as McGruff the Crime Dog. But he’d never been in front of a classroom. In becoming Kaiserslautern’s D.A.R.E. instructor, Sergeant Arnett learned the subtleties of teaching.
“As a Soldier, you instruct your peers,” he said. “It’s totally different in front of fifth-graders, trying to get them to listen to you.”
Department of Defense Dependents Schools students complete 10 lessons over several weeks, working from D.A.R.E. planners, Sergeant Arnett said. Weekly lessons often include acting out skits on peer pressure and watching videos about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
In Europe, where beer and wine are often part of the local culture, alcohol is easier to obtain at a younger age. Children living overseas know about that, Sergeant Arnett said.
“We stress the impacts alcohol has on young bodies the adverse effects that it can have,” he said. “Kids are pretty smart. They know it’s bad for you, just not how bad it can be.”
What kids learn in D.A.R.E. can have a ripple effect within their families. One Kaiserslautern fifth-grader recently brought her lessons home and helped her mother quit smoking, Sergeant Arnett said.
Staffing a D.A.R.E. officer at KMC schools makes sense, as police in military communities mirror the work of their civilian counterparts, said Master Sgt. Kenneth Pryor, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern provost sergeant.
“It gives us an opportunity to have an officer go into the classroom, so the kids don’t just see a police officer as a cop,” Sergeant Pryor said. “It humanizes the individual.”
In February, Lt. Col. Kevin Hutchison, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, spoke at Kaiserslautern Elementary School’s class graduation. He thanked Sergeant Arnett for his efforts in making the D.A.R.E. program successful in the KMC.
“He is the face of D.A.R.E. in our community,” Colonel Hutchison said.
Sergeant Arnett will soon depart from Kaiserslautern for Fort Knox, Ky., where he will serve with the 1st Infantry Division. Before his departure, he’ll pass the reigns to Spc. Kathy Ogburn.
In less than four years as a military police officer, Specialist Ogburn has already served on patrol at Fort Hood, Texas, and helped train local police in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley. She’s excited about taking on a new challenge, she said.
“I’ve worked the road and I’ve deployed,”she said. “Now, I get a chance to do something completely different.”
