12 - RAF Lakenheath - Air Force Link

Jet48FeatureStaff Report48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs OfficeOne year, three media campaigns and 70-something dayswithout a DUI later, the Airman ZOT program has proven its worthto not only the Liberty Wing, but to the command and Air Force.Several bases in the command took on similar programs and perhapseven an Air Force-wide version of Airman ZOT.There were still sexual assaults, rapes, fights and property damage.People still found themselves involved in unplanned pregnancies,arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior, or had to explain to theircommanders why they slept through their promotion tests. People stillgot behind the wheels of their cars after drinking. People still abusedtheir spouses or children and ended up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning.People still caused irreparable damage to friendships, marriagesand even their careers. Bad things still happened, but they happenedless frequently than a year ago. Excessive drinking has beentaken out of the equation for some people.The campaign, called Airman ZOT, was not an anti-drinking campaign.To think alcohol could be abandoned altogether is a fantasy,but at least Airmen began to drink responsibly.ZOT doesn’t only target young, single Airmen. It’s true, they maybe the most visible population drinking on the base, in local clubsand in the dorms, but excessive alcohol use doesn’t just happen withinone demographic area. The campaign’s reach was to make everyoneaware of the benefits of sensible drinking, from the lowest-rankingAirman to the highest-ranking officers. It did and still is.The DUI condition level is the most visible gauge of responsibledrinkingfor thewing population andeven is parked at conditiongreen.There have been spikes of irresponsibledrinking incidents, but they haven’t been attributedto anything more than a mass of Airmen making bad decisions.The rest have remained vigilant.EvolutionThe beginning stages of the campaign threw the term out there,and it got people talking. The Airman ZOT campaign became morevisible. People saw the posters, pop-up messages or magazine articlestalking about ZOT. The campaign didn’t attempt to preach topeople about the evils of excessive drinking; it’s about changing theculture of drinking through promoting responsibility.The holiday campaign highlighted a growing DUI concern usuallyassociated with the holiday season. Though there were six irresponsibleAirmen, a majority of Liberty Warriors were responsible.After the six DUIs in as many weeks around the new year, the48th FW Safety Office declared DUI condition red and the 48th FWleadership asked, “What part of ZOT don’t they understand?” in anissue ofthe Jet 48.Whatever the case orcampaign, Airman ZOT got thefacts out in the open, and allowed peopleto judge for themselves.One year later, it’s still no small feat to change theway people drink. But looking at the ultimate goals – a saferplace to work and live, a population of increasingly responsible, productiveAirmen and family members, a culture that embraces good times –genuine quality experiences, and not ones that end with the spins – it’s definitelyworth trying.PAGE 14JET 48 MAGAZINEMAY 12, 2006JET 48 MAGAZINE PAGE 15