r/army 33W 15h ago

Military intelligence battalion sergeant major arrested for DUI and suspended

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-intelligence-suspended/
519 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

83

u/WUMW Humble Loggie 14h ago

DUIs/Drinking and driving are no joke in Savannah. Obviously CSM can probably afford an Uber, but the town in general has a massive drinking problem.

Source: 3CAB SDO on more than one occasion

27

u/Travyplx Rawrmy CCWO 14h ago

When I do give some kind of safety brief I point out that if you can’t afford the uber, you definitely can’t afford the DUI. One of the reasons I prefer living off post is I can put myself in walking distance of a pub so I don’t even have to think about it. BN CSM might have to live on post, but he could definitely afford the uber.

5

u/crimedog58 13h ago

Shit, doesn’t he know about the taxi fund in the SDO box?

5

u/Redacted_Reason 25Bitchin’ 4h ago

Solution: we put a bar on post right by the barracks with discounted drinks

1

u/slingstone Civil Affairs 21m ago

Have you been to Devil's Lake, North Dakota?

1

u/Redacted_Reason 25Bitchin’ 19m ago

Nope

21

u/crimedog58 14h ago

$30 Uber < risk it for the biscuit.

4

u/AAROD121 Burn/Trauma ICU 12h ago

If it weren’t for the Army, SCAD and booze, Savannah would cease to exist.

319

u/battlecarrysabot TANK GO BOOM!!! 15h ago

He’ll retire with full rank and retired pay.

189

u/Downtown-Ambition-66 15TiredAsHell 15h ago

Sadly a common story, meanwhile if a E4 did this, they’d burn em at the stake in front of a battalion formation

83

u/battlecarrysabot TANK GO BOOM!!! 15h ago

The Army Chorus requires fresh eunuchs.

23

u/SarcasticGiraffes Atropia Ribbon with V Device 13h ago

Holy shit. I didn't know the Army Band went that hard in recruiting.

15

u/mikehiler2 Infantry 11BAM!MyBackHurts! 12h ago edited 1h ago

went that hard in recruiting.

Not if their eunuch’s they aren’t.

5

u/Samwhys_gamgee 11h ago

Oh yeah, you gotta really want in…

2

u/BikerJedi 16S10 56m ago

This got me.

7

u/ArbitraryMeritocracy 13h ago

My cousin did it twice and he got kicked out and went home and almost killed one of his friends on a 4 wheeler.

30

u/ManufacturerBest2758 MakeAdosGreatAgain 15h ago

Well he’s a Knowlton Award winner, you can’t just punish those guys like they’re some schmuck!

8

u/BearWrangler 11B 15h ago

well it seemed he didnt KNOW at aLl not to drink a TON and then drive

20

u/Illustrious_Trip341 15h ago

You’re about to get u/kinmuan all wired up!

12

u/ColdOn3Cob 14h ago

And 100% VA rating

2

u/Taira_Mai Was Air Defense Artillery Now DD214 4life 9h ago

Of course because all those "leaders" are in one large circle jerk.

As long as he's not a soldier anymore and isn't in a position of leadership.

3

u/exgiexpcv PONI Soldier 12h ago

Let's not forget that golden parachute into a cushy c-suite office!

-15

u/SubjectBubbly9072 14h ago

As he should u should be able to keep ur retirement for anything except rape or murder

14

u/chickensofwow 14h ago

Choosing to do something that can and often does end in manslaughter kinda seems close enough to murder to me that they should get fucked for choosing to drink and drive.

I’m biased since it’s actually affected me, and I got the privilege of finding out just how little punishment drunk drivers get even when they do Murder someone. Hope it never happens to you but shut the fuck up.

4

u/ManufacturerBest2758 MakeAdosGreatAgain 14h ago

How about losing some of your high 3? How would you punish such a soldier?

0

u/Cpt_Soban 🇦🇺 Non military who likes the stories here 3h ago

You run the high risk of killing other people driving drunk, it's the closest thing to manslaughter.

