TOP STORY >>DUI is a crime, not a mistake

By Col. Wayne Schatz
314th Airlift Wing commander

Team Little Rock, over the past several weeks, we've had a rash of poor judgment. Drinking and driving incidents are on the rise.

Because I'm concerned for the safety and well-being of our Airmen, families and neighbors, I've asked our Vice Wing Commander, Col. Dave Watson, to lead a task force that will develop a campaign plan to promote responsible alcohol use.
You will hear more about the actions we'll take to discourage drinking and driving after the team finishes its work.
Drinking and driving while impaired is unacceptable and is a crime on and off base. Let me be absolutely clear – drinking and driving is not a mistake or simple mis-judgment of the situation.

A mistake is an incorrect, unwise act or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information or care. We're all human, we all make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes, grow from them and move on. That's how we become better Airmen.
It is a proven fact that drunken drivers put themselves and others at serious risk of injury and death. It is simply not acceptable in our wing, on our base, or in our Air Force. Anyone convicted of drinking and driving will be punished to the full extent of the law.

If my designated driver – my Wingman – left me behind, my plan failed. Airmen Against Drunk Driving is there in case your plan fails; our first shirts and squadron commanders are there to provide trusted counsel and support if needed. Every unit on base hands out cards that list phone numbers to call in case your responsible alcohol use plan fails. Use these resources. Don't put yourself or others at risk.

Make the right decision for you and for your family. We lose service members everyday to IED attacks in Iraq and to insurgent uprisings in Afghanistan.

Service dress-clad commanders and chaplains deliver the most horrible news a family would ever imagine to hear when an Airman is killed.

Don't put your family through this same grief by something you have complete control over. Stay smart, use good common sense, and practice sound personal risk management when drinking alcohol. Be safe and be responsible. Your life, and the lives of others, depends on your good judgment.
Don't drink and drive.