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Goran Tomasevic / REUTERS file
U.S. Marines patrol in front of a poppy field in a village in the Golestan district of Farah province, May 4, 2009.
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army has investigated 56 soldiers in Afghanistan on suspicion of using or distributing heroin, morphine or other opiates during 2010 and 2011, newly obtained data shows. Eight soldiers died of drug overdoses during that time.
While the cases represent just a slice of possible drug use by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, they provide a somber snapshot of the illicit trade in the war zone, including young Afghans peddling heroin, soldiers dying after mixing cocktails of opiates, troops stealing from medical bags and Afghan soldiers and police dealing drugs to their U.S. comrades.
In a country awash with poppy fields that provide up to 90 percent of the world's opium, the U.S. military struggles to keep an eye on its far-flung troops and monitor for substance abuse.
But U.S. Army officials say that while the presence of such readily available opium — the raw ingredient for heroin — is a concern, opiate abuse has not been a pervasive problem for troops in Afghanistan.
"We have seen sporadic cases of it, but we do not see it as a widespread problem, and we have the means to check," said Col. Tom Collins, an Army spokesman.
Get an intimate view of the lives of infantry soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division, as they encounter danger and then have down time in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
PhotoBlog: Lifting the veil on Afghanistan's female addicts
The data represents only the criminal investigations done by Army Criminal Investigation Command involving soldiers in Afghanistan during those two years. The cases, therefore, are just a piece of the broader drug use statistics released by the Army earlier this year reporting nearly 70,000 drug offenses by roughly 36,000 soldiers between 2006-2011. The number of offenses increased from about 9,400 in 2010 to about 11,200 in 2011.
The overdose totals for the two years, however, are double the number that the Defense Department has reported as drug-related deaths in Afghanistan for the last decade. Defense officials suggested that additional deaths may have been categorized as "other" or were still under investigation when the statistics were submitted.
The data was requested by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch and obtained by The Associated Press. The Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have not yet responded to the request for similar information. The Army reports blacked out the names of the soldiers who were under investigation as well any resolution of their cases or punishments they may have received.
Danger not 'fully acknowledged' by military
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said the numbers signal the need for the military leadership to be more vigilant about watching and warning troops in Afghanistan about drug abuse. He said the worry is that "the danger, including the danger of dying, hasn't been fully acknowledged by the military and it needs to be."
Army officials say they do random drug testing through the service and the goal is that every soldier is tested at least once a year. Top Army leaders have said they have not met that goal, but have been working steadily to substantially increase the number of those tested each year.
The officials also say the Army's Criminal Investigative Division has quarterly drug statistics that show that drug use by troops in Afghanistan is not greater than that of troops in installations back in the United States and there is less of a variance in drugs used by troops in Afghanistan.
Rahmat Gul / AP
More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.
According to Army data, an average of 1.38 million urine samples have been tested annually over the past five years, while an annual average of 106,000 soldiers were not tested at all. Officials said that regular testing is even more difficult in the war zone because the testing facilities are often far away.
The cases reflect a broad range of incidents, describing accidental overdoses as well as soldiers buying drugs from Afghan troops, stealing morphine from medical aid bags or, in some cases, taking steroids, using drugs prescribed to someone else or taking medications long after their prescriptions had expired.
Drugs bought from Afghan Army, police
In one overdose case, a member of the Kentucky National Guard was found dead of "acute heroin toxicity" at his Afghanistan base after a soldier, also in the Kentucky Guard, bought heroin from a civilian contractor and used it with him. The report found that he also had morphine and codeine in his system.
Others more often involved soldiers who were found dead and were later determined to have taken a mix of prescription and other opiate drugs.
ARCHIVAL VIDEO, Oct. 20, 2009: Author Gerald Posner and former CIA Special Agent Jack Rice discuss a report by the Daily Beast which suggests that the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan have launched a new offensive against U.S. soldiers – get them addicted to heroin to undermine their effectiveness.
The nonlethal cases range from a soldier failing a random drug test to more organized abuse.
