USMA West Point cadets OD on spring break

[Imissedagain]

Spring break, a few shots of alcohol, kids dive to the bottom often without memory and some do not survive.

Everyone deserves a second chance but not at an Academy.
Restitution to be expected.

West Point, up the river from where I grew up, was a very special place.
Always walked taller and was most respectful even when hiking nearby.
Approach from the river, even more so.

Drinking age was 18 when I grew up.
Lots of sad stories.
Even 3.2 beer at the Airman's club, age 19 Lowry 66-67, took it's toll on many.
Found paper bags/glue on the field where we practiced archery behind the barracks.
Unbelievable.

 

[7shooter]

About a week ago I was listening to the scanner and heard that there were so many fentanyl overdoses that night that two squad cars had to return to the pd to resupply their Narcan. One person died and 8 others had to be hospitalized.

Fentanyl in micro doses does have legitimate medical uses . My wife was given fentanyl during surgery last week.

Horrible epidemic.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The service academies should have been shut down years ago. They provide only about 5-10% of the officers needed but thanks to their alumni associations and networks a disproportionately high number of the flag officers.

 

[AJ]

I have no inside information, of course...but I'll be shocked if every cadet at each service academy doesn't get drug-tested when spring break is over.

The service academies probably drug test the same as the active duty military does. Random drug tests and complete unit drug tests. Yes, they do catch some. Have seen it, and it wasn't pretty!

 

[AJ]

The service academies should have been shut down years ago. They provide only about 5-10% of the officers needed but thanks to their alumni associations and networks a disproportionately high number of the flag officers.

Some of the best officers that I knew were ring-knockers. Urban Dictionary: ring knocker

 

[jeffrefrig]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but drugs & alcohol are in every culture no matter where they come from. This does not surprise me one bit. It doesn't make it right by no means, but it's there. Rich or poor, a kid gets some booze in him there's no telling what he/she's gonna do; or try.
That dinosaur tranquilizer they're putting in drugs is some very potent stuff. I lost 2 nieces (same family) inside of a year to that stuff. Both girls very pretty, very good family, had a need for nothing, left it all on "an airline made of snow." (Thanks to Hoyt Axton)

 

[John_M52]

Ever heard of Mark Milley? He's the chairman of the joint chiefs and exhibits some of the worst judgement I have ever seen.

The new "woke" military is not what it used to be.

I was at JSOC a while back. The staff there had just received their sensitivity training. Their eyes rolled when I asked them about it.

A colleague of mine was medically retired from the USMC. He was a HUMINT officer in Afghanistan. He said the guys he served with are leaving in droves because of the mass wokeness being forced on them.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Some of the best officers that I knew were ring-knockers. Urban Dictionary: ring knocker

I agree with AJ; some exceptionally fine officers come from West Point. Unfortunately, I also knew a few who were insufferably arrogant pricks.

The term "ring knocker" is a reference to the military culture of academy graduates pursuing their careers and advancement first and foremost, expecting each other to take care of their own group (USMA grads) as a top priority.

While West Point graduates are a relatively small portion of the officer corps they will usually dominate in the command and staff structures. Next in the pecking order are "regular army" officers on career status. Officers with reserve commissions (ROTC, OCS, prior enlisted) are more likely to be in assignments with less advancement potential. Always exceptions, of course, but terms such as "ring knocker" come into being for a reason.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Seriously;

you would let a person on drugs give commands or be near you with a loaded weapon !!

I'll pass.

 

[LVSteve]

Fentanyl is so potent that there have been a number of drug busts where the amount of the stuff seized was enough to kill everyone in the US. I have no clue where this idea of mixing it with cocaine came from. Get the mix wrong and you wipe out your customer base.

 

[LVSteve]

A colleague of mine was medically retired from the USMC. He was a HUMINT officer in Afghanistan. He said the guys he served with are leaving in droves because of the mass wokeness being forced on them.

If it isn't wokeness driving them away, it will be "box checkers". These types go into a post, set a "goal", and the box for it will be checked before the end of their tour so they can go onward and upwards. Close examination of the "goal", its significance or whether it was even completed is not encouraged.

 

[ladder13]

Fentanyl is so potent that there have been a number of drug busts where the amount of the stuff seized was enough to kill everyone in the US. I have no clue where this idea of mixing it with cocaine came from. Get the mix wrong and you wipe out your customer base.

I dunno about that. Not saying that instance was the same but…my experience.

BITD, growing in public housing loaded with heroin addicts, when they heard someone OD’d, they’d want to know who was dealing.

The lure of a more powerful drug for the same price. Every dope fiend thinks they’re smart.

 

[AJ]

Seriously;

you would let a person on drugs give commands or be near you with a loaded weapon !!

I'll pass.

Ed,

Who were directing that at?

AJ

 

[Dave.357]

Ask Hunter,, he would know.

 

[ladder13]

I wouldn’t let a drunk give orders either. I despise drunks.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

To many get admitted to the academies due the big contributions made
to some politician.

 

[16thVACav]

I have no inside information, of course...but I'll be shocked if every cadet at each service academy doesn't get drug-tested when spring break is over.

I expect you're correct. Unfortunately, most of the dangerous drugs are metabolized relatively quickly, so consumption early in spring break may not trigger a positive test the following week.

 

[Doug M.]

It is mixed into various street drugs because it is far cheaper. It's the same basic principle as using some other substance as "cut". Simple rule: if you don't use cocaine (or some other street drug), you have pretty small odds of being poisoned by the added fentanyl.

As for the cadets were poisoned as a result of performing CPR, it is pretty foreseeable that the tiny amount of residue to which they were exposed could mess them up. A couple of my client agencies issue Narcan to their folks, not to save users, but to save themselves if there is a similar unintentional exposure. It can and has happened.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have mentioned several times that Ruthie has a cousin who is a PC and a cousin who is an FC. A while ago I texted them both about fentanyl OD's.

Both said that most of their officers/EMTs carry on or about them a non department issued Narcan nasal spray for themselves if they come in personal contact with the overdosed person.

Like elsewhere, fentanyl is a huge problem here in the metro area.

 

[Kinman]

The only officer I ever met that I liked as a human being was a guy in Nam that had enlisted as a private and just had that leadership gift, got sent to NCO academy, went to Nam, did some meritorious stuff and got a battlefield promotion to 2nd Lt. I met him on his second tour, he was our acting company commander and had made 1st. Lt. Great guy, had the gift and was a guy's guy. On the first day our new Company Commander showed up and the Lt. introduced him to us, top said "Gentlemen do your duty." We went over and grabbed the Captain, hauled him over to the edge of the pier and on three threw him in the bay. We all walked over to the edge and the only thing that came up was bubbles, we shrugged and walked off. The Lt. said "S####!" and dove in hauling him out, from that day on the C.O. was referred to as Bubbles, his driver Tiny Bubbles. All new "weeds" were thrown in the bay to see if they were sinkers or swimmers, regardless of rank.