Miltary soldiers and substance abuse - Research Paper Example

Substance and drug abuse in the military is a public and national threat to the security of a country because such behaviors distract the preparedness of the force. Furthermore, the habit may result to military personnel undermining the authority and strict orders that function to enhance the efficiency of the military, as well as risking their lives. The issue of drugs in the military is not something new: it began during the Vietnam between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Records indicate that more 20% of the veterans of the Vietnam War reported using narcotic drugs on a weekly basis, with another 20% showing signs of addictions.

After the Vietnam War, a few military personnel continued with the regular use of the narcotics, especially heroin and opium. There was some considerable reduction in the percentage of usage, but concerns were high regarding addiction. With the prevalence of the drugs problem within the force, Cushman ordered a crackdown on military personnel abusing drugs in the mid-1970s (Ruiz and Strain, 2011). Consequently, all military troops were confined to their respective bases, with increase in guard patrols and a thorough search on all personnel entering the bases.

In addition to these measures, there were numerous establishments of emergency medical clinics across the forces. The military command also engaged in sensitizing the personnel on the physical and legal consequences of substance abuse through all available media. The authorities published and distributed pamphlets to platoon leaders. Creation of drug abuse councils followed, with the initial duty to travel from unit to unit addressing the issue. These education programs seemed to fail in rooting out the issue, the command turned to punishment.

However, the judicial system established could not court marshal all the soldiers, thus they turned to administrative discharges to get rid of