Using illicit drugs while at war was certainly an issue during the Vietnam War. It appears to be a problem now in Afghanistan too.

In the past two years the US Army has investigated 56 soldiers for drug use and eight soldiers have overdosed during this time period. This according to the Daily Mail.

The U.S. Army says that while the presence of readily available opium - the raw ingredient for heroin - is a concern, opiate abuse has not been an extensive problem for troops in Afghanistan.

While the Army claims drugs are not a problem, the president of conservative watchdog Judicial Watch said the problem is bigger than the military is prepared to admit.

Statistics released earlier this year reported nearly 70,000 drug offenses by roughly 36,000 soldiers between 2006 and 2011. The number of offenses increased from about 9,400 in 2010 to about 11,200 in 2011.

With the extreme stress of the situation it is no wonder troops look to get high. But given the even more extreme danger they must stay at 100% in order to deal effectively with their situation.

It does not help that young Afghans peddling heroin, soldiers dying after mixing cocktails of opiates, troops stealing from medical bags and Afghan soldiers and police dealing drugs to their U.S. comrades.

Random drug testing on the troops may be the answer. The Army claims they aim to test each soldier once per year. While they are not living up to their goal now, they home to do so in the future.

I hate to see people committing virtual suicide. Given the extremely dangerous environment soldiers are playing with death if they get intoxicated. I would like to see the Army implement mandatory drug classes for all active-duty military personnel.

Our armed forces have long been a role model for our nation’s children. Of course this changed during the Vietnam War when soldiers were caught on tape smoking marijuana. Nevertheless, our nation’s military preparatory academies, West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, have long been examples to our nation’s youth.

With drugs supposedly rampant in our professional military, it is no surprise that the younger generation is aping their elders.

The news from the Air Force Times is that 30 cadets are suspected of using banned substances. These are substances other than alcohol, tobacco or drugs prescribed to cadets.

Bryan said he didn’t know if any cases have resulted in charges or discipline yet, but the new cases have been forwarded to Brig. Gen. Richard Clark, commandant of cadets, according to The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette. Other details haven’t been released.

The investigation began in 2011 when the academy suspected use of banned substances including spice, which mimics the effects of marijuana. Twenty-one cadets resigned, five were kicked out, and one’s case went to a court-martial.

Last year, the Air Force punished 497 airmen for spice use. This was a measured jump from the 380 disciplined for the drug in 2010.

I have long been a champion of more education. Our military should make every soldier, and the academy should make every cadet take a drug class. We need our leaders to lead by example – good example.

It seems like society is teeming with marijuana everywhere you look. Of course I live in a state where medical marijuana is currently legal so I see the dispensaries all over the place. If there wasn’t enough real weed, now there is a growing market for synthetic marijuana.

One area that has seen a great increase among synthetic marijuana user is the US military. Men, armed to the teeth, in incredibly stressful situations, doped out of their mind. Sounds like a lethal cocktail right?

U.S. troops are increasingly using an easy-to-get herbal mix called "Spice," which mimics a marijuana high, is hard to detect and can bring on hallucinations that last for days.

Military leaders are alarmed to the point of launching a major campaign of drug testing to stop it. So far they have investigated more than 1,000 suspected users.

So-called "synthetic" pot is readily available on the Internet and has become popular nationwide in recent years, but its use among troops and sailors is of serious concern to the Pentagon.

Two years ago, only 29 Marines and sailors were investigated for Spice. This year, the number topped 700, the investigative service said. Those found guilty of using Spice are kicked out, although the Navy does not track the overall number of dismissals.

The Air Force has punished 497 airmen so far this year, compared to last year's 380, according to figures provided by the Pentagon. The Army does not track Spice investigations but says it has medically treated 119 soldiers for the synthetic drug in total.

Spice and other chemical substances have no place in society. The growing epidemic of drug abuse all over the planet has me concerned. I think there needs to be stronger attention to having our military personnel take drug classes.

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/synthetic-marijuana-use-us-troops_n_1176879.html

Synthetic drugs are all the rage – along with marijuana, prescription painkillers, …. Even our nation’s servicemen cannot seem to keep from getting loaded while on duty. Of course this isn’t the first time service members used drugs on the job. In Vietnam weed was smoked as often as it could be procured!

More than two dozen enlisted crew members aboard the carrier Ronald Reagan are facing discharge from the Navy for using synthetic marijuana.

The Navy is processing 28 sailors for administrative separation for using or possessing the synthetic drug following six separate investigations of the ship's crew in the past month.

The sailors will be kicked out for violating the Navy's zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs.

The Reagan sailors were not identified, and the Navy did not say how those sailors were caught with "spice," which is not detected through the service's regular random urinalysis testing.

"The Navy's policy on drug abuse is simple and clear - zero tolerance," 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Gerard Beaman said. "Drug use puts lives and missions at risk and undercuts unit readiness and morale. The use of synthetic drugs, to include spice, is illegal and the Navy continues to aggressively investigate the use of synthetic drugs and hold those in violation accountable."

Reagan returned to San Diego from deployment in September. I hope for these sailors they quit using drugs and live a clean and sober life.