Drugs in the Military

The military is a very demanding job. Doing what a soldier does, day in and day out, takes a toll on even the strongest soldier. Many, more so now than ever, have turned to drugs to help ease the high stress they encounter on a day to day basis. Drugs affect the conscious state of the men and women that take them. The problem then lies in the cognitive performance of the soldier. With knowledge of what drugs are in the military, why they use drugs, changes in the way they administer drug testing, the military can begin to see a decrease in the drug activity within the ranks of the military.    

What drugs are in the military?

alcohol

Many turn to alcohol as their drug of choice. “the percentage of active-duty servicemembers who reported binge drinking shot from 35 percent in 1998 to 47 percent in 2008.” states Jennifer Hlad. This is an alarming statistic when compared to the near 1 million enlisted in active duty service in 2008.  With time this problem is growing exponentially. It is only a matter of time before this problem grows out of control.

Anabolic Steroids

These drugs are taken to enhance the performance of the soldier. Injected through a needle into the arm, the drug makes any soldier into a super soldier. this make the drug very appealing.  The soldier often gets these drugs via mail, and little is done about it. If the military is getting a better soldier out of it and the test to detect the drug is very expensive why do anything. This is currently the military’s standpoint on the subject.

Energy Drinks

Caffeine is consumed by most americans, but little does everyone know it is indeed considered a drug. Any caffeine addict can attest that without caffeine a headache is bound to ale.  The most popular way among soldiers of taking this drug is that of 5 hour energy. “sales of the energy shot reached $9.2 million in the military” states New Republic. Those who drink the energy drinks tend to sleep fewer hours at night. this in turn translates into sleeping on the job, which is dangerous when your job can kill you.

Narcotics  Painkillers

In war in often occurs that the soldier gets hurt. It is inevitable. more times than not, the soldier self medicates, and among the drugs that are used these are some of them: Oxycontin, vicodin, and morphine. The soldier is prescribed the drugs to start out by a medic in the military. After that, the drug is a necessity. They do anything possible to get the drugs, and they are now addicted. This then translates into a full blown problem back in the states not only to the soldier but to the family as well.

Sleeping Pills

Drugs like Ambien are used to relax and come down off of a ‘caffeine high’.

"I popped two Ambien. No one was getting any rest without sleeping pills," says Mark Owen. The soldiers are in  high stress environments where a lot is demanded from them, and a lot is expected. It is often hard to sleep once you have been in combat. The problem lies in the deadly consequences held by the drugs. If you take too many of them the drugs can prove to be fatal. Along with this operating machinery while on this drug is ill advised by the manufacturer of the drugs.  

Changes in the Way They Administer Drug Testing    

We need a change in the way we administer the drug testing. furthermore, if coupled with a zero tolerance rule the military should see a dramatic drop in the soldiers that are abusing drugs . As of today we allow a little of each drug in your system. The military uses the DOD Urinalysis screening system to test this. For example, in the screening we currently allow 50 nanograms per milliliter of Marijuana in the soldiers system the first screening. The confirmation level when the military redoes the test must come back with 15 nanograms or less of Marijuana in the system. The military allows a specific amount of nanograms per person this includes drugs like: Marijuana, cocaine, morphine, codeine, heroin, Amphetamines, Methamphetamine, Ecstasy, and Barbiturates. Even if the test comes back with scant traces of drugs there are still drugs in the soldiers system. What we are proposing is a zero tolerance rule. With a zero tolerance rule even if there are trace amounts in the system of the soldier the soldier is subjected to disciplinary action. One of the reasons the military allows a trace amount of drugs to be in the soldiers system is, because the military states, “You won’t get booted out of the military because you walked past someone in the dorm smoking a joint.” The military is not trying to punish a soldier who is around someone smoking a joint by chance. But with the zero tolerance rule you take all the situations out. Now if someone is in the dorm doing any kind of drugs you should not be around them, and the soldier that is doing the drugs will be caught and subjected to disciplinary action. We believe that if you make a zero tolerance rule that the drug usage in the military will decrease rapidly.

Why are they using them?

There are a number of reasons as to why soldiers abuse drugs. Drug use in the military has increased in the past ten years. The reason that drug use has increased, recently, is due to the conditions of the war itself,  in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the reasons that soldiers use drugs in the military is to cope with boredom. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan is not characterized by heavy gunfights, like previous U.S. wars. Soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan are faced with a lot of down time. In order to cope with boredom and inactivity, many soldiers resort to drugs. We saw in Restrepo that although most outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan do not undergo significant firefight, some do. The soldiers that are faced with heavy firefight are put under a lot of mental stress. A way to deal with the stress induced by combat is through drugs. Some drugs are given to soldiers to keep them alert during night duties. Although some drugs are used to benefit soldiers, even they can still be abused. These drugs are not intended to be abused, but it is obvious that sometimes they are. Not all of the blame should be put on the soldiers themselves though; military doctors willingly prescribe prescription drugs to soldiers. In an interview, (Ret.) Brigadier Gen. Becky stated that “Prescription drugs have become the catchall—‘take this and if it makes you feel better, we’ll increase the dosage’.”  Ease of access also contributes to the increase in drug use in the past 10 years, in the military. This tells us that the military doctors are not afraid to give out these drugs. Also, in the past few years, soldiers have been able to acquire drugs more easily from their family overseas. Stress, boredom, alertness, and ease of access are all contributing factors as to why soldiers use drugs in the military.

