LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
You're taking a friend for a night on the town. You both plan to have a few drinks, but you have a plan. You have a designated driver and you know you can always take a taxi or call a friend to pick you up.
So, what happens if those plans fall through?
764-AADD can help.
Airmen Against Drunk Driving provides all active duty and their family members a safe and free ride home from local establishments that serve alcohol.
Programs like AADD - along with safety initiatives such as the Save-a-Life tour, attended by hundreds of Langley Airmen - have contributed to the 1st Fighter Wing earning zero DUIs since October.
"AADD's goal is to make sure that all of Langley's Airmen return back to work after the holidays so that we can continue to fly, fight and win in 2009," said Senior Airman Charles Harris, president of the AADD Executive Council. "AADD will be there if your plan fails."
According to the program organizers, the success of AADD depends on its volunteers. Drivers work 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and 1 to 3 a.m. shifts on Fridays and Saturdays and both male and female drivers are needed.
Airmen can volunteer through their first sergeant or simply report to the Eagle's Wing, next to the Airman Leadership building, for any Friday or Saturday shift, said Airman Harris.
The program also accepts monetary contributions or gifts, such as the recent donation by Doris Bell, the operations manager at the Langley Base Exchange, and her husband retired Chief Master Sgt. Amos Bell.
The couple heard about the program and donated a GPS navigation system to AADD because they realized how much it could help get our Airmen home safely, said Airman Harris.
More of the systems are still on the group's wish list, said Airman Harris. They are especially helpful to volunteer drivers who are new to the base or just unfamiliar with the local area.
"The holiday season means crowded streets," he said. "A driver using only an [internet] printout can be in for a rough night."