Photo By Eric Pilgrim | As of May 7, 2025, Fort Knox has reached 5 days since the last DUI. A Fort Knox Army...... read more read more
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Summer is approaching fast and with it, outdoor fun, vacations, road trips and parties.
As the “Days Since Our Last DUI” sign flashes the number 6, a Fort Knox substance abuse official says now is the time for some sober talk about drunk driving, regardless of the season.
“April was Alcohol Awareness Month, but in my mind, every month is alcohol awareness and prevention month,” said Byron Goode, Army Substance Abuse Program specialist at Fort Knox. “It is a daily journey, a daily task; and it doesn’t stop at DUIs.”
A “driving under the influence” charge will get a person’s attention, but Goode said he and others are working on ways to get installation personnels’ attention before it gets to that point.
“’Don’t be the next individual,’” Goode said. “That’s what I tell people.”
Goode has some effective teaching events he capitalizes on to keep alcohol awareness and prevention at the forefront of people’s minds. These include Alcohol Misuse Prevention training, geared to active duty personnel. Another, Personal Readiness Training, focuses more on the civilian employee population.
At each of these, he uses a tool that many know to be “beer goggles.”
“I take those goggles out, and I do something as simple as have two people throw a ball back and forth at each other without them on,” said Goode. “Then, without them moving from their spot, I have them put the goggles on and try again.”
He said the ball ends up everywhere other than in the hands of the other person.
“I use the goggles as an illustration to show how you’re impaired. Your judgment is off,” said Goode. “But then often they will make adjustments and figure out how to throw the ball to the other person.”
That’s when Goode explains …
“Here’s the thing: You don’t get that time to figure out how to adjust when you’re behind the wheel,” said Goode. “You only get one chance at navigating between cars, or people, or not hitting a child. You don’t get do-overs.
The second thing is: the goggles only account for your physical impairment, your physical judgment. They cannot account for your mental impairment.”
Goode said the deadly combination of physical and mental impairment that happens when somebody drinks alcohol and gets into the driver seat of a vehicle has consequences no sober person would want.
“They’re losing their career, possibly their life, possibly health, family, freedom, time—” said Goode; “all of the things that they tell me they value.”
During each training, Goode said he works both sides of a person’s spheres of influence to drive home the need for sober driving.
“I try to make them understand they must make individual decisions not to accept the high risk of drinking and driving,” said Goode. “Then I try to put that back on the units, to the people inside their units.”
Part of his briefings involves attendees signing a pledge to stay sober when they operate any motorized vehicle – whether it’s a car, recreational vehicle, boat or motorcycle.
Goode said ASAP changed the signs at the entrance control points to show how many days since the last DUI on post. The signs flash red until the installation reaches 31 days, yellow until 61, and green thereafter.
The Commanding General of U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, recently declared that Soldiers at Fort Knox will get a day off if they can achieve 109 straight days without a DUI. The number corresponds to this year’s Reserve Officer Training Corps birthday. Starting five days ago, Soldiers could feasibly achieve 109 days on Aug. 24.
So far, all the efforts of leaders at Fort Knox, according to Goode, seem to be working.
“I think there’s some effectiveness,” said Goode. “When we started with the signs last July 14, it took us until Oct. 1 to reach yellow. That’s a lot of 30 days in between. Since then, we have only seen a few DUIs. Do we still see them? Yes. But we see them a lot less.”
Goode said there is one sure way for everyone to avoid resetting the signs: “Be responsible, and don’t be the next I.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2025 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 497432 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Knox officials prioritize Soldier readiness through DUI education, unit culture, by Eric Pilgrim, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Fort Knox
