JBADD: MORE THAN A FREE RIDE

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. William Banton
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENODRF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  For some service members, the difference between a memorable Saturday night out and a career changing mistake can be a free ride home.

The volunteers who support Joint Base Against Drunk Driving hope to eliminate this problem one free ride at a time.

"I think the big thing is that this program is for JBER," said Airman 1st Class Renee Boustead, JBADD president and an air crew flight equipment specialist with the 3rd Operations Support Squadron. "We gather volunteers to help each other out and to minimize, and potentially get rid of [instances of driving under the influence] on this installation.

"I know it sounds kind of corny but we are a big family and we need to be there to support each other, and I think that this program is definitely geared towards that," Boustead said.

The first incarnation of the JBADD Program started prior to joint basing at both Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson.

"The Soldiers Against Drunk Driving Program began in 2008, and that was actually when I first got up here so I didn't know what it was until I was taking it over," said Sgt. Tim Kacillas, JBER Better Opportunity for Single Service members president.

"Essentially the Fort Richardson DUI rates were astronomical, so they worked with a lot of the local community about getting a vehicle and they set up this program for a designated driver."

Since its inception the JBER community has started to utilize the program, it has reduced the number of DUIs, and is free to service members and fully confidential.

"We aren't going to route it up your chain, ask you your rank or anything like that," Boustead said.

This year alone more than 580 volunteers have donated approximately 2,500 hours helping to save more than 540 people from driving intoxicated.

"Now that it is a joint program, there are definitely a higher number of volunteers," Boustead said. "The numbers of saves are going up also, because now that it is a combined program, we are able to advertise a lot more and get our name out there."

In order for the programs to merge, the Air Force program had to be disbanded, allowing the BOSS designated driver program to support all the service members on JBER.

The current program is funded through BOSS; prior to the merger, the Airmen Against Drunk Driving program was supported and funded 100 percent by volunteers.

"We still have that original little minivan, but now we are joint based so it took us a couple of years to really actually get these two programs to mesh well. On the Air Force side it was a private organization but on the Army side it was run by BOSS," Kacillas said.
The process of joining the two programs helped reduce the financial restraints the Air Force's volunteer-run program may have been subject to due to gas prices.

"This way we can get sponsors and we can do income-generating, so we can find ways to support the program a little bit better, rather than people having to pay out-of-pocket for gas and snacks," Kacillas said. "We fill up the vehicles that are being utilized, we pay for the fuel there and we are working on getting a sponsor for the snacks and drinks and stuff, but the Arctic Chill gives us a discount on their food."

The current program has a service member-run counsel to help implement new policies while running the program and organizing the volunteers.

"I just want everyone to know that we are here for every single rank," Boustead said. "No matter who you are, your position or anything like that, we are here to save you."