DUIs change lives ... for the worse Published July 29, 2008 By an Airman 30th Security Forces Squadron VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- (Editor's note: The following commentary was written by an Airman with the 30th Security Forces Squadron. The names of the family members have been changed.) By now the vast majority of us are aware of the consequences for driving under the influence of alcohol. We have been briefed, recalled, and stood in formation; seen the slide shows, videos and aftermath on the side of the road. The consequences haven't changed - suspension of driver's license, loss of base driving privileges, a couple grand in fines and court fees, and jail time. This horse has been beaten well past death and into its next life. Rather than repeat every fact sheet all of us have ever received I would like to relate a part of the effect drinking and driving has had on my family. I have two cousins with DUIs. My cousin Jerry was in the Army posted in Texas. For a time he was on the fast track, making corporal in a relatively short time. One night at a party, he decided he wanted a burger. By the time his friends realized he left, he was in the middle of the field sobriety tests. He received an Article 15, reduction in rank and loss of pay. Jerry really couldn't handle the derailment. This event began the end of his career. He left the Army under less than honorable conditions. Part of his discharge stemmed from his commander's feelings that drinking and driving was not conducive to military service, and rightly so. However, it was mostly Jerry's inability to accept responsibility for his actions. My other cousin, Joseph, works for a shipping company loading trailers. Joe was drinking with some friends from work and actually slept there. He drank some water and ate a sandwich before he drove home. One block from home he was picked up by police for DUI charges and spent the night in jail. Only working part time and being a student, the fees totally consumed his savings. He paid a total of $3,600. Having to constantly hitch a ride made him repeatedly late, and nearly cost him his job. Joe is recovering though; his license is reinstated and he is back on his boss's good side. Everything is not back to normal for him though. His father took him off the family insurance plan to keep his premiums down. The only insurance he could afford, at $130 a month, prevents him from driving any vehicle he has direct access to. It sounds strange, but if someone else owns a car, like a roommate, he cannot drive it. His insurance will not cover him or the vehicle. Their DUIs have changed how our family looks at them. Jerry isn't trusted anywhere alone, and Joe gets looks every time he drinks. Never mind that in California a DUI conviction stays on your record for ten years; our Grandma will bring it up every time she gets mad. Thankfully no one was injured during the DUIs, but it has changed my family's entire dynamic. It's getting to the point where we can't drink together at all. In most ways the aftermath is worse than the event.