7 mids expelled from USNA over Spice

[Luigi59]

Thanks Luigi!

I just found it strange that all the branches aren’t rolling this out at the same time type thing (since it’s an issue for all of them) but it looks like it’s still in the beginning of what I would call “validating” the test.

Stars and Stripes has corrected their earlier story about "spice testing."

Air Force: No random testing for Spice

By TRAVIS J. TRITTEN
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 3, 2011

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Air Force does not have the ability to randomly test airmen for the designer drug Spice despite last week’s announcement that such screening has begun, the service said Friday.

Testing for synthetic forms of marijuana is only possible on a limited basis involving criminal investigations, and only 12 samples have been taken, the Air Force press desk at the Pentagon told Stars and Stripes.

The service said it hopes to eventually begin randomized urine screening of all airmen, which it now does for other drugs such as cocaine and marijuana, but it would not elaborate Friday on why such screening for Spice is not possible now.​

http://www.stripes.com/news/air-force-no-random-testing-for-spice-1.136585

 

[Boozebin]

LOL thanks again Luigi! Once again you keep us up to date on these articles!

I knew it sound a bit strange to me... I was off on the why but I knew something was wrong.

Thanks again.

 

[Luigi59]

Naval Academy expels 3 more over synthetic pot

Associated Press.
Thursday, March 10, 2011

ANNAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Naval Academy said Thursday that three more midshipmen have been expelled for using or possessing synthetic marijuana, bringing the total number of dismissals to 11 so far this year.

That’s the same number of total expulsions for drug policy violations in each of the past two calendar years.

.

 

[Christcorp]

cadets/mids are suppose to me "America's Finest". I can't imagine "Ignorance" is involved here. I guess it's good that the "Stupid" ones get weeded out before they're in a position of affecting other's lives.

 

[kp2001]

cadets/mids are suppose to me "America's Finest". I can't imagine "Ignorance" is involved here. I guess it's good that the "Stupid" ones get weeded out before they're in a position of affecting other's lives.

Remember, they are a self-selected group, so they are "America's Finest" out of those who applied

It is not ignorance, it is simply the way adolescents/young adults mind works. The "it won't happen to me", "I won't get caught", "I will never die" mentality is simply the way the mind works at that age. Some have built coping mechanisms to deal with that and are able to get through the "urges" or possible peer pressure to do things that aren't so great for them.

Some trade doing "bad stuff" for doing "not so bad stuff that won't get me in too much trouble" such as underage alcohol use or speeding/racing. Or some turn to things that are completely legal such as extreme sports (BASE jumping, extreme skiing, etc, etc). We see this in the medical community with Gastric Bypass. Many patients get the surgery and then end up as compulsive shoppers or gambling addicts: they trade one thing (food) for another.

As to why Spice is so pervasive right now my beliefs are that because for a time it was legal people tend to give less credence to the military's "we will kick you out" stance. I would bet those currently using Spice at any Academy has seen a very sharp decrease to near 0 at this time or whatever the rate of illicit drug use is.

It is very hard to take something that was once legal and allowed and explain why it is no longer so. You must get buy-in and it takes time (or people to be made example of) to get the point home.

 

[Just_A_Mom]

Washington post:

3 more midshipmen expelled from Naval Academy


By Daniel de Vise

Three more midshipmen were expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy on Tuesday for use or possession of synthetic marijuana, or "spice," bringing to 11 the tally of mids "separated" in an ongoing investigation, officials said Thursday.
"In each case, it was other midshipmen who brought the allegations to the attention of Naval Academy leadership," the academy said in a statement.
Academy leaders had previously indicated that the investigation was larger than the seven midshipmen expelled in its first stage. Ex-mids told me that spice has spread to the wrestling and football teams and across the rank and file of the brigade, although the full extent of its use remains a matter of some dispute.
Additional expulsions are widely expected; current and former mids told me that at least a half-dozen midshipmen have departed the academy over the past two weeks as a result of the investigation. Some may still be in the process of separation.
Mids took to smoking spice because it can't be detected in the random drug tests periodically required of them, and because of its quasi-legal status -- although that is rapidly changing.

These mids are fallout from the original investigation which is still ongoing. More will follow as they rat each other out.
At the time they were using, "spice" was not illegal - it was against DoD and Navy policy and an offense that carries discharge as punishment.

 

[raimius]

At the time they were using, "spice" was not illegal - it was against DoD and Navy policy and an offense that carries discharge as punishment.

Using spice might not have been illegal in Annapolis, but the instant Mids were ordered not to use it (or other drugs), it became illegal for them.

 

[usnabgo08]

SECNAVINST 5300.28D and NAVADMIN 108/10 explicitly ban the use of synthetic "drugs." This policy is not new, it was effective in December 2005.

Both these policies are lawful general orders and can be punishable as offenses under the UCMJ and cause for ADSEP.

So since the end of 2005, it has been "illegal" for Navy personnel.

 

[Pachrian]

And then there are those who got caught but left on their own rather than face getting expelled, like a youngster in DS's company.

 

[LineInTheSand]

And then there are those who got caught but left on their own rather than face getting expelled, like a youngster in DS's company.

Often they tell very different stories about their reason for leaving than reality.

 

[usna1985]

I just hope that this incident serves as a stern warning for cadets/mids at all SAs. It's tough, but a zero tolerance policy is the way to go. And, this is reality as an officer -- you do drugs (or DUI for that matter) and you're gone. Or at least that's the way it was in my day.

 

[flieger83]

I just hope that this incident serves as a stern warning for cadets/mids at all SAs. It's tough, but a zero tolerance policy is the way to go. And, this is reality as an officer -- you do drugs (or DUI for that matter) and you're gone. Or at least that's the way it was in my day.

It has NOT changed.

Okay...true confession here...

When I'm "bored" I troll the "opinions" of the various military courts of appeal. Yeah, I'm a closet lawyer wannabe. I guess having taken a minor in law and studied all the extra law I could while I was getting my MBA, etc...etc...it really got me interested.

And having sat, currently, on 12 courts martial as a member...

MOST of the cases you read are drugs...ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, meth. Those are the 4 that I see most often. And this is officer and enlisted.

And it's always...BAD CONDUCT DISCHARGE (or DISHONORABLE), fines, reduction in grade, and if it was a "more than once" offense, it usually involves jail time as well.

Oh...for an officer, ANY conviction at Court Martial (okay, I can't speak with 100% certainty, but...) will result in a dismissal. That is the same as a DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE and is like luggage: you keep it for LIFE.

Try going through life with that anchor around your neck.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

 

[Luigi59]

Looks like this "spice investigation" has finally concluded as of last Friday.

Navy Times
Aug 4, 2011

With the expulsion of a 16th midshipman on July 15, the Naval Academy says it has closed its 10-month investigation into spice usage by mids, some of which occurred on campus.....

Asked if the separated mids were all part of one ring, Buice said Wednesday that it would be “oversimplifying to say they were all part of the same group,” but acknowledged that there was some connection between them. “Obviously, we found out about these individuals as part of the same investigation......"

All but one of the separated mids was male. One freshman and one senior were kicked out, while eight sophomores and six juniors were expelled, according to Goode....

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/08/navy-16th-midshipman-expelled-over-spice-080411w/