The military has faced problems with sailors and alcohol abuse since the inception of the navy over 200 years ago. Today, alcohol is a major part of the American culture and is present at almost every major social function. With alcohol so readily available, the question leaders answer is how to manage alcohol use in a way that maintains operational efficiency and good morale within the Navy. It is common knowledge that during the formative years of the United States Navy alcohol played a major role in maritime life for sailors of all ranks. While out to sea, alcohol was used as a motivating force for the crew of any ship. Larger rations of alcohol were awarded for good performance and for poor performance; rations were limited or denied all together. In that time, this was the standard operating procedure for the military in general and was an accepted practice. Presently, due to the high level of risk involved with today’s Naval operations and the expected level of performance out of every sailor in the Navy, the use of alcohol is accompanied by strict rules and guidelines set by the Navy along with federal laws regarding alcohol in the workplace. According to OPNAVINST 5350.4D, “Alcohol and drug abuse undermines combat readiness and is incompatible with the maintenance of high standards of performance and military discipline” (OPNAVINST 5350.4D, p. 2). “Because of these negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse, the Department of Defense has set forth a comprehensive set of policies and programs to monitor, regulate, and/or eliminate drug and alcohol abuse among military personnel” (Bray, et al, 2012, p. 477). Alcohol abuse affects a sailor’s performance, ability to react to strenuous situations, and often negatively affe... ... middle of paper ... ... personally and professionally. Works Cited Bray, R. M., Marsden, M. E., Herbold, J. R., Peterson, M. R. (1992). Progress Toward Eliminating Drug and Alcohol Abuse among U.S. Military Personnel. Armed Forces & Society, 18. Jacobson, I. G., Ryan, M. A. K., Hooper, T. I., Smith, T. C., Amoroso, P. J., Boyko, E. J., Gackstetter, G. D., Wells, T. S., Bell, N. S. (2008). Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problem Before and After Military Combat Deployment. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 6. Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Gordon, C. J.(2009). Leadership: Enhancing The Lessons of Experience. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Navy Personnel Command. Retrieved from http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/nadap/Pages/default2.aspx Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, (2009). OPNAV INSTRUCTION 5350.4D. Department of the Navy, N135.
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It’s estimated that 1.64 million US troops have been deployed to Iraq since 2001. And while most of the soldiers return to civilian live without incident, it’s estimated that one-third of these veterans will struggle with Post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression. Another aspect affecting our troops is alcoholism. Due to the unfathomable horrors witnessed by our veterans, many turn to alcohol to cope.
Substance abuse inhibits mission accomplishment. Many jobs are hard enough when we are in the right frame of mind, it can only be imagined how difficult it may be when we are impaired by the use of substances. Unfortunately, this happens and when it does, risk is significantly increased and lives can be at stake. Being under the influence whether directly or indirectly as in hung over will impair judgment in decisions needing to be made,
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Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
About 1.3 million adults received treatment for an alcohol use disorder at a specialized facility just in 2013. According to the Proquest database, alcoholism is commonly referred to as the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The world health organization estimates there are 140 million alcoholics worldwide. Alcoholism can lead to ca crashes, crimes, violence, abuse, reduced workplace activity and illness. Also according to centers for disease control and prevention, excessive alcohol use is the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death in America. This paper will examine the pro, con, and my viewpoint on whether or not alcoholism is caused by a lack of willpower or not.
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Due to, Alcohol is the most deadly drug in the world, and “considering the economic cost and the price in human suffering of substance abuse, it seems imperative that counselors be trained in all aspects of substance abuse, intervention, and prevention” (Stevens, 2009). Therefore, with the purpose of gaining experience attending any recovery group for my Human Behavior class assignment I went to observe an AA meeting with three of my class of Human Behavior.
Alcohol consumption is prevalent in our society; people drink while at parties, sporting events, and at dinner. Drinking is socially acceptable and legal, so there is no surprised that many drink. However, individuals can be deemed deviant if they exceed a certain level of drinking. The deviant receives the label of an alcoholic; to distinguish their behavior is outside the normal values of our society. “Nearly one-third of the US population will meet criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence within their lifetime” (Young, 2011). Alcoholism is considered deviant because the person drinks excessively and frequently disregarding the safety of themselves and others. Society stigmatizes these individual as clinically ill; their behavior is a result of disease which needs to be addressed and treated, in order to provide safety for the public. Alcoholism not only affects the public’s safety however it influences how the individual interacts with others, their ability to perform on the job, and has considerable health related risk. These behaviors and attitudes fuel the drive to treat alcoholics; in hopes that their behavior will go into remission since once an alcoholic always an alcoholic.
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