Harsh Treatment for Marines Who Use Drugs

[unhappycamper]

(Part Five of a Five-Part Series)

Read Part One: War Vets Fighting Addiction
Read Part Two: Self-Medicating Medics
Read Part Three: Hidden Wounds Lead to Drugs
Read Part Four: Stoned and Stonewalled at Bragg



Harsh Treatment for Marines Who Use Drugs
ABC News | November 30, 2007

U.S. Marines caught using illegal drugs often face harsh punishment from the military, according to counselors, veterans' advocates and military defense attorneys. Marines have been kicked out of the service with loss of benefits, or even thrown in jail despite their claim that they turned to drugs to cope with their battlefield experiences in Iraq.

While the Marine Corps does provide substance abuse and counseling, experts say rehabilitation often loses out to punishment and discipline.

"Use drugs? You're gone. There is not any great interest in rehabilitating; there's not any great interest in tending to these people," said attorney David Brahms, a former Marine general who has many Marines clients. "It is a waste of resources; it is a waste of energy. Why tend to people who we want to, and are going to, throw out?"

When he decided he wanted to help serve his country, Lance Cpl. Matt McLauchlin chose to enter the Marine Corps, an elite branch of the military renowned for its strong tradition of commitment and discipline.

"My grandfather, he was a Marine, so I figured&to join the best," said McLauchlin, was was deployed to Iraq out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

McLauchlin was injured in Iraq when insurgents shot a rocket into the middle of his base. The blast killed one Marine, injured several others and almost killed McLauchlin, who had a severed artery in his shoulder and shrapnel in his spine.


Rest of this really excellent series at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,157304,00.html

[MADem]

1. This deserves to be kicked all day. R as well! NT

[PDJane]

2. This is more proof, if any is needed,

That enlisted personnel are just expendable cattle in the eyes of the pentagon.

[slay]

3. K&R for this VERY important series

Why is it we are free to get shit-faced drunk, but smoke one joint and your kicked out and labeled a "drug user" for life? WTF?!?! Cigarettes and alcohol are both drugs, but oh yeah, the government makes a TON of money off taxing those. This whole drug war is stupid and needs to be stopped ASAP before more lives are needlessly ruined. :(

[TahitiNut]

5. Booze is a depressant - pot is not.

In terms of coping mentally and emotionally, pot make far more sense than booze. Booze is right in the middle of the path toward suicide.

There's virtually no support for the psychological trauma suffered in a combat zone. Self-medication is, under such conditions, almost unavoidable. It's beyond unreasonable to place such burdens on emotionally immature young people, compounding the damages of the stress to which they're subjected.

[pleah]

4. I remember when

almost everyone in the 70's got high. Everyone was happy. Then the narcs appeared on the scene, and everything changed. Now, everyone is hot tempered, mad about everything and generally pissed off all the time. That is why the government does not want people to get high (I'm talking about pot). Then they condition us to hate other cultures. So when they invade other countries, we will be gun ho to go!

[rakeeb]

6. I remember when I left LA MEPS for the Army in 1993

we had to pass the drug test in our physical prior to shipping, the guys leaving for Marine boot were not tested in LA, they were to be tested at MCRD, and if they came up positive, they got to spend time in the brig before getting kicked out.
Years later I watched the shop foreman for our Bn motor pool busted for smoking pot, he was reduced one grade for about 6 months, the same month, one of our intel guys got busted for coke and a commo guy got busted for meth, they were both kicked out. The disparity was based on what kind of clearance was required for the MOS, (and withdrawn when busted).