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Evidence of alcohol can be traced back to 7000 B.C. With uses ranging from medicinal and culinary to recreational, it is far from uncommon for people to drink alcohol. It is a pastime that could be more popular than any sport. The euphoria brought along with its consumption isn’t the only thing that this beverage can bring: with it can come heartache, financial problems, health issues, relationship problems, and – in some cases – even death. Although society might view police officers, firefighters, Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors as more impervious to harmful habits than civilians, the truth is we’re all just as vulnerable.
For one Sailor aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the struggle to deal with alcohol was a long, hard road rife with trials and tribulations.
“When I joined the Navy, I would drink all night with my coworkers,” said Machinery Repairman 1st Class John Archer. “Then we’d go to work every morning with no problems.”
Archer tasted his first alcoholic beverage at the age of seven. Over the next 15 years, he developed an addiction and ultimately became an alcoholic.
“Where I’m from a lot of parents are either busy working or they’re absent due to drugs and nightlife, so us teens would be out running the streets,” said Archer. “The police didn’t care if you were getting drunk as long as you weren’t committing crimes. At the time, all the teens were drinking so I didn’t see anything wrong with my habits.”
As Archer became an adult, his alcoholism increased and further aspects of his life were heading to an inevitable climax, eventually contributing to him being kicked out of college in 2004.
In 2005, Archer joined the Navy looking for a fresh start.
“One thing I think set me apart in my first command was my work ethic,” commented Archer. “I thought if I worked hard, I could also party hard. Living that way will eventually catch up to you.”
Archer struggled living two lives. On the one hand he was a successful, hard-working Sailor while at work; and on the other, was a man who didn’t have control over his alcoholism. Multiple incidents with alcohol turned into multiple UCMJ article charges, which not only caused him to go from an E-4 to and E-1, but contributed to an incident where he lost part of his finger.
“I was really drunk and angry,” said Archer. “I slammed a door on my finger so hard that it actually took part of it off. I was so drunk that I put a bandage on it and went to sleep.”
Archer would wake up and head to work on his ship. While still drunk, he went to medical with his finger on ice in a bowl. Luckily, medical was able to save his finger and get it reattached.
Alcohol very clearly had an effect on his life. It caused arguments with his spouse and a fight with a foreign cab driver, which led to jail and secured liberty for an entire aircraft carrier while on deployment.
“[Because of drinking] I’ve missed some of my kids sports games I otherwise could’ve attended,” said Archer. “I would sometimes yell at the referees and curse at the other teams, because I was drunk.”
With his family and his job being affected, Archer decided to seek professional help through the Navy’s Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP). He knew the pressure that seeking help placed on his Sailors, and used that as motivation to overcome his struggles.
“I’m the only MR1 on the Truman, and I know sending me off of the ship to get treatment made things more difficult on my shop,” said Archer. “But, my chain of command had my back and my shop picked up the slack. They actually cared and wanted me to get better. And my wife, she stayed with me through everything. I owed it to her to get better.”
Though the course required a large effort on Archer’s behalf, he credits most of his success to his counselors.
“We clicked on day one,” said Archer. “The counselors truly cared about me. They pushed me to see the bigger picture. We didn’t talk about alcohol, we talked about lifestyle changes and emotional control.”
Truman’s counselors remarked on Archer’s efforts, saying that success in SARP has to come from the Sailor.
“The success of these programs depends in large part on the Sailors,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Ashley Vandyke, one of Truman’s substance abuse counselors. “They have to be open with us and put in effort if they truly want to get better.”
From his shipmates to his family, the effort that Archer has put in to getting better has had a very wide impact.
“Since his treatment, [Archer’s] entire demeanor has changed,” said Joanna Archer, John Archer’s wife of ten years. “He doesn’t drink anymore, he deals with his problems and stressors head-on, and he is still a dependable role-model to his three sons.”
As a father and Sailor, Archer has been through a lot – time and experiences that a lot of people couldn’t imagine going through, including court martial, jail in a foreign port and several nights in the brig. Even though he’s been through all of these things, he maintains that he wouldn’t change any of it.
“Where [Archer] came from, it’s not uncommon for your family and friends to get killed,” said Hull Maintenance Technician Chief John Parker. “He joined to Navy to become a better person, and he’s all about mentoring his junior Sailors. Right after completing his SARP course, he decided he wanted his next orders be somewhere he can teach Sailors.”
Archer is someone who doesn’t seek the spotlight. He’d much rather promote his own Sailors and rather let them get the shine. Despite feeling this way, he hopes his story can reach other Sailors who could be suffering from alcoholism.
“I’ve faced a lot of adversity in my life,” said Archer “But, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for my past. I’m an even better leader, I’m more approachable, I’m more understanding of others, and now if one of my Sailors ever has problems like I had, I’m here to help them.”
Archer has been sober since March of 2018 and looks to continue that streak while also continuing his streak of being a reliable leader, Sailor, husband and father.
“I’m not ashamed of the title ‘recovering alcoholic,’” said Archer. “I needed help and I got it. SARP helped me and they can help you too. Choosing to get help might seem like a difficult decision to make, but I promise you that you won’t regret it.”
Currently operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Harry S. Truman will continue to foster cooperation with regional allies and partners, strengthen regional stability, and remain vigilant, agile and dynamic.
For more information about Truman, visit www.facebook.com/USSTruman or www.navy.mil/local/cvn75/.
| Date Taken: | 12.29.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.29.2018 13:57 |
| Story ID: | 305746 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tru Determination: Addiction Vs. Duty, by PO3 Jordan Twiss, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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