    Results of the use

In one example, the use of drugs in the military killed 16 unarmed civilians. Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was under the influence of stanozolol when he slipped out of his outpost in Afghanistan. In just 4 hours Bales killed 16 unarmed civilians while under the influence of stanozolol. Stanozolol is an anabolic steroid whose side effects include: mood swings, aggression, and delusion.  This is an example of how drug use in the military can endanger unarmed civilians. Soldiers under the influence are not only dangerous to civilians though, they are also a danger to their fellow soldiers. If a soldier is impaired because of drug use, it puts the man or woman next to them in peril too. “You have a job and a responsibility, and that includes watching out for your fellow Marines, fellow sailors, and it includes being able to do your job so you don’t put anybody at risk...you can’t afford to have your mind blurred.”, states Malone in an interview with Stars and Stripes.   The military operates in units, if one person is not cohesive with the rest of the unit then they are no longer operating the way they are supposed to. Drugs will not only endanger others but also the individual using the drug. Drugs reduce awareness and slow reaction time, in a combat situation, this could be the difference between life and death.

Conclusion

We felt that this topic needed to be discussed  and change should be addressed.

Soldiers in the military have access to an arsenal of weapons. Accessing these weapons under the influence of these drugs poses a threat not only to themselves but to their family, friends, and fellow soldiers as well. Soldiers also need to be completely coherent and aware of their surroundings while in the military.  With the complete removal of drugs from the military one can begin to see the decrease in careless accidents.

Rebuilding Disabled Veterans Lives

   Micheal Conklin has three kids. Conklin's older son, Kris, was treated at Walter Reed in 2003 after his Humvee was hit by a rocket propelled-grenade in Iraq. When Conklin visited the hospital, he realized all the veterans and injured soldiers who were their did not have the support that his son had. He could not believe that some troops did not have a loving family like he had to come home to. Some soldiers didn't have anyone to come home too.
    Micheal Conklin started a foundation for war veterans and the injured. Instead of making a scholarship for the soldiers, his foundation, Sentinel of Freedom, has assisted over 100 veterans with housing, jobs, and training. Hein Tran was 33 when he was injured by an improvised explosive device five years ago. He lost his right eye and had a metal rod put in his right leg. He told reporters that he did not have much hope for his future. But through Conklin's program, Tran received more than $60,000 for a vehicle, housing assistance, furniture, and household goods. 
    Conklin and his teams based in 28 states across the country are ready to help any veteran or injured soldier get back on there feet. Conklin wants people to know that they don't just write a check, they walk with you until you are successful. Conklin said, "it isn't all about the money, it is about building relationships and helping veterans." Conklin's program is not just about publicity and fame. As you can see, it is about helping those who fought for our freedom and laid their lives on the line day in and day out. We are blessed to have such great soldiers. 
    This program is very interesting to many people. I think that we should push programs to assist our soldiers and veterans just as Mike Conklin's program does. Programs that help our veterans should be advertised daily to get the news out. So that veterans who are in need right now might see the advertisement and make a call to the program. Our veterans are special, so we should treat them like it. Do you think the programs should be advertised daily? Do you think that there should be more programs that put helping and caring for veterans before money?

Therapy for Our Veterans

    If you have family who has served or are currently serving in the army, I bet you could ask them about their emotional battle and they would tell you how tough it was or is. I want to talk to you about what soldiers go through when they get home from fighting. Why are the after effects never actually brought up to a soldier signing up for the army. The war affects the soldier's lives while they are serving and long after.
    The veterans from the current wars such as Iraq and Afghanistan are still fighting, just not a physical fight. There personal battles are with them everyday. Think about it for a second. You go from seeing traumatic things happening almost everyday to living a normal civilian life. A soldier puts his or her life on the line daily. They are often forced to view unthinkable images of war. Most soldiers lose a close friend who they have trained and fought beside from day one. Dealing with such things causes emotional distress. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is leading to depression, suicide, and substance abuse. This is a staggering number. The suicide rate in the US army rose by 80% when we announced our war on Iraq.
    I feel like we should have our soldier's therapy ready when they come back from war. I think that it should be mandatory that a soldier go through evaluations for PTSD before being released. If the soldier shows emotional distress or signs of PTSD we should give them free treatment. We as people do not understand what they go through. But we need to do everything we can to help them. I know a man, SGT. Jay Powell who served in the army, and he is now in a VA hospital. He would be fine when we were hanging out but when he was alone he would break down. He is getting help now and taking a lot of medicine. These men fight for our country so we should give them all the help they need when they get back. Do you think that we should have a mandatory therapy for soldiers and veterans to help them cope with whats happened in their lives?

The Hurt Locker Film Makers Sued?

