PURPOSE OF COUNSELING
1. To educate _NAME_ on the seriousness of driving while intoxicated and the consequences of receiving a DUI here at Fort Meade
2. To prevent injury to a Soldier or his career
KEY POINTS OF DISCUSSION
As an NCO, it is my responsibility to identify and correct behavior that affects our ability to accomplish the mission. More importantly it is my duty to watch out for our Soldiers. Yesterday, I was told that you drank three beers at the going-away luncheon for SSG Sweetland and then immediately drove away.
I don't know how impaired you were but this behavior is dangerous. Intoxicated driving is the number one cause of traffic fatalities and is a danger to you, your passengers, and anyone on the road. In addition, driving while intoxicated is a violation of Article 113 of the UCMJ and civilian law. If convicted, you would face civil and military charges and may even lose your security clearance. Any of these results would negatively affect your career and our section. We cannot afford to ignore behavior that could so easily jeopardize our team and affect our mission.
Maryland has two primary driving laws which regulate drunk driving:
Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) is the more serious infraction. Under Maryland law, a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol and is subject to a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and imprisonment for not more than one year.
The second law, Driving while Impaired, is used against drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.07 or more and carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and imprisonment for not more than 60 days.
In addition, on Fort Meade, Army regulations provide guidance for the treatment of alcohol-related incidents in general. If the percentage of alcohol in the driver's blood is between 0.05 and 0.10, the driver is considered to be impaired.
I understand that you did not intend to drive impaired and may not have considered yourself to be impaired but rules must be enforced. Drinking and driving is a serious offense and is not tolerated here. As your supervisor, it is my responsibility to protect Soldiers and correct unacceptable behavior. At this time I will be recommending that you lose your on-base driving privileges for one week. If I see or hear of any other incidents of driving after drinking, I will recommend an Article 15.
PLAN OF ACTION
I am recommending to the Commander that you lose your base driving privileges for one week to emphasize the negative consequences of driving while intoxicated.
If your driving privileges are suspended, I will pick you up and drive you to work and give you a ride home after work during that week.
Plan ahead if you plan to be drinking and use a designated driver. The Airmen Against Drunk Driving have volunteers who will give you a ride home if you've been drinking: call (443) 878-7230. Or you can always call me on my cell number or the Orderly Room.
LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES
Observe and assist ______ in changing his behavior.
Follow up with safety counseling before weekends or major events.
Make ______ aware of DUI-related events, discharges, and accidents that have affected members of our Battalion in the past.
