Only you can solve the DUI problem

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Rudolf Kuehne
  • 319th Air Base Wing chief of safety
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Over the last 15 months, Team Grand Forks has seen a rise in Airmen driving under the influence of alcohol. We ended 2013 with 14 DUIs and so far in 2014 we have already had five. If we continue down the same path, Grand Forks AFB could see upward of 20 DUIs by the end of the year.

Many of you may think these Airmen went out for a night of drinking and didn't have a plan or a wingman. The fact is many of these Airmen had a plan only to abandon it in order to enjoy the party; most disturbingly many of these Airmen abandoned their plan with a wingman watching.

In the next few weeks the Safety Office, in conjunction with many other base organizations, will be rolling out a campaign aimed at curbing our DUI problem. However, we can't do it alone. Only you, the Airmen of Team Grand Forks, can solve this problem. You can solve it by drinking responsibly. You can solve it by ensuring that your buddies do not drink and drive. You can solve it by designating a driver when you go out and making sure that person doesn't drink. You can solve it by looking out for your fellow Airmen and intervening if you see someone about to get in his or her car after having too many. You can solve it by not abandoning your fellow Airmen when they are drunk.

If you go out with a plan and for some reason it doesn't work out, please call Airmen Against Drunk Driving at 701-740-CARE (or click their button on the MyMC2 App). AADD is staffed by Airmen who are eager to help you get home safely, no questions asked. For those saying it takes too long for AADD to respond, just ask yourself how long it will take if you get pulled over.