   Did you know that in the movie The Hurt Locker, James was based on a actual person. Sgt. Jeffery Sarver was a bomb specialist and he holds the record for the most bombs defused. Sgt. Sarver felt like he was being ridiculed by the film. He felt the film ruined his reputation in the army. 

  The film makers based some of the scenes on his experiences. Those include firing a handgun at suspected car bombers, placing the gun to the forehead of an Iraqis driver to get him to move away, and setting off smoke screens to avoid snipers. This film shows him as a reckless soldier and a soldier who does not follow protocol. He claims this is a bad reflection on him at work, home, and with friends.

  Sgt. Sarver wrote to the court and announced how he felt and wanted to sue the film. Sgt. Sarver wrote in a declaration, "Defendants have essentially placed a bulls-eye on the back of my army uniform and bomb suit for my current and future deployments." Jeremy claims that he never gave the film director Mark Boal permission to use personal details in the story. He feels this ruined his reputation. Sgt. Sarver believes that Sgt. James is based on him and this led other soldiers to question his abilities. Sgt. Sarver also feels that the Army thinks he sold his tales of his experiences so that it could be made into a movie. In which Sgt. Sarver thought hurt his chances at a future promotion. I actually contacted former Army Ranger Jay Powell who coached me in high school. I asked him if things like that would actually hurt your chances at promotions. He told me that things of that nature are looked down upon in the Army. He talked about the core values in the Army, that if you tried and sell your story or do anything for a personal gain it would not be looked well upon. Powell said, "It's awesome that he stepped up and let people know he wasn't insane, and that he followed protocol." 

  Sgt. Sarver lost the case,because the film was protected by California law and the First Amendment. I believe that Sgt. Sarver had a right to file a lawsuit and voice his opinion as he did, but the film should not use his story without his permission. Jeremy Saver had a point when talking about the scenes where the film used his experiences, but I do think he went far when saying it ruined his reputation and all this other stuff. Think about it, when you're done watching the movie do you run and look up the character and if there based on real people and their actual actions? I think that the court got it right in this case. What about you? Do you think the court made the right decision?  

Battle of Mogadishu Good Cause or Bad?

   Violence in Somalia had been on the rise since the start of the Bush administration. Bush then sent American troops to the region to counter the warlords and protect the starving citizens. Aidid started to become to powerful, his men were firing into presses and killing civilians. On October 3, 1993, the US intelligence learned of a secret meeting that was taking place in a two story building. They confirmed that Aidid himself, would be there. So US forces would try and seize the building, and in the battle, we would have a Blackhawk down. There were 18 US soldiers who were killed, and as many as 500 Somalians who died over a 17 hour period. The US forces were on a UN sanctioned mission to capture warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid. This was the biggest fire fight since the Vietnam war.  Aidid started to become to powerful, his men were firing into presses and killing civilians.  During the fire fight the Somalis downed five US helicopters. The war cost many US soldiers their lives and some the use of there limbs.  They placed special forces in positions in which they were not trained for - civilian crowd control and urban fighting. They could have done a better job of planning the attack out. They went straight into the heart of civilians and could not control the crowds or the fighting. 

   Decisions were made and they are lived with. You cant take back what is already done. But the US has learned from the mistakes and have grown as country and military because of it. US citizens were shocked when they saw US soldiers being drug through dusty Mogadishu streets, and Bill Clinton immediately ordered the US forces to return home the next day. The Black Hawk Down Incident shaped the US policy in the long term with the restricted American contact and involvement in somewhere we should not be.

   With all this being said, we should not have fought in this war. We got nothing out of it but dead soldiers. We did learn that we should be more prepared and have better planned missions. But we lost to many lives to try and capture one man. Do you think that this battle was a success or failure?

Bringing Troops Home From Afghanistan

  Should we as United States citizens want to be in Afghanistan. Are we fighting for a useless cause? We are losing lives everyday in a place that we should already be out of. Im sure we all have family and friends who have served or currently serving in Afghanistan. I want our troops, family, and friends home.

   We as US citizens should do everything we can to get our troops home. We should not sit back and watch our troops lose their lives. We should fight for them over here like they are fighting for us in Afghanistan. First off our voting goes a long ways to getting our troops home. We should vote for the person and his plans, rather than the party.

  To get to the point there is no rational reason to be in Afghanistan. Our initial goals were to end the government of the Taliban which had given Osama bin Laden a base where he could launch a world wide terrorist attack. We have done our job there. We drove the Taliban out and even killed Osama bin Ladan. We are just causing the people over there to hate us more than they already do. Lives on both sides of the fighting, are being lost every singe day. Lets bring our troops home!  

Football and God

My name is Tyler Vann, and I am from North Sand Mountain HS. I am the only child but don't call me spoiled because I am far from it. I enjoy fishing, hunting, and sports. I love going to church and hearing about my Lord and Savior. I started QB at my high school for four years. I am on the football team here at JSU now, as a redshirt freshman. I cant explain to you how much football means to me. It teaches so many life lessons. It turns boys into men. I am a huge Alabama football fan. Nick Saban is my role model, I want to strive to be a perfectionist. As you can tell I am a football fanatic. I hope one day to be a coach that is remembered by my work ethic and my christianity.