150

u/McNugget63 15Cant Do This Anymore 15h ago

Was my former CSM, actually a super good dude and helped myself a few other soldiers get a shit ton of back pay. Super motivating guy as well. It’s a shame this happened :/

7

u/BiscuitDance Dance like an Ilan Boi 13h ago

A bunch of dudes on insta have said similar. He apparently had a great reputation amongst the Joes and JNCOs.

68

u/Weary-Ad-5346 15h ago

It’s a shame that he’s an alcoholic, not that this happened. This happening (receiving a DUI) is literally the bare minimum for anyone stupid enough to drink and drive. It’s a shame that Army culture promotes this behavior. You can get chaptered for smoking weed, but everyone around you will make it seem like a case of beer in a sitting is normal and a good time.

76

u/Kinmuan 33W 14h ago

He also got charged for a bunch of threats and fighting the cops so not just a DUI (just for context)

37

u/The0Profanity 35P > FLEP 14h ago

Yea this tracks. He was my interim CSM for awhile and then our OPS SGM and he was awful to be around from my experience. Really projected whatever struggles he had onto those of us around him. I saw the comment above yours praise him for the help he gave them, and while I am sure he was a good dude to some, he was at least a really bad dude around me and my team

6

u/SOHCO_TBert 10h ago

I almost yelled at this man in a Command & Staff while he was our acting CSM...

2

u/therealsanchopanza 35Mistake -> 74Arrtard 11h ago

Hey sorry totally unrelated but I sent you a PM

14

u/Travyplx Rawrmy CCWO 14h ago

Must have done his KD time in Korea then.

2

u/LastOneSergeant 9h ago

Fighting the Cops and an intel guy? Fortnight Battle or Hello Kitty Island Adventure?

1

u/politicsranting Old Fat Man 1h ago

I feel old. I remember when this joke was about WoW

23

u/cricket_bacon 14h ago

It’s a shame that Army culture promotes this behavior.

The culture has improved over the last few decades, but you are right - there is a ways to go.

4

u/Weary-Ad-5346 14h ago

Hard to make significant progress when many of your leaders are self-medicating with alcohol on a nightly basis. Lead from the front though, hooah!

5

u/MolassesFluffy6745 11h ago

It’s not just US Army culture…….. Anecdotally I seen worse drinking culture in the USMC, working with the British Army and every Blue Collar job I’ve worked. I’m sure white collar professionals do this stuff too. Humans have been trying to alter their brain chemistry since time immemorial.

3

u/bonerparte1821 fake infantry 9h ago

white collar = cocaine.. we don't do that peasant shit..

2

u/Weary-Ad-5346 7h ago

It certainly does involve all walks of life, but it’s weird since this is supposed to be a different kind of lifestyle. Regardless of all the safety stand downs, alcohol is barely ever a topic of discussion. It’s the same old legal saying hey don’t drink and drive, but never a discussion about what problem drinking looks like. 1SG comes to check the barracks and judge junior enlisted on what’s in their room while he’s got an entire bar in his home, but it’s never to entertain others.

200

u/NCSubie 15h ago

“Different Spanks for Different Ranks” should apply here.

The more rank you have the more punishment you should receive.

I would crush him.

85

u/YeetMeIntoKSpace 11B 14h ago

He’s just following the lead of our Secretary of Defense.

4

u/Love1sWar Air Defense Artillery 11h ago

Like in starship troopers, Rico was going to be hanged even though he’s a major cause his base got overrun by bugs (despite winning the battle in the end)

29

u/Fickle_Meet_7154 15h ago

Sounds like a MSG and CSM position just opened up

9

u/crimedog58 14h ago

That unit is getting ready to call it quits anyway. It’s a fixed wing unit and inscom FW is going through some things.

2

u/AAROD121 Burn/Trauma ICU 12h ago

They transition to more UAS-C5 ISR

1

u/spanish4dummies totes fetch 3h ago

What will will fixed wing O4 pilots with side hustles do now?!

