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What if the person charged with a DUI is not some MXG or SFS airmen who quite literally is not yet mature. What if, instead, the offender is a person of such extreme rank that they have no doubt handed out or concurred with hundreds of DUI punishments over the years. Does that make it any different?

Yes, you extrapolated my example perfectly. If I apply the same logic to your argument then speeding is the same as genocide. If you stole a pen from your squadron you would expect a different punishment than if you stole a flatscreen. I never said that .01 over should not be punished; I am saying that all DUIs are not the same. For example, when I was stationed in Europe there was a woman who got a DUI for .01 BAC. Not .01 over, .01 period. There is a difference between having a slightly slower reaction time and not realizing that you're driving on the sidewalk. Punishment should fit the crime. A woman who has two beers during a dinner and then drives home (who would be over the legal limit in most of Europe) should be looked at differently than someone who was drinking all night and can barely walk to the car. All of this is a rather minute issue and has been a sidetrack from the initial conversation. I was just trying to point out that often the military goes overboard with all of the alcohol stuff. I realize that it is a serious crime that often kills people but the manner in which the laws and regulations are enforced is often illogical, especially in the Air Force.

Yes, there should be a difference. If I punch you, it is assault. If I keep attacking you until you go into a coma, is it still just assault? Shouldn't the punishment be different?

Sounds like Lt raincoat got scared and plea bargained. There was a guy in my college who got a DUI for riding a bike around his back yard during a party that got busted. He lawyer'ed up and the charge was quickly thrown out. One thing I dislike about our current DUI laws (and AF policy) is there seems to be little difference in the repercussions between someone who has a little stronger drink than he realizes and has a .01 BAC over the limit and someone who has been drinking all night and has a .25 BAC.

Jesus, you guys are once again forgeting that more sober people kill people on the highway than drunk people. Also, many accidents caused buy what MADD says are drunk people (>.1) probably would have gotten in the same accident if they were sober. Sometimes shit happens on the road drunk or not. If that were not true sober pepople would never get in accidents. "Oh, but your reaction time is reduced when you are drunk!" So what, maybee he had no time to react so a reduced reaction time makes no difference. So, I am DUI on highway. If you want to do the speed limit, get the fuck out of my way!

Wow dude, there are so many things wrong with your point of view. For starters, it is possible to live on a beach and work for AFSOC. Secondly, unlike when the fighters were there and it was merely one of many locations to PCS to, AFSOC only has two bases and the missions are split. It's very possible for someone to spend their whole career at Cannon and some poeple also have kids/schools/wives/jobs to worry about in addition to the mission. I appreciate your zeal for getting it done, but people stuck there have a right to gripe. It was a bad choice for AFSOC and directly contributes to a high level of suck many spouses and kids have to endure on top of their husband being gone half the year serving our nation. All so a corrupt town can get some government cheese.

I agree with you that many states have laws that are way over the top. You should not be able to be charged with "Driving" Under the Influence unless you are actually engaged in driving a vehicle. I too have heard stories of folks getting DUIs for sleeping in their car while drunk, and I disagree with that. That said, if you do get in the car drunk and start driving, you no longer have civil liberties, because now you are infringing on my and my family's safety and well being, and at that point you have failed as a human being. So I guess I have two recommendations. One, stop giving DUIs for stupid crap, and two the Air Force should have very clear and very harsh punishments for folks caught DRIVING under the influence. One standard, for all Airmen, that is clear and absolute. I personally believe that the harsher the consequence is, the better deterrent it will be.

Fair enough. My point stands...this guy's obviously a good pilot, it's obvious that he was very lucky to escape this incident with no more than minor scrapes and bruises, and the first thing Sky_King thinks of is his accent.

I'm a big believer in people not infringing on my right to, you know, live. Don't drive drunk, you won't get a DUI. Maybe instead of sleeping it off in your car, you can plan ahead and have a ride home.

Are you implying that there should be a difference? Over the limit is over the limit, and if you're impaired, it's still DUI even if you're only at a .01 BAC.

Got it. If I steal one flatscreen from the squadron, I should get a stern talking to from the commander, but four flat screens is a dishonorable discharge. So how over the limit do you have to be before you think someone deserves punishment? And on a related note...isn't that why the limit IS the limit?

I have said it once and I will say it again. Yes, there is a difference. Sober people kill more people than drunk drivers so back off. My uncle was killed by a sober driver so I hate all of you damn sober driver out there.