Be a designated driver, not a drunk driver
Sgt. Brandon Cox
10th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs
FORT DRUM, N.Y. – For most, a death in the family can be profound, especially when it could have been prevented. Spc. Tyler Slack, an intelligence analyst for the 10th Sustainment Brigade, lost a close relative to a vehicle accident while under the influence of alcohol. This incident inspired Slack to volunteer his time and efforts to stop the act of drinking and driving. 
The Fort Drum Drunk Driving Prevention Program (DDPP) was established to offer Soldiers an easy way to get themselves and
their vehicles home safely, and free of charge.
"Maybe if he would have thought about not driving or had some way to get home safely, he would still be here," said Slack, who serves as vice president of the Fort Drum DDPP. "That is really what motivates me to volunteer for a program like this."
"The program was designed to eliminate drinking and driving of all service members in the Army," Slack added.
According to Sgt. Aaron Foringer, president of the Fort Drum Chapter DDPP and a geospatial engineer for the 10th Sustainment Brigade, the installation was having an issue with Soldiers driving while intoxicated.
"The program helps to prevent Soldiers from making the wrong decision and protects the overall readiness of our organization," Foringer said.
Soldiers looking to use this program must sign up at www.ddpp.us before requesting a ride.
"The program is completely anonymous," Foringer said. "We only track how many calls we've received and how many rides have been given."
The Fort Drum Chapter DDPP has more than 200 current volunteers, but they are always looking for more, Foringer said.
Volunteers with the DDPP contribute 10 hours of their time per night. If an individual signed up to work every Friday and Saturday, he or she would have the 500 hours required for the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal in only 25 weeks, Slack emphasized.
"You have to have a passion for helping people to want to do it," Slack said. "The award is nice, but even if that wasn't there, I would still participate."
Individuals who are interested in volunteering for the program can contact the Fort Drum Chapter DDPP via call or text to (315) 775-8813 or visit the www.ddpp.us website. For more information about the program, visit https://www.facebook.com/FtDrumDDPP/.
"Drinking and driving is an extremely avoidable problem," Slack said. "We remain devoted to offer every possible method to prevent drunk driving and ultimately eliminate it."