Senior Army leaders in Alaska are promising extra day without work for his or her troopers in the event that they cease failing drug exams and do not get caught consuming and driving.
Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commander of the eleventh Airborne Division, issued a set of insurance policies in an Aug. 11 memo outlining that any firm, troop or battery underneath his command will earn a time off if that entire formation stays DUI- and drug-free for 90 days.
Commanders throughout the pressure this 12 months have been eyeing new methods to spice up troopers’ high quality of life, with extra day without work a key goal. Navy bases in Alaska are among the most distant installations within the Pentagon’s portfolio and have lengthy grappled with psychological well being and suicide issues plaguing the rank and file.
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Fort Wainwright, the place a lot of the eleventh Airborne is stationed, can see temperatures fall as little as negative-55 levels fahrenheit within the winter. Troopers will be remoted from their households resulting from time zone variations, and the lengthy distance from a lot of the continental U.S. makes journey dwelling troublesome and costly. Final 12 months, commanders took steps to restrict the sale of alcohol, ceasing on-post gross sales after 10 p.m.
Commanders in Alaska have lobbied to deliver extra psychological well being professionals to their bases, amid lengthy wait instances only for preliminary appointments. However recruiting well being suppliers to maneuver to Alaska has been a problem. Units have additionally carried out extra applications that goal to spice up morale and fight psychological well being issues, resembling free or backed out of doors actions together with mountaineering, searching and snowboarding, in addition to jiujitsu.
The providers have lengthy suffered from substance-abuse points, notably alcohol.
“Extreme alcohol use, particularly binge and heavy consuming, represents a critical menace to pressure readiness throughout the Division of Protection,” in accordance with a examine from Sage Journals, printed in February. “Although these behaviors are a matter of particular person service member selection, they’re influenced by perceptions of the tradition of alcohol use within the army.”
The brand new coverage additionally says that if a battalion stays DUI- and drug-free for 90 days, your entire formation will probably be granted a four-day weekend. If a complete brigade manages it, troops will get both a four-day weekend or two, three-day weekends. To qualify, these formations should be drug testing a minimum of 10% of their troops every month.
Alaska and different formations throughout the Army additionally carried out insurance policies for particular person troopers to earn further depart, by having them obtain duties resembling graduating Ranger Faculty or visiting a glacier. Service leaders are additionally wanting into lifting alcohol restrictions in barracks, although these guidelines are not often adopted anyway. The change, which might permit troopers to maintain a bigger provide of alcohol of their rooms, is aimed toward protecting them from going out for extra booze whereas they’re drunk, doubtlessly resulting in DUIs.
— Steve Beynon will be reached at Steve.Beynon@army.com. Observe him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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