DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Critics: Fort Carson policy targeted troubled, wounded soldiers

**mirex** · 11-16-2011, 04:09 PM

Good post...and quite the conumdrum. The CC is responsiple for the health, welfare & discipline of their command BUT...the system can be pretty damn slow to help those who need it most resulting in "damaged" goods becoming "broken" goods.

Drug use definitly has to be punished and you're right, the CC has some leeway. In my time in the AF from 1981 to about 2005 I always thought/believed ALL drug users who popped hot got kicked out under "zero tolerance." Then in my last couple of years it seems like they pulled back...not much but a little. I had a gal who worked for me that the CC did not prefer charges on (wrongful use of perscription drugs)...admititly it was a weak case but she deserved some type of punishment. Then I knew a MSgt who popped hot for the weed...he was CM'd and did a little jail time but kept his stripe and was allowed to retire. I compare that to another MSgt with almost exact same circumstances and excuse (I didn't know it was pot) back around 1995...CM'd with a hard bust & Bad Conduct discharge.

The times thay's achanging...again!

I understand it is difficult for some people to adjust when they have experiences while deployed like the three in the article in Stripes but c'mon. One of them came up hot for marijuana, got sent to some program and came back from it and pissed hot again. Okay marijuana helps but it is illegal right now. Then the ones who popped for cocaine - really? Mixing alcohol and cocaine...

The Army does need to do a better job in taking care of soldiers after they return from combat and the people at Carson sounded like they were more worried about money than anything but at the same time, I'm not going to feel sorry for someone who took an easy way out. Using drugs, alcohol, that's not solving the problem of PTSD or pain issues. That is making the problem worse and now you've just added a possible addiction to your problem.

I don't have PTSD and hope I never experience anything that would cause it. But bad things happen to people all the time. I've never been so depressed that I thought I'd go get drunk or go find some cocaine. That's just me though.

11-16-2011, 04:09 PM	#3
mirex Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 473 Senior Member	Good post...and quite the conumdrum. The CC is responsiple for the health, welfare & discipline of their command BUT...the system can be pretty damn slow to help those who need it most resulting in "damaged" goods becoming "broken" goods. Drug use definitly has to be punished and you're right, the CC has some leeway. In my time in the AF from 1981 to about 2005 I always thought/believed ALL drug users who popped hot got kicked out under "zero tolerance." Then in my last couple of years it seems like they pulled back...not much but a little. I had a gal who worked for me that the CC did not prefer charges on (wrongful use of perscription drugs)...admititly it was a weak case but she deserved some type of punishment. Then I knew a MSgt who popped hot for the weed...he was CM'd and did a little jail time but kept his stripe and was allowed to retire. I compare that to another MSgt with almost exact same circumstances and excuse (I didn't know it was pot) back around 1995...CM'd with a hard bust & Bad Conduct discharge. The times thay's achanging...again! I understand it is difficult for some people to adjust when they have experiences while deployed like the three in the article in Stripes but c'mon. One of them came up hot for marijuana, got sent to some program and came back from it and pissed hot again. Okay marijuana helps but it is illegal right now. Then the ones who popped for cocaine - really? Mixing alcohol and cocaine... The Army does need to do a better job in taking care of soldiers after they return from combat and the people at Carson sounded like they were more worried about money than anything but at the same time, I'm not going to feel sorry for someone who took an easy way out. Using drugs, alcohol, that's not solving the problem of PTSD or pain issues. That is making the problem worse and now you've just added a possible addiction to your problem. I don't have PTSD and hope I never experience anything that would cause it. But bad things happen to people all the time. I've never been so depressed that I thought I'd go get drunk or go find some cocaine. That's just me though.
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