Drugs don't fly with the 509th

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Greene
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Team Whiteman has heard the motto "Drugs don't fly with the 509th." From the Airman fresh out of technical school to a Major with multiple deployments, it has saturated all levels of command under the 509th Bomb Wing.

"The Department of Defense created one of the strongest deterrents in the world- regular drug testing," said James Taylor, 509th Bomb Wing Demand Reduction Program manager. "We want to have a drug free force that is ready to defend our nation."

Mr. Taylor is pioneering the way the U.S. Air Force and Whiteman uphold this motto. Since retiring from the Air Force, Mr. Taylor has worked for 13 years in civil service at Whiteman. He leads seminars to train people in this area and has become a subject matter expert. His co-instructor, Patty Sveda, works for AF Reserve command at Robbins Air Force Base, Ga.

Mr. Taylor's office recently initiated a mass Demand Reduction here where nearl67y personnel were randomly chosen and tested. Included in the event were 16 units, at 10 different testing locations on base, all at the unit level. There were personnel within each of the 16 units who were trained on collecting samples and performed just that on test day. According to Mr. Taylor, this was the first mass test in which individual units did the collecting.

Commanders selected the site managers, the site manager's then and selected more than 30 collectors and the observers were chosen on day of test as to keep level of secrecy high. The DR office oversaw the operation, but did not collect any samples on test day.

"Why is this important? Performing a mass test at the unit level base-wide, allowed other Airmen to witness the zero tolerance policy and how serious the 509th BW is about the policy," said Mr. Taylor. "It promoted deterrence while keeping Airmen close to work and allowing for a more secure area."

Really good shape equates to statistical data and according to Mr. Taylor, Whiteman sits at .30 percent, or less than a third of one percent of our personnel, tested positive. In the last ten months the Air Force has tested 351,525 samples and found only .50 percent, or one half of one percent tested positive compared to the benchmark 1970's statistics where 25 percent of Airmen were found to be using illicit drugs, Mr. Taylor added.

Mr. Taylor and the other members of the Cross Functional Oversight Committee are in place to gauge attitudes of Airmen and look at atmospheres in different squadrons and shops. The core of the Demand Reduction Program and zero tolerance policy is to deter people from using.

"The unknown statistic is really the most important," said Mr. Taylor. "That being, how many people we deter simply because the program exists."

Whiteman is unique in its mass DR test. It was a culmination for Mr. Taylor of all the years of being trained and in turn passing on his wisdom to the bigger Air Force community...

"We want people to adopt a culture of responsible choices in which they are aware of the environment and are able to remove themselves from a bad environment," Mr. Taylor said.