TOP STORY > >Cost of a DUI part 4: Emotional toll

By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

(Editor’s note: This is part four of a series on how DUIs impact Airmen and the mission.)

“It’s not just losing a stripe.”

Airman Johnson (not her real name and rank), a member of the 19th Mission Support Group, is coming to terms with the emotional cost of being charged with driving under the influence recently.

“It’s not just filling out paperwork or losing a stripe,” said Airman Johnson. “There’s the embarrassment, the guilt and every night thinking ‘Why didn’t I just stay (at my parents’ house)?’

“All you hear about is ‘Oh, you’re going to lose your license and you’re going to lose your stripe,’ but there’s more than that,” she added. “It’s sitting and waiting, the anxiety building. It’s taking away time from everybody. I can’t go anywhere without having somebody drive me. I’m inconveniencing supervisors, coworkers … everybody.”

Airman Johnson wants other Airmen to learn from the poor choices she made.

“I can’t express enough that it’s not worth it,” she said. “I wouldn’t have hurt myself or anybody else if I had stayed home for the night.”

As Airman Johnson’s story was chronicled in the June 3 edition of the Combat Airlifter, Airman Johnson attended a college graduation ceremony for a family member one Thursday evening. To celebrate, the family went out for dinner and Airman Johnson had two small glasses of wine.

She had a few alcoholic drinks while celebrating with her family and even drank water throughout the night.

“I had been drinking water throughout the night, so I felt sober enough [to drive home],” said Airman Johnson.

Later that evening, Airman Johnson was pulled over by local police for driving 7 mph over the speed limit. The police officer asked Airman Johnson to take a breathalyzer test and she blew .16.

Airman Jones has a pending demotion, was placed on a control roster and fired from her special duty assignment.

Setting the conditions for success means supervisors and Airmen should focus attention on responsible alcohol use by highlighting programs in place, such as having a plan or calling 987-AADD (2233) or a supervisor when an Airman has had too much to drink.

Part 5 in this series will give a personal account of someone who lost a loved one to a drunk driver and will appear in next week’s Combat Airlifter.