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Fort Richardson soldiers just back from a year in Afghanistan have been getting too many DUIs, so Army leaders are requiring some units to report for duty for 90 minutes at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, said public affairs officer Maj. Matt Gregory.
Gregory wouldn't say how many soldiers in the 3,500-member 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division have been charged with driving under the influence. "It is higher than we would like it to be," he said. "When a soldier knows he has to come into work the next day, the soldier will not go out and overindulge in any activities," said Gregory. That's the reason behind the "accountability formations" planned on the weekend mornings, he said. "You show up, they call your name off the roll, and for 90 minutes they might get a class on DUI or on alcohol." Two of six battalions in the brigade have demonstrated they have adequate plans in place to counsel their troops, and to identify soldiers who may be at risk and talk to them, and members of those battalions will not have to report for the extra weekend duty, Gregory said. Lt. Dave Parker of the Anchorage Police Department said as part of the Army's response, he's been asked to talk to some soldiers today about the consequences of a DUI conviction, which adds up to about $25,000 for a first offense -- court/attorney fees, fines, insurance costs, impound fees, etc. "These soldiers have fought for 12 months in Afghanistan. They've done some amazing things," said Gregory. "To see one of them killed here in Anchorage for something we could have prevented is not something we're willing to accept."