Time flies when having fun Published April 6, 2007 By Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Antwine 39th Air Base Wing command chief INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkry -- Team Incirlik can you believe it is already April? We are already in the second quarter of 2007. Since the first quarter is history, I want to let you know how we are doing in our quest to reduce Alcohol Related Incidents by 50 percent. Thanks to the Commander's Access Channel slides and the ARI reduction board posted in front of the club, it is easy to see we achieved a 40 percent reduction over the first quarter and are on target to reach our overall goal. What is not easy is finding methods to achieve this goal. My fellow U.S. Air Forces in Europe command chiefs and I often discuss the challenges we face in reducing/eliminating ARIs; as we toss around ideas/strategies, it is clear that there is no one simple approach or strategy. What works for Aviano or Ramstein will be different from what works at Lajes, Mildenhall and yes, Incirlik. In February, I stated I was confident we will achieve our goal to reduce ARIs. My confidence is based on the great leadership we have in every rank and the things we do as a community. Our multi-dimensional approach in the areas of education, engineering and enforcement appears to be working. 1. Consistent education is key; our community is well educated thanks to our Public Affairs and American Forces Network members pushing the multi-media blitz. We also have our First Term Airman Center and Airman Leadership School students participating in an after hours awareness program. Additionally, we continue to educate through Central Texas College's Alcohol 101 class, a great opportunity for our Airmen to learn the truth about alcohol affects. Tuition assistance covers the class and members earn college credits. 2. Pervasive Engineering is the process we take to continue the prevention phase. Programs such as flight lead, taxi rides, SNCO greetings/visits and wing eyes-on programs are all part of a strong wingman program. Individual/unit positive reinforcement are also important pieces of engineering. Engineering is not complete without alternatives; thanks to community feedback, Incirlik's alternatives are great and getting better. Things like late night movies, Denny's style breakfasts, late night sports and the alcohol-free environment enjoyed at the Crossroads Café have been a huge success. 3. We all know that despite the best education and engineering programs, ARIs happen. This is where enforcement comes into play to help us achieve our reduction goal. Enforcement for Team Incirlik members means greater individual accountability with swift justice. Members involved in ARIs can expect to have a spotlight on them to ensure they receive the focus and help required from peers, supervisors, subordinates and referral agencies. The focus/help includes things from having to wear the blue uniform until command action decisions have been made to gate pass forfeiture, ARI board postings, ADAPT interviews, squadron/group/wing commander debriefs and finally writing articles to help educate the community. Your great leadership and continuous involvement will enable us to meet our goal while we ensure freedom's future.