In one case, seven members of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division were found to have smoked hashish and/or ingested heroin numerous times, including some bought from members of the Afghan Army and police. The investigation found that one other brigade soldier acted as a lookout while others used the drugs.
Afghan farmer: I tried, but have to grow poppies to survive
Opium is a key revenue source in Afghanistan, both for the farmers and the insurgency, which can make money selling, transporting or processing the drugs. According to a U.N. report, revenue from opium production in Afghanistan soared by 133 percent in 2011, to about $1.4 billion, or about one-tenth of the country's GDP.
Associated Press writer Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report.
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This is exactly why the men and women need to have mandatory drug testing. I knew an Or Guardsman who was using multiple drugs adn when he was being deployed was asking all his friends if they would send him drugs and alcohol. This same man was using and drinking in the States at times blacking out and then being called at 5am to head out on a copter rescue mission in the Mountains. I would rather take my chances starving ont he side of a mountain, than having a drunen drug addict some to my rescue; repelling down a cable and possibly forgetting to hook up the gear and dropping me 500-1000 feet slamming my body into the mountain side.
Drugs and alcohol are ramplant in the service and especially overseas and those who forward it to them should also be condemed.
We don't believe you know any body
You are right Ur Moms. This also goes for all police departsment as well. Just look some of thehundreds of videos on police over their power trips over civilians. They are just people and I am tired of having to respect those who do not respect their own communities.
In 22 years have I seen Military members booted for drugs YES. Both Officer & Enlisted. But only a small small percent.
How about sneeky under handed lying thiefs crooks and any other name you want to put to a politician ! Why arent they under investigation ??????? Bring our sons and daughters home and treat them here, then send the politicians over there !
If we drug tested the politicians, we'd lose half of Congress. Can't have that. Be realistic. lol
Don't everyone be so quick to make too many comparisons to Viet Nam based on the drug issue. When I was in 'Nam, it was pretty much either you were a 'juicer' or, you were a 'stoner'. Some (but few) were both. We didnt see much heroin at all. But, I was in a Infantry Bde. I know things were probably a bit different in the rear areas maybe, but, I wasn't in those. What I'm saying is that most all the enlisted men smoked pot to some degree while standing down back at the LZ, but, almost never in the field, because, Charlie could smell it and the other troops would get pissed if anyone was getting high in the bush. We sort of had our own rules or order ya might say about that. The officers were so scared of us back at the LZ, they wouldn't say didly about what we did so long as we didnt do it in the bush, But, lemme tell ya,,, I only met one person who did heroin over there. Some did that French speed ya get in a vile which is like a liquid form of meth ya just pour it into ya canteen cup, and some did that while out overnight on ambush, but, seldom if ever. So, there was not as much drugs happening in Vietnam as one might be led to believe by the media jerks. We were too busy fighting, and the terrain, weather, and many many factors kept ya miserable enough ya had to stay alert. So, some of these comparisons just aren't accurate. Seems to me tho from what I'm hearing, Afghanistan is a whole new ballgame when it comes to drugs, and that's very sad. Ya hafta trust the guy next to ya and ya hafta stay frosty out there in the bush. My guess is they do that, but, are messin up in the rear areas.
Many of our sevice , NOT ALL!, were raised on MTV and video games in schools where God is not allowed to be mentioned, many ,NOT ALL , enlisted because jobs were scarce,whatever after 1,2,3,4,5 tours of duty, one week burning poppy fields , next month protecting poppy fields, watching your friends gettin snipe-offed , having to wait for permission to fire back, working with people who hate you fight other people that hate you, our soldiers and marines and all our brave service people are at best over-used and abused,only human and a cross section of our country,they need a break,bring them home as soon as possible!
Was there a specific agenda to release at a certain point this mind-numbing powerhouse of an issue? Get outta here with all that. A whole bunch of guys came home from Nam with drug habits AND drugs -- this is nothing new.
And the jew owned news media's assault on the US military continues.
Just legalize the harmless marijuana plant so those guys have a quick, inexpensive drug to relax them without any dangerous or long term side effects. Think about what they are going through!
I served in the USMC 1969-1971 when Vietnam was coming to an end, but was still hot & heavy fighting. Most brig prisoners on US Naval ships were American Naval & Marine Corps prisoners. All had gotten caught with drugs from every entry port in the South Pacific, Western Pacific & South East Asia. The US government would never acknowledge this was becoming a problem with US Armed Forces serving overseas. The drugs would come to you brought by local dealers allowed on US bases doing laundry & retail business with soldiers & sailors. After a lengthy war, this was bound to happen. The same thing is happening in Afghanistan. When troops come home to the US all cargo is checked by Drug Dogs not just for grenades or war souvenirs, but for drugs. I knew personally of Officers & Staff NCOs that had brought back drugs & were users & also some served time in brigs. One of my jobs was of a Brig Guard. Afghanistan may have a worse problem then Vietnam with more Heroin then pot smoking. In Vietnam, Thailand had the Heroin, but Afghanistan is home to Heroin/Opium. They had all the drugs in Vietnam one could buy & Afghanistan has more of it. Do the math.
Thailand had pot too. Thai-stick. The opium drenched version, called Buddha, was the best you could get 40 years ago. The best pot the local growers have had lately, is a strain called Afghan Legend. A cross between seeds brought back from Afghanistan and clones from the US government farm. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
...This `happened' with the Soviet/Russian army. I knew this would also happen to the U.S. soldiers of whatever branch. The leaders/chain-of-command were ill and poorly prepared for even the issues of PTSD when all of this `happened' under the banners of red/white/blue. There is an overwhelming sense of life saddness associated with the `business of war' even when the marching cadences are always on the upbeat tempo. The sweet kiss from Sister Morphine is actaully much like insulin for diabetics. People can not process their soulfulness of pain as a diabetic can not metabolize extra cellular sugars.
What a laugh that someone thought UN membership forced the US into all these wars. The US loves war and always finds them. Just like the junkies hooked on heroin the US will find its next fix. The US forced out of Iraq the UN inspectors so Bushie the chicken hawk could send others to their death. Those inspectors were saying there were no WMD but that news getting out too early would have stopped the invasion and militarization of the US. This new USA was planned for the 21st century by those worried about perceived American decline and being boxed out of oil resources by China. China signed leases for access to oil while Bush/Cheney decided to use force in the best tradition of the Nazis. Prior to 1991 one US Naval base in the Persian Gulf. How many bases and troops now in this oil rich region? Say hello to the future.
One thing for sure is, if we paid much attention to views like yours we could not say hello to the future, just goodbye to our arse.
BK - if you don't pay attention to the truth, there will be no America left.
We need to get out of this place before have more casualties either from combat or drug abuse. This whole war was not planned out from day one. We went their to get ben liden and we got him in Pakistan so what was and is the point of being there. Bush and Cheney and Rummy ought to have their pensions revoked and open them up to lawsuits from families who lost members in this mess.
There were few who smoked while on ambush only to get ambushed & never went on patrol again high. It's a bummer trip. On ships it was rampant because I caught a many of them & knew of the mostly pot problem in Vietnam. I wanted to clarify this fact.
The mission is over........does President Obama understand that or is in with the war profiteers making money on some NATO soldiers blood?
Still the poppy problem..........thanks to all those dope addicts the terrorists and the drug dealers make money. Mao had the right idea on "curing" dope addicts. Worked then.........bet it would work now!
The president admitted to cocaine use so shouldn't we also make him and all other politicians take test too. I am for drug testing for all in the workplace and those asking for benefits from the taxpayer.
Which one? Seems that could be referring to at least the last three.
Funny how Alcohol is not considered in the testing. Fruitless as that pursuit may be.
It was the same in Viet Nam with drugs.The military is just a microcosm of today's society.It has the same problems civilians have.
Obama promised to end the wars?
He is a liar.
Obama made MANY promises, but has kept how many??? damned few. Thank God!!!
PolitiFact | The Obameter: Campaign Promises that are Promise Kept
There are many kept and many not due to obstructionist opposition and reality. He found out just how difficult the Status Quo is to upset in short order, I may add.
What is unfortunate is that many W Bush Doctrines were continued, for better or worse. And those Doctrines were enshrined by the very Club President Obama is now a member of. Just with a degree less obviousness.
What you get is exactly what you start with. You can not expect soldiers to be much different from the "raw" recruits you start out with. If we tolerate Drug use with our young men, women - our kids ... what do you expect will happen when they go out in the workplace or join our fighting forces?
When you excuse bad behavior in the schools, disrespect to our elders, not hold our leaders to a minimum level of accountablity, our authorities to adhere to higher social morals ... you are telling the rest of us that it does not matter. Morialiyt is "optional" — think about it!
George made many promises too? He kept them all.
lower taxes for the rich - now the country is broke
Military first - so we borrowed money from our enemies to fund a war we could neither justifiy, afford. Heck, George couldn't even send the troops the type, quantiry or quality of tools needed to sustain the war longer than the first 90 days.
"They'll welcome us with open arms"... yeah - right? Who wants to see their country invaded or be treated like criminals in their home?
Most all bases overseas have drug problems especially ones located in the ME.It's nothing new.It's been a problem ever since we started making permanent bases overseas.Here in the USA towns or cities built around bases draw in the less diserable civilians,so drugs aren't just about Afghanistan it surrounds military installations all over.Thats why OSI has gotten so be big.
You put a large number of Teens and Twenty-somethings in a location where they have no family ties, are considered "adults" for the first time in their lives and puts them under an enormous burden of peer pressure ( both good and bad) ... and removes them of personal responsibility.
You just described a "cocktail" which is intoxicating, delicious and promisses no hang over. Couple that with a steady pay check and free room and board - regardless how they spend their pay check. You are talking about Teen age Heaven.
All rights - no responsiblities? It don't get much better than that.
Then one day the bills come due. Thats HELL to pay.
DI's, CO's, PL - all try to help, but warning is all they can really do without breaking the rights which soldiers today are granted.
No longer can you put a boot to them - you have to make everything official and part of the record. That means - in many cases, when it finally "bad enough" for a write-up, it has gone on too long to clean up the mess without harming their career.
Addiction is thousands of years old with alcoholism predating the life of Christ by thousands of years. Why the uproad? The expectations should be adjusted. Addiction to drugs and alcohol has been and can continue to be found in our DNA. My college studies included the genetics of it cause I had to know where I came from to understand where I was at and was choosing to go without the awareness. I didn't know and didn't know that I didn't know. So why the uproar? Using drugs and Alcohol commences with some choice on the part of the drinker and user and then the chemical will kick up and take over with many drinkers and users and become a major compulsion which without help often will not be overcome. Overdose - death is more common than some people would like to acknowledge regardless of the chemical and many who do not die physically die on other levels while taking tons of innocent others with them. That addiction is the major disease in the ConUS is a well known fact. Why the surprise and uproar? Addiction doesn't care what you dress in or do for a living. It doesn't care who your family is whatever the age and relationship and it doesn't care what country you come from or how on the surface you are proud of it. It works under the surface has severely eroded the foundations of human existence and society and should be a first line education subject starting in middle school and then high school. Scream for it, plead for it, sue for it or you're done completely...done. The best deterrant to addiction...personal principles and the behaviors to act those out. A Hui Ho.
I'll drink to that!
When I was on active duty, we had random drug testing each month. No one knew who was going to get picked. also if you had drinking or behavioral issue, you were tested as part of the rehab process. the system seemed to work. so this headline should not come as a surprise to anyone that has served in the military.
Hello? The U.S. burns a blind eye to poppy fields where 90% of the world's opium begins, and there's flak about heroin use?
It's not complicated. Leave Afghanistan, douse the fields with gasoline, and toss a match on the way out. Be doing the entire world a favor.