Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

A generous Army program for alcoholics

Best Defense is in summer reruns. Here is an item that originally ran on May 23, 2016.

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22559525741_86c3cee084_b

 

 

Best Defense is in summer reruns. Here is an item that originally ran on May 23, 2016.

There’s a good interview in the June issue of ARMY magazine with Maj. Jason Main, a recovering alcoholic, about how he turned his life around. When he went to a counselor, he learned that the Army has a 28-day program at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, that is covered by TRICARE. (A program like that in the U.S. private sector can cost tens of thousands of dollars.) He told his command about it. They were supportive, and he checked into it.

His bottom line: “I could be in prison — or worse. I am so grateful.”

Here’s a Best Defense salute to the major for his openness, and to ARMY magazine for running this article. Other military magazines could (and should) do similar pieces.

Photo credit: Flickr

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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