Grand Forks AFB DDR program wins SECDEF Community Drug Awareness Award for 2013 Published Oct. 8, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D -- The Drug Demand Reduction program operated by the 319th Medical Group here was recently named the winner of the 23rd Annual Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Award. The Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Award is presented to a military installation with the best anti-drug program for that year. It recognizes outstanding efforts to educate military members, their families and the broader communities in which they serve, to the dangers of drug abuse and to an appreciation of the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. "Being selected for this award is an amazing feat and everyone involved should be very proud," said Col. Paul Bauman, 319th Air Base Wing commander. The number of activities and accomplishments that merited the program's recent recognition is expansive, but includes support and coordination with various organization on and off base for events such as National Night Out, an annual invent that now involves more than 37 million people and 15,000 communities from all fifty states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide designed to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Support for other events includes Red Ribbon Week, which serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Bauman continued to praise the DDR programs recent achievement by sharing a direct quote from the an official memorandum from the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, "Grand Forks' efforts with regards to drug demand reduction are a model for other organizations to follow. Their program demonstrates how innovation and hard work can achieve effective and relevant results among the community." For more information about drug prevention and outreach, contact the DDR office at 747-5522.