Well, they WERE West Point cadets. They would have eventually popped positive on a urinalysis. A RIO that flew with me at times “popped” shortly into a six month deployment and he wqs off the ship within a few days.
When I was a cadet, they didn't do regular drug testing.
Must be an Army thing. When we started getting serious about getting rid of drugs in the Navy (after the 1981 NIMITZ flight deck accident) we were pretty aggressive with drug testing across the board. As a LT, I was in charge of that program in my first squadron and we put A LOT of dopers out. This was circa 1982-85. By the late 80s, positives had all but disappeared. We did have a small resurgence with newer drugs in in the early 2000s, but by the time I retired in 08, again drug use was negligible . These cadets should be dismissed with at least an OTH discharge.
I think your timing is about right. I remember late '81 as the first checks for drugs, with absolutely nothing before then. We were transitting from Portsmouth NSY to Charleston and had to divert into New London so we could stand on the pier while they ran dogs through the boat. Piss tests began shortly thereafter. I may be wrong but that's how I remember it.
Agree with your timeline. When the program first got underway thanks to President Reagan, you used to get one chance. Fortunately this went away quickly and one strike and you're rightfully OUT with an OTH. fugg em'
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
