Fixing this ASAP

Army Regulation 600-85 §3-2f requires that "Unit commanders that identify Soldiers who have abused alcohol must refer then within 5 working days for screening, education/training and/or rehabilitation as necessary."

But that doesn't necessarily mean they'll get the treatment they need.

According to an article in USA Today, the Army's Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) is failing badly. Twenty seven of the Army's 54 are below professionally accepted standards for care (including ours here in Daegu), with another 22 that are borderline. Only five are in good shape.

As a company commander, this creates problems for me. In December, I referred three underage drinkers to ASAP (underage drinking is a headache because the minimum drinking age in South Korea in only 19). I'd like to have confidence that the system works the way it should, but there's there a lot of evidence to the contrary.

In Yongsan Garrison, the Army installation in Seoul, there are only two counselors for 5,700 soldiers (plus other U.S. military). yet several people who had clear signs of alcoholism or drug abuse have been turned away improperly. Given that alcohol-related incidents (and almost every off-post incident involves alcohol) can very quickly become international ones, it stands that ASAP should be a greater priority.

Yet the problem seems to have gotten worse since 2010, when responsibility for the ASAP program moved from the Surgeon General's Office to the Installation Management Command (IMCOM). Since then, non-medical directors have emphasized reporting and administrative needs, rather than focusing on the quality of care. Instead of treating soldiers, counselors have had to take time away from sessions to shovel snow, mop floors, clean toilets, and take out trash.

As a result, attrition has been high. Fifty eight clinical directors have left, including three dozen because of conflicts with management.

This is no way to run an Army program. If the Army is going to be serious about retaining good soldiers who've experienced problems, it's going to have to do better.