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Alcohol and Other Drugs Plague Soldiers in Iraq
July 25, 2005

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Research Summary

Alcohol and drug offenses are the second and third most common charges (after dereliction of duty) brought against soldiers of a National Guard unit in Iraq, and military officials say that alcohol and other drug problems are common throughout the forces deployed in Iraq, Stars and Stripes reported July 25.

"The Army is a microcosm of society," said Lt. Col. John Dunlap, the lead prosecutor for the 256th Brigade Combat Team, a National Guard unit from Louisiana. Dunlap said that soldiers involved in alcohol or other drugs at home typically bring their problems along overseas, and that alcohol and other drug use is especially prevalent among soldiers in their late teens or early 20s.

A review of the 256th's records show that between October 2004 and June 2005, the unit charged 99 soldiers with dereliction of duty, followed by 53 alcohol-related charges and 48 drug-related charges. The brigade has about 4,000 soldiers.

A recent cocaine bust got a lot of attention, but military officials in Iraq said that problems with alcohol, marijuana, Valium, hashish, and prescription drugs are more common. Contract workers on bases like Camp Liberty sell alcohol to soldiers, while soldiers on patrol can often buy hashish or Valium from locals. Marijuana is typically shipped via the mail from overseas.

"Some of the young soldiers just can't handle the stress" and turn to alcohol or drugs to self-medicate, said military defense lawyer Capt. Christopher Krafchek.

Most soldiers are charged with simple possession, and penalties for alcohol or other drug offenses range from jail time to demotions or bad-conduct discharges. But punishments are harsher for soldiers found to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs when they are about to be sent out on missions.

Many offenders serve their sentences in military jails in Kuwait and then are sent back to their units in Iraq. Offenders are typically caught via random drug tests, barracks searches, or via informants.

Drug-related offenses tend to peak in the middle of a unit's 12-month deployment -- after that, offenders risk being held behind for trial if they're caught, while the rest of their unit gets to leave Iraq.

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