Random tests help deter drug use Published April 4, 2008 By Holly Birchfield 78th ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, Ga. -- The Air Force has zero tolerance for drug use. The Drug Demand Reduction Program, an Air Force-wide random drug testing program established in the late 1970s, is a force the military branch uses to deter illegal drug use. All active-duty military members can be tested at random. However, only civilians in drug testing designated positions are eligible. On any given testing day, an Air Force developed computer-based program randomly calls up a number of codes tied to specific positions held by civilians on base. Slater Thorpe, Drug Demand Reduction Program manager assistant in the 78th Medical Operations Squadron, said people whose position codes are chosen are then notified and given two hours from that time to participate in a drug test. "With civilians, once they're selected for drug testing, each civilian's unit is assigned what is called a 'drug testing trusted agent,'" he said. Once individuals are randomly selected for drug testing, a drug testing notification letter is prepared and faxed to the drug testing trusted agent. The trusted agent then notifies the person's supervisor and the supervisor meets with the individual in private and the person and the supervisor sign and date the letter indicating that the person has been notified for testing. Mr. Thorpe said Airmen are a different case. "With military, everybody is eligible to be randomly selected if they're on active duty, regardless of rank," he said. "Once the person is selected for testing, my job is to notify the unit commander. The unit commander then orders the person to come over and provide the sample." Mr. Thorpe said Airmen must report to the testing site in Bldg. 207 with two copies of their notification letter and their military identification card. Once on site, an Airman's ID is confirmed and the Airman's letters are stamped. Airmen take one copy to their unit's orderly room and the other is kept with the DDRP for filing, Mr. Thorpe said. Military and civilian members follow somewhat different rules for testing, Mr. Thorpe said. While civilians can provide a urine sample in the privacy of a bathroom stall, Airmen must be directly observed. Airmen's urine samples are sent to Brooks City-Base, Texas, for testing, while civilian samples are tested at the Army Laboratory at Fort Meade, Md. Reporting of results varies greatly. Airmen's samples are further scrutinized after they're processed, Mr. Thorpe said. "When the results come back, the individual's medical and dental records are reviewed to determine that there is no valid prescription for the medication that (the person) came up positive for," he said. If it's determined that there was no valid prescription, a letter is prepared for the individual's commander. The 78th Security Forces Squadron receives a copy of the same letter, the Staff Judge Advocate, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program also receives a copy. Mr. Thorpe said the Staff Judge Advocate and the Airman's commander determine suitable discipline and notify the Airman. For civilians, the process is much different. A notification letter is sent to the person's employee relations specialist and the person's supervisor is notified in cases of positive drug use. A medical review officer notifies the person of the positive results and determines what medicines were prescribed at the time, Mr. Thorpe said. Lt. Col. Christopher Robinson, 78th MDOS commander, said civilians who test positive could face negative impact on their careers. For Airmen, the punishment is greater. Airmen who test positive for drugs face criminal prosecution as well as discharge from the military, Colonel Robinson said. Colonel Robinson said the Air Force has the lowest incident of drug use in services in the Department of Defense because of the strict drug testing program. Results from the random drug testing vary from year to year, Mr. Thorpe said. Within the last year, eight military members at Robins tested positive for drug use, Mr. Thorpe said. In Fiscal 2006, 11 Airmen tested positive, and that number climbed to 13 in Fiscal 2007. In fiscal 2006, 15 out of 1,540 civilians tested positive. In fiscal 2007, 20 out of 1,609 civilians tested were positive for drug use. So far in fiscal 2008, six out of 1,003 civilians tested produced positive results. Maj. Wendy Travis, Medical Health Flight commander in the 78th MDOS, said the random drug testing program is an important function used to protect the Air Force mission. Colonel Robinson, who formerly managed the DDRP for the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., said the program is probably the most successful drug prevention program the Armed Forces has ever undertaken. "People know that if you are randomly selected and you have a drug positive, you will suffer the consequences of that," he said. "The numbers from the '80s to the current levels have reduced dramatically such that with very few exceptions we have a largely drug free Air Force."