Buckley’s AADD volunteers save lives, careers

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jim Randall
  • 460th Space Wing Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  In just more than 18 months, the Airmen Against Drunk Driving program here has helped save lives and careers by giving free rides to about 300 Airmen and Department of Defense civilians who may have had too much to drink.

The program started in February 2004, and dozens of volunteers have helped people get home safely.

“I used AADD once, and I made it home safely that night because of it,” said one AADD customer who asked to remain anonymous. “If I hadn't made the call, I could have ended up in a car accident or in jail.”

Volunteers are available 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week.

“The program is confidential and anonymous. We don't ask for names,” said Staff Sgt. Carly Leonard, AADD president. “The only thing we require is that participants have DOD identification cards.”

When people feel they may have had too much to drink, they call the base's AADD operator who answers the call and dispatches a volunteer to pick them up and return them to their residence. Three volunteers are on call weekdays, and five are available on weekends. Although volunteers are always available to help someone get home, having a designated driver is still the best way to drink responsibly.

AADD is not designed to take the place of personal responsibility or to replace a designated driver plan, Sergeant Leonard said. Ideally, everyone should have a plan to get home safely if they plan to drink. But having this program means there is no reason people should ever take chances with a DUI.

“This is a great program because it keeps people out of trouble and helps commanders, first sergeants and supervisors,” said Senior Master Sgt. Wayne Bishop, 460th Mission Support Squadron first sergeant. “Sometimes people are not comfortable calling someone in their chain of command. With AADD, people can call someone they don't even know and get a safe ride home.”

As a first sergeant, Sergeant Bishop has seen how drinking and driving can damage lives and careers.

“One DUI Airman ended up in a two-car accident that injured several people,” Sergeant Bishop said. “The individual responsible ended up getting court-martialed and spent time in confinement.”

When Sergeant Bishop asks people why they drove under the influence, he often hears the same answers.

“Everyone thinks that they are OK to drive. They don't realize they have had too much,” he said. “Drinking sometimes clouds people's judgment, and I think a lot of people don't realize how much it can impair their ability to drive.” (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service)