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The consequences of one bad decision

  • Published
  • By Capt. Don Gray
  • 373rd Training Squadron Det. 5
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  I want everyone to imagine laying in a small metal bed with one eye open trying to fall asleep...frightened someone might drop a locker on you as they get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. You are periodically thinking of loved ones back home ... reminiscing about past memories and wondering what you are missing out on. You wonder when you will possibly be out of this predicament.

When it finally comes time to chow, you get in a single file line and are quickly fed through an assembly-line process with very limited minutes to scarf everything down. Everyone is wearing the exact same uniform and has personal grooming standards they are expected to abide by. You are scrutinizing what type of information you disclose about your past and family members, fearing they will use it against you to possibly harm someone close to you.

What I have just described to you is the consequence a good friend of mine and former military member has to deal with for the rest of his life for opting not to use ORM and good common sense. Instead, he chose to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

It was New Year's Eve and my buddy had some friends over to bring in the New Year. While they celebrated and sipped on mixed drinks, they consumed approximately eight ounces of whiskey in a three to four hour time period. Not realizing his blood alcohol content was .088, well over the limit, he and a member at the party decided to take a drive. They jumped in his sports car and traveled the wet roads to the local convenience store to buy more alcohol. The perfect ingredients for disaster: under the influence, wet roads, and driving a sports car late at night on New Year's Eve.

This local trip to the store resulted in a tragic death. My buddy tried to hot-rod his car and missed a gear -- wrapping his vehicle around a telephone pole and killing his 26-year-old passenger on impact. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to a five-year punishment in a medium to maximum security facility.

My buddy made the decision to drive under the influence which altered his life forever. The repercussions of this one bad decision will be felt for the rest of his life. He received a dishonorable discharge, revoking his VA benefits, and will never be able to drive in Florida and most other states. He can't vote or own a weapon and will have ten years of probation upon his release. In addition, he is required to share his testimony with other schools during his probationary period. He also received divorce papers from his wife and will miss out on five years of his son's life. The old cliche, "I feel good, I'm fine" will haunt him forever.

This could even happen to the best of them, which describes my buddy. He was a stellar troop with 16 years of service; had a wife and child, not to mention a phenomenal driving record.

As we get closer to the holidays, please remember your professional and military obligation to make the right choices. Factor in operational risk management and good common sense by not driving under the influence of alcohol. Be reminded of the snowballing consequences of drinking and driving which greatly affect the mission, your family, YOU, and other loved one's family members.

Don't forget -- if you are out and have had too much to drink -- please take advantage of the free transportation service offered by Airmen Against Drinking and Driving by calling 963-0437. To avoid facing life-altering consequences, remember to plan ahead, have a wingman by your side and help keep our highways and our Airmen safe.