You’re going to kill someone, stupid

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Christopher Tancredi
  • 43rd Airlift Wing
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) --  Recently, the wing had a rash of driving-under-the-influence charges, on and off base. The offenders were enlisted, officers and civilians. One of these days, someone is going to kill him or herself or someone else.

I know what you are thinking: “Not me.” Everyone says that, but it happens. What if it is you who kills an innocent person, child or loved one? Can you live with that? I can’t imagine waking up and looking in the mirror and realizing I hurt an innocent bystander because I did something stupid.

By now, we have all gotten the message on DUIs: they can’t be tolerated. And we have all heard how devastating a DUI charge can be on your career. So let’s take a minute and look at a few career-limiting consequences.

If apprehended in town (trust me, sooner or later, they all get caught) your punishment can vary based on a number of factors. First, you could receive jail time resulting in an absent-without-leave status. Your license will be suspended. Average costs run between $2,000 - $3,000 for increased fines and court costs. And your insurance will go up.

How much? Let’s say you are a 25-year old single male driving a Ford Mustang. Before your DUI, you had a good driving record and paid around $2,000 a year for full coverage. After your DUI, your insurance could jump to $8,000 a year. Ouch! As a side note, if you or any of your passengers have an open container of alcohol, you each get charged with one insurance point and the offense is counted as an alcohol incident, throwing you into a higher risk category.

For on-base DUIs, commanders can reduce ranks and impose fines. Each stripe above senior airman gives you about $300 in pay, and if you lose that staff sergeant stripe, you also lose $60 in base allowance housing per month. That is a total loss of more than $4,200 in pay annually.

A DUI normally results in an Article 15 (on base), a letter of reprimand or a unfavorable information file (both off base), suspension of on-base driving privileges for 12 months, reduction in performance report ratings and elimination for consideration of recognition. The damage to your record is significant and extremely difficult to overcome. You immediately lose about 20 Weighted Airman Promotion System points due to the referral enlisted performance rate. Best case, it will take five years to overcome the points lost for promotion.

The final cost is an altered reputation and loss of pride for you and your organization. Your reputation is marred, as you have let yourself, your unit and your Air Force down. Your unit’s character is suddenly questioned because of one member’s actions. The community questions Air Force values when they see or hear about a DUI. Don’t let a lapse in judgment impact our reputation with the community we protect.

There are multiple safety nets out there to help you avoid this life-changing event. Plan ahead if you choose to drink. Select a designated driver, know who to call when you need a ride, stay the night, walk, etc.

Not only could it save you money and a lot of trouble, it could save lives.