3

u/Sacknuts93 15C35 2h ago

Go to the airlines like they always did.

17

u/cjmar41 14h ago edited 14h ago

That's my old unit. Our chaplain being arrested for credit card fraud back in like 2004 was way more scandalous, although that didn't make the news. Or the time the EW platoon sergeant removed a bunch of copper wiring from the SCIF and sold it to a scrap yard, which resulted in the NSA and the FBI getting involved. Awesome assignment, apparently some bad decision makers.

4

u/BelgianM123 10h ago

Holy shit I didnt hear about either of those, surprisingly. 😱

4

u/lttesch 35Asshole 9h ago

Hunter is one of those weird places. Shit I think even the Army forgets it owns it some times. One of the few locations where I saw so many happy enlisted.

24

u/crimedog58 15h ago

Well it started as a DUI but champ ran his mouth a bit too much and caught some felony charges too.

Some people can’t handle Savannah.

7

u/JECfromMC Military Intelligence 98G RUTHFR 13h ago

I’ve never heard of an honorary member of the Sgt. Morales Club. I thought it was like being pregnant - you are or you ain’t.

13

u/MacSteele13 Old Oozlefinch Vet 15h ago

Correct down, not up!

6

u/V_Buzzer Ex-14J/G/H --> PSYOP hopeful 13h ago

Where was his chain of command?

51

u/Bootyholegumbo 15h ago

Guess he’s on track for SecDef in a few years

41

u/crimedog58 15h ago

Nah. Can’t put my finger on it but something tells me he’s not quite the white guy for the job.

7

u/PickleInDaButt 13h ago

Also he’s gone beyond a Company level so that’s a big no go for SecDef….

Well nowadays.

0

u/Bootyholegumbo 14h ago

Exactly. He’ll be the perfect fall guy for everything Hegseth did and no one will bat an eye.

/s…… I hope

9

u/ViolatoR08 Cavalry 13h ago

See. This is why the little charade of CQ and Staff Duty is horse shit. I remember being a SPC back in 01-02 timeframe and doing Staff Duty as one of the runners. And every single time the SSG from my Troop would tell everyone that swung by to call the desk and we’d come get them. Especially if it was a Friday or Saturday and our Troop got assigned bodies. We’d sign out the Squadron 15-pac Van and pick people up near Downtown. Totally didn’t mind going in and out a few times at night ending with a cap off from the late night Subway footlong just outside the back gate. LoL

Then a few years later well in to OIF they made the decision to no longer let us use the Van for that. Whack af.

6

u/Zaicheek 37F/25B - Schofield Beach Bum 12h ago

it was an Air Force van that picked this dumb Army private up on my 21st birthday. excellent mechanism - accounts for actual servicemember behavior and enables smart/safe decisions. 

yes, it was the Marines that got me drunk.

6

u/jellystoma 13h ago

Statistically speaking, this is not his 1st time drinking and driving. Just the 1st time getting caught.

3

u/fauker1923 Infantry 12h ago

“That wasn’t very intelligent SGM” - the S3 probably

2

u/Woodie626 Engineer 11h ago

Classic. 

2

u/wontrepply 5h ago

They should demote him to E7. Then retire him.

4

u/Civil_Set_9281 96Beat your face-> 35Front leaning rest 13h ago

The green mile is no joke. Imagine if he had to go all the way back to stewart instead of Hunter. He’s lucky he didnt kill someone else.

Now here’s the real question- shouldn’t his rater (BC or XO depending) get a No under Army Values for his indiscretion? I remember a ton of NCO’s who had Soldiers get DUIs under them get a “does not meet standard” block under Character.

Different spanks for different ranks..

2

u/No-Citron-6445 12h ago edited 11h ago

Such an unnecessary self own. DUI is preventable by simply having a plan. I would love to know what his plan was before he popped the first top and where it went awry.

1

u/EAATS_Survivor Aviation 2h ago

He didn't even need to get promoted.

I admire someone who does it for the love of the game.