The current Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, is quoted as saying ‘improving readiness is the benchmark for everything we do; it should guide our decision making process’.  Nowhere is readiness more important than the readiness of our soldiers.  Nowhere is the readiness of our soldiers tested more than in the daily decisions made by the individual in regard to their mental and physical health and wellness.  The Army Substances Abuse Prevention Program is designed to empower soldiers in their decision making process as it relates to alcohol and drugs.

The unique challenge to leadership within the Army National Guard is the citizen soldier.  The active duty component has a level of control over its soldiers that is not available to the National Guard.  Citizen Soldiers are expected to represent Army Values at the same level as their full time counterparts, with the added challenge of walking in the shoes of everyday civilians.

The Army Substance Abuse Prevention Program is a two hour block of instruction for traditional MDay Soldiers (four hour block for full time staff) designed to make soldiers aware of the power of choice.  Included in the training is an overview of AR 600-85, the circumstances for a Command Referral and the process of Self-Referral, as well as the Army’s Limited Use Policy.

Ultimately the Army Substance Abuse Prevention Program is a Commander’s tool.  Every Commander’s mission is to ensure the readiness of the Unit.  The ASAP program is designed to call awareness to every single soldier and their duty to make Strong Choices as it relates to drugs and alcohol.  The ultimate goal is to ensure the readiness of every Citizen Soldier for life!!