Community Service and Drug Demand Reduction

Cadets must complete community service projects and Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) presentations during their career as a U.S. Army Cadet Corps (USAC) Cadet.  Community service is part of the USAC mission “…the importance of… service to others…” – and is a way for our members to contribute to their communities.

The annual Red Ribbon Week Campaign is conducted during the last week in October to allow people and communities to demonstrate a visible stand against drugs and to show their personal commitment to a drug-free lifestyle and the creation of a Drug Free America through the symbolic act of wearing a red ribbon.  The campaign is in memory of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA0 Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was killed in 1985 while investigating a multi-billion-dollar drug scam.  The United States Congress proclaimed the Red Ribbon Campaign in 1988.  Since then, it has grown to reach millions of Americans.

DDR is part of the National Guard Bureau’s Counterdrug Operations mission, and is meant to spread the anti-drug message to young people across America and to build leadership among America’s youth.  Many units partner with their National Guard’s DDR program to serve as “force multipliers” by having Cadets present anti-drug messages to younger students.  This support of the National Guard’s DDR efforts resulted in our recent receipt of the Fulcrum Shield Award for Counterdrug Education Excellence.  Each state has a Counterdrug Coordinator (CDC) who is responsible for DDR training.  For assistance in identifying your state’s CDC, contact the DCS, G7.

USAC officers, NCOs, USAC Civilians and instructors are eligible to participate in a number of DDR coalition training programs available through the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center (NCTC) in partnership with Communities Against Drug Coalitions.  For details, go to www.counterdrug.org.  For authority to participate, contact the DCS, G3.

Another source of training and support in the field of drug demand reduction is the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program in your area.  This highly acclaimed program that gives young people the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs and violence. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.  For information, go to www.dare.com.