Photo By Sgt. Charles Santamaria | Special agent Curtis, Navy Criminal Investigative Services, showcases drugs that have...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Representatives from several Combat Center departments hosted the Combat Center’s first Behavioral Health Branch Informational Drug Summit, as part of the Drug Demand Reduction Program, at the Officer’s Club, May 19, 2015.
The informational summit consisted of a series of classes sponsored by Marine Corps Community Services by representatives from the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, Substance Abuse Control Office, Criminal Investigation Department, Legal Services Support Team, and Navy Criminal Investigative Services, which showcased drug trends and how the Combat Center is using its departments to collaborate with law enforcement and combat illegal drug use.
“This is the first time the behavioral health branch has worked directly with law enforcement and the legal department to pull resources together and compare data,” said Joven Caguioa, representative, Drug Demand Reduction Program, Marine Corps Community Services. “Our goal is to reduce demand for drugs on this installation through education and outreach.”
The event was a collaborative effort from all departments involved, which offered educational materials like booklets, pamphlets, notebooks and other resources Marines and sailors could take back to their units.
“What I found useful was the actual process; what should actually be done when you find out a Marine has tested positive for illegal drugs and what steps should be taken afterward from CID and legal’s [standpoint],” said Staff Sgt. Waldo Walden, mess chief, 7th Marine Regiment.
Although the focus of the summit was illegal drug use, the event offered information on behavioral health, stress and sexual assault prevention.
“Believe it or not, if there is a sexual assault or domestic violence report, drug or alcohol abuse is usually involved,” Caguioa said. “Marines or sailors who are having a hard time dealing with a high-stress environment can sometimes use drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism as well. So all of the departments working together for this event relate to each other in some way and the information they provide is important for units to know.”
The Summit began with a presentation by Caguioa detailing what the Combat Center does to deter Marines from drug use.
“Urinalysis is the biggest deterrent," Caguioa said. “When Marines know after they come back from a 96-hour liberty period or vacation they’re going to be tested; it’s less likely they will use illegal drug substances.”
Agents with CID discussed common mistakes commanders and senior enlisted advisors make when they find out a Marine or sailor has tested positive for drug use. Agents advised leaders to not divulge any information to the service member who tested positive until CID becomes involved. This allows agents to perform an efficient investigation of the user.
“What we want from the units is to have the Marine be surprised by the time he sees us,” said agent Peterson, CID. “If we can sit down with the Marine and find out what happened before he begins shutting everyone out, we can find out when the drug was actually used and more importantly where he purchased it so we can stop the source.”
CID also provided information on a new database, which relays to the chief investigator any tests that yield positive results for drug use, which creates more transparency and collaboration on drug investigations.
Classes continued with a chief investigator from NCIS sharing new methods individuals may use to purchase illegal drugs such as hidden websites.
According to special agent Curtis, NCIS, use of the "Dark Web," a collection of websites that sell illegal substances, can lead to service members accessing forms of purchasing drugs that are more difficult to track. Curtis urged senior leadership to stay informed on drug trends and keep track of websites being used to understand the origin of the issue.
“I cannot stress enough, the importance of those urinalysis debriefs once a Marine has [tested positive] for drug use,” Curtis said. “Being able to find that source and understand what’s happening can help end the drug trends we see.”
The summit concluded with an LSST representative describing the process, which takes place after an investigation goes to court martial or ends with punitive documentation from the command. This portion described how proper documentation and statements made during the investigation are crucial to the legal process.
“All parts of the presentation as a whole were really useful and definitely information I will pass on to the regiment and fellow Marines,” Walden said.
The informational summit provided leadership with resources and information on changes and initiatives beginning aboard the Combat Center that will allow law enforcement, legal and tenant commands to work together on drug-related incidents.
“I can say that what is special about this base is the amount of teamwork displayed from all the departments,” Caguio said. “It was a collaborative effort that we hope to continue.”
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2015 21:15 |
| Story ID: | 164016 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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