Let Your Voice Be Heard, the impact of a testimonial

  • Published
  • By Mr. Sam Spooner
  • 17th Training Wing /Safety
GOODFELLOW AFB, Texas --  Over the last year, I had the opportunity to speak about Driving Under the Influence and alcohol mishap prevention at three different units on Goodfellow. In addition, I have briefed new students, not only as the chief of safety, but also as a previous squadron commander. I have yet to have a class, regardless of size, which did not have someone impacted by a DUI. You all know or have heard the message about DUI and how it can end your career or impact the lives of others. I can give you specific facts and figures regarding DUI, but until you have heard someone's voice crack as they tell you the story of how it impacted their lives you might not understand.

In 2005, my unit had three DUIs within a month. Obviously, not something I was particularly proud of. I had to come up with an idea that would make a significant impact. My wife actually had the perfect idea and I pursued it. I contacted Mothers against Drunk Driving to see if they wanted to participate in a briefing to my unit. MADD put me in touch with three people; two ladies and one gentleman, who jumped at the opportunity to give their testimonies to help prevent DUIs.

The two ladies briefed in tandem about their DUI experience. The two had been on their way from Wichita Falls, Texas to Dallas for a dog show. On their way to the show, they were hit head on by a drunk driver who earlier in the day had an argument with his wife, drank a six pack of beer in his deer stand and proceeded to drive the wrong direction on the highway. The two ladies had over $ 1,000,000 in surgery costs to repair their legs from the impact. One of them has permanent disability. You could feel the anger in her voice as she discussed how she could no longer ride horses. A true passion was gone forever because of a single irresponsible act by a complete stranger. The driver's decision led to jail time and long-term consequences. In her eyes, that wasn't enough for the pain she continued to endure.

Following the two ladies tragic story, a gentleman with only one arm made his way to the podium. He told the story of how he was riding his bicycle in Wichita Falls when a drunk driver hit him head on and threw him over his handlebars into his own front yard. The result of the impact had devastating impact on him and his family. He was transported for medical treatment and remained in the hospital for the next six months of his life. He told us about his right leg and how it now was mostly made of metal due to reconstruction and how his right arm had to be amputated. Although the medical injuries were incredible, the next part of his story will forever be etched in my mind. His eyes filled with tears as he spoke. He spoke about the effect the event had on his little girl. When the incident occurred, she saw him hurt and lying in the front yard. An image no one should have to live with. He talked about how he really knew how much of an impact the accident had on his daughter when he returned home from the hospital for continued rehabilitation. His little girl would not leave his side. In fact, she brought her bed into his room so she could be next to him day and night. She was afraid he would leave and never come home again. Finally, he mentioned how he would never be able to wrap his arms around her to comfort her due to the DUI.

During the past year, our wing safety team has been asked to attend three commander's calls focused on alcohol and DUI mishap prevention. For each of the events, we asked for military volunteers to come forward and give their testimonies. There is one specific commanders call that was held for the Navy Center for Information Dominance Detachment on Goodfellow, which will always be part of my memory. During a testimonial by one of our service members, one of the CIDD members departed the brief with tears in her eyes. As our presentation was coming to an end, she came back into the room and found the courage for the first-time ever, to publicly tell her story about her older sister being killed by a drunk driver. There was pin drop silence as she narrated her story. I can't express in words the emotional impact she made on everyone in the room.

Personally, I know I never want to be the cause of such painful memories in anyone's life. The decisions you make can change not only your life, but the lives of those you don't even know. I am a firm believer of the influence of testimonials to change behavior or at least cause hesitation, hopefully enough to stop the action when someone is going to act irresponsibly. We all have the duty to prevent mishaps through our experiences and training. If you have a story to tell, please tell it to those around you or those who need to hear it. Please stop the mishap before it begins. Let your voice be heard.