Second Chance: Soldier sees brighter future after conquering intoxicating demons

Photo By Lesley Atkinson | Staff Sgt. Darrel Whitton, 92A Division, Logistics Training Department is a recovering alcoholic and is grateful to the Army for giving him a second chance. (Photo by Lesley Maceyak, U.S. Garrison Public Affairs)  

GOUVERNEUR, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

06.23.2016

Story by Lesley Atkinson 

Fort Gregg-Adams

he quartermaster Soldier from the 92A Division Logistics Training Department dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder, a failed marriage, separation from kids, trouble with the military, arrest for assault and battery, an overdose of prescribed drugs, loss of life ambitions and then alcohol dependency. He almost lost everything including his own life before he realized he desperately needed help.
Whitton started drinking as a teenager in Gouverneur, N.Y. He felt it was normal to drink and a way to “fit in.”
He joined the Army in 2003 at age of 19. He enlisted to better himself and his first assignment was at Fort Drum N.Y., which was only 32 miles from where he grew up. He was single and did what he felt most did at that age … drink heavily and daily.
“It seemed like everybody in the Army was drinking, so I felt like that is what I needed to do,” he said.
After his first year in the Army, he got married and gained an instant family with two children. His drinking slowed at that time because he thought doing it alone felt odd.
He first deployed for a 15-month-tour in Afghanistan. He said there were a couple of situations he experienced in the desert, but he had considered himself lucky.
Upon his return, he and the family transferred to Fort Riley, Kan. He then had his first child.
“I think coming from Afghanistan with a permanent change of station upon my return, and having a baby was overwhelming,” he said. “Then, going to a new place to live, it was really the first time I left New York I was on my own. I drank every opportunity to escape my problems.”
He would find any excuse to have friends over because he felt more acceptable drinking in front of his family.
Whitton soon did a back-to-back deployment to Iraq. During that time, he found out he was having a second child who was born prior to his return. He also had also adopted his wife’s two children.
During his third deployment, he found out his wife had been unfaithful. He said his marriage was spiraling out of control and the homefront was unstable. For the remaining 4-6 months of his deployment, he was dealing with his marital problems. At that time, he had received orders to come to Fort Lee. He recalls at the end of the deployment he had many hours to reflect on his life. The time alone to himself ramped up his life situations.
When he returned, his marriage was broken, and soon alcohol became his main issue.
“I can have a pretty bad attitude – I never hurt anybody physically – just a lot of emotions came out when I returned,” he said. “Our relationship got ugly and a lot of arguments erupted. We decided to separate.”
His noncommissioned officers in charