CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Team Charleston, the cooler weather this week signals the end of summer and the start of the fall and winter seasons. During the upcoming months, we will observe numerous holiday celebrations, many of which may involve drinking.
We have had several alcohol-related incidents recently and I am compelled to address this alarming trend. Just this week, I personally counseled three Team Charleston Airmen apprehended for drinking and driving. I remind you of the importance of drinking responsibly whether you are deployed, at your home station or on leave.
If you drink and drive, not only are you putting your life in danger, but also the lives of other people. If you drink on the job, you are putting everyone at risk and ultimately in danger of not accomplishing the mission and creating another burden for your workplace teammates.
Take time to become familiar with the safety nets that are available to you. Take time to think about your plan -- think before you drink. Be a good Wingman -- watch out for your fellow Airmen if you see one that maybe drinking irresponsibly. Use the 0-0-1-3 guidance to keep yourself out of trouble. Use Airmen Against Drunk Driving if you need it.
0-0-1-3 is a program that encourages responsible drinking amongst Air Force members. The first "0" means that there should be zero underage drinking ... that's the law and it will be enforced. The second "0" stands for zero DUI offenses. The "1" means that a maximum of one drink should be consumed per hour so the liver can have time to process it. And the "3" stands for a limit of three drinks per night to prevent the blood-alcohol content from exceeding levels that will result in a DUI. Of course, everyone has a different metabolism and these numbers are only a guide. The safest course of action is to have a designated driver who DOES NOT DRINK, or use a taxi.
Some of you may not be aware of this program, but it is important that you become familiar with it. Underage drinking and drinking and driving are two easy ways to ruin your career and even worse, take someone's life. As members of the U.S. Air Force, we are charged with making responsible choices in everything we do, including our after hours activities.
Another great Team Charleston program, and one that has been implemented by other bases Air Force wide, is Airmen Against Drunk Driving. This anonymous program is available to everyone on base by simply calling 963-0437. They'll provide you a safe ride home with no questions asked, a great example of the Wingman Culture in action. Make sure you read the article on Page 6 for more information on this program, and continue to make safe and responsible choices.
Also, congratulations and kudos to the folks from the 437th Maintenance Group, 437th Operations Support Squadron, 437th Civil Engineer Squadron and the 437th Communications Squadron for receiving strong ratings with many benchmarks on the Air Traffic System Evaluation Program inspection. The 437 and 315 AWs also received overall satisfactory ratings on the Logistics Standardization and Evaluation Program inspection. The 437 and 315 MXGs were lauded as "extremely well-led and efficient organizations." The 437th Mission Support Group was graded "excellent." Both inspection teams observed hard-working Airmen, eagerly demonstrating exceptional professionalism and pride ... WELL DONE!
And finally, I want to remind you that this week we kicked of the Combined Federal Campaign 2007 season. Your unit representatives will be contacting you in the upcoming weeks. Please take the time to read over the information that will be provided and make the decision to give generously ... you never can tell, you or someone you know just may need the services of one of the many organizations that receive donations such as yours.
Team Charleston -- Take the Fight to the Enemy!