ARMY ALCOHOL TRAINING - October 10th, 2008
Soldiers returning to Shropshire from Afghanistan were given vital advice on drink driving from the UK’s largest alcohol awareness organisation.
The Shropshire based TTC Group delivered a 40 minute talk to 300 soldiers at the Tern Hill Army camp, home to the 1st battalion, the Royal Irish Regiment.
They also put on a display inside a hangar along with 19 other organisations as part of a health awareness event for the “unsung heroes” returning home after a gruelling six month stint in Afghanistan.
TTC’s John Price told them about the dangers of being over the limit the following day, about how long alcohol stays in the system and how to avoid a drink drive conviction by not driving at all when drinking alcohol.
“You haven’t had a drink for six months and you have a very good reason to celebrate. Just be aware of how easy it is to get over the drink drive limit,” he said.
Soldiers, who tested non alcoholic beer, said they couldn’t tell the difference with real beer and wouldn’t be embarrassed by drinking it.
During their time in the war ridden country one of their colleagues was killed and 44 injured, some of them seriously.
“It is a huge culture shock for them. They are unsung heroes coming back to the rigours of civilian life,” said welfare officer Captain Nigel Bradley.
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“A lot of them have seen things out in Afghanistan that they shouldn’t have seen. Some have seen a fellow soldier killed. It will take a while to see how they cope with it.”
The education is all part of a new scheme to re-integrate the soldiers into civilian life. They are due to enjoy three weeks leave before returning to the Shropshire camp followed by a chance to spend Christmas at home.
The TTC Group, of Hadley Park, Telford, is the UK’s largest provider of courses for people convicted of drink driving. They also run speed awareness courses and the National Driver Improvement Scheme on behalf of police and councils.
