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188th instructs members on dangers of alcohol abuse during awareness event

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Hillier
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Airmen from the 188th Fighter Wing came together May 12 to take part in the wing's Alcohol Abuse Awareness Day. Invited guests spoke to a full house, sharing their personal stories about the damage alcohol had caused in their lives.

"In the Air Force, we don't tend to have a lot of drug problems, said Geoff Gibson, Wing Director of Psychological Health. "Mostly, it's alcohol. People will drink socially, sometimes to excess, but they can still clean up and do a good job at work during mission hours. Meanwhile, other parts of their life - their marriage, their legal situation - are being eroded."

One of the points emphasized by each speaker was that people with alcohol addiction don't think about their problem in the same way that everyone else does. It is often difficult for them to realize that they have a problem, and they become skilled at hiding its effects from others.

"Human beings are very adaptable and we don't want to recognize that there's a problem," Gibson said. "Someone may say 'I've had a few close calls, I almost got pulled over for driving under the influence, I had an affair, but I didn't get caught... so I must not have a problem.' As humans, we're really good at adapting to that, but we're fooling ourselves. People usually don't change, as our speaker said, until they hit bottom - something that helps them see that what they're doing is causing them damage."
With the recent high-profile instances of sexual assault within the military, this observance was especially timely. The dangerous link between alcohol abuse and sexual assaults was one of the focuses of the day's program.

"The majority of sexual assaults in the Air Force and the civilian population are related to alcohol in some way," Gibson said. "We're trying to protect our members from any kind of sexual assault or harassment, and alcohol abuse is a large part of that. Inappropriate drinking on temporary duty, deployments or exercises could result in our members being assaulted or permitting an assault. It could result in affairs or other behaviors that will put our membership at risk. Alcohol is a facilitator and a companion with so many behaviors that are inconsistent with Air Force core values."

Also part of the day's events was a drunk driving simulator. Participants drove a golf cart through a course while wearing goggles that simulated the disorientation and impaired vision that comes with being under the influence.

"We did it to give people an idea of how they drive under the influence," said Senior Master Sgt. Mike Francis, 188th Fighter Wing ground safety manager. "It doesn't give you the same impaired judgment or reduced reaction time, but it does give you a sense of being intoxicated. It seemed to be a pretty big eye-opener to most people."

The goggles simulated a blood alcohol level of .07 to .1 percent, which is more than the legal limit in the State of Arkansas. It would take most people only a drink or two to equal the goggles' dizzying effects.

"It made me feel like my vision was a little off," said Airman 1st Class Spenser Lewis, an accounting technician with Comptroller Flight. "The goggles distorted what I saw, so it looked like I was a lot closer to the cones than I actually was. When I tried to point [the cart] where I wanted it to go, it went a different direction."

There are several resources on base and in the surrounding community to turn to if you are in need of assistance, or know someone who needs assistance. The Wing Director of Psychological Health or the 188th Chaplain's Office are always on call, and can aid members in finding the help they need.

"Whenever there's anybody abusing alcohol or any other substance, usually there's somebody else out there who's enabling that behavior," Gibson said. "Their spouse, their kids or their employer - somebody knows about it and they're not being a good wingman for that person. We need to love each other and help each other, but we also need to hold each other responsible."

188th instructs members on dangers of alcohol abuse during awareness event

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Hillier
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Airmen from the 188th Fighter Wing came together May 12 to take part in the wing's Alcohol Abuse Awareness Day. Invited guests spoke to a full house, sharing their personal stories about the damage alcohol had caused in their lives.

"In the Air Force, we don't tend to have a lot of drug problems, said Geoff Gibson, Wing Director of Psychological Health. "Mostly, it's alcohol. People will drink socially, sometimes to excess, but they can still clean up and do a good job at work during mission hours. Meanwhile, other parts of their life - their marriage, their legal situation - are being eroded."

One of the points emphasized by each speaker was that people with alcohol addiction don't think about their problem in the same way that everyone else does. It is often difficult for them to realize that they have a problem, and they become skilled at hiding its effects from others.

"Human beings are very adaptable and we don't want to recognize that there's a problem," Gibson said. "Someone may say 'I've had a few close calls, I almost got pulled over for driving under the influence, I had an affair, but I didn't get caught... so I must not have a problem.' As humans, we're really good at adapting to that, but we're fooling ourselves. People usually don't change, as our speaker said, until they hit bottom - something that helps them see that what they're doing is causing them damage."
With the recent high-profile instances of sexual assault within the military, this observance was especially timely. The dangerous link between alcohol abuse and sexual assaults was one of the focuses of the day's program.

"The majority of sexual assaults in the Air Force and the civilian population are related to alcohol in some way," Gibson said. "We're trying to protect our members from any kind of sexual assault or harassment, and alcohol abuse is a large part of that. Inappropriate drinking on temporary duty, deployments or exercises could result in our members being assaulted or permitting an assault. It could result in affairs or other behaviors that will put our membership at risk. Alcohol is a facilitator and a companion with so many behaviors that are inconsistent with Air Force core values."

Also part of the day's events was a drunk driving simulator. Participants drove a golf cart through a course while wearing goggles that simulated the disorientation and impaired vision that comes with being under the influence.

"We did it to give people an idea of how they drive under the influence," said Senior Master Sgt. Mike Francis, 188th Fighter Wing ground safety manager. "It doesn't give you the same impaired judgment or reduced reaction time, but it does give you a sense of being intoxicated. It seemed to be a pretty big eye-opener to most people."

The goggles simulated a blood alcohol level of .07 to .1 percent, which is more than the legal limit in the State of Arkansas. It would take most people only a drink or two to equal the goggles' dizzying effects.

"It made me feel like my vision was a little off," said Airman 1st Class Spenser Lewis, an accounting technician with Comptroller Flight. "The goggles distorted what I saw, so it looked like I was a lot closer to the cones than I actually was. When I tried to point [the cart] where I wanted it to go, it went a different direction."

There are several resources on base and in the surrounding community to turn to if you are in need of assistance, or know someone who needs assistance. The Wing Director of Psychological Health or the 188th Chaplain's Office are always on call, and can aid members in finding the help they need.

"Whenever there's anybody abusing alcohol or any other substance, usually there's somebody else out there who's enabling that behavior," Gibson said. "Their spouse, their kids or their employer - somebody knows about it and they're not being a good wingman for that person. We need to love each other and help each other, but we also need to hold each other responsible."