4 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
6. The Amnesty Program
The amnesty program instituted by the Army was perhaps a most
unique and imaginative initiative aimed at treatment and rehabilitation of
abusers. As early as March 1969, the 4th Infantry Division began the first
amnesty and rehabilita".icn program in Vietnam. Subsequently, USARV began
officially to encourage consianders to institute an amnesty and rehabilitation
program. The Army followed this initial encouragement with formal
action and published a letter in October 1969 giving added higher command
emphasis to the marijuana and d-ug suppression and rehabilitation programs.
During this period, both the public and military authorities
began seeing the abusers and addicts more as persons needing treatment and
rehabilitation rather than criminai prosecution. Moreover, di'ug affected
military personnel were encouraged to seek help and avail themselves of the
existing, albeit limited, amnesty programs which became available in
1970. 113/
A significant milestone in the amnesty program occurred on 27
April 1971 when the A-my directed that drug abusers/addicts be c(nqidared
for separation from the Army under honorable conditions according to the
provisions of Army Regulation (AR) 632-212. This regulation provides for
the honcrable separation of affected individuals provided they have been
officially enrolled and have successfully participated in the available
drug amnesty programs. Implicit in the Army message is that AR 635-212 be
applied when it has been determined that the individual can no longer
effectively assume his military duties and is beyond "he required rehabilitation
which could restore him to unimpaired duty. In essence, the
regulation provided for amnesty and limited rehabilitation; it later provided
for exemption from prosecution 4 n simple cases of drug possession or
use of drugs provided the soldier turned himself in to authorities.
key
to this provision is that the soldier in this case must have officially
requested medical assistance prior to his possession or use of the
drug. 119/
This policy at first appeared to be a solid step in the right
The
direction but failed to judge the socia, consequences the individual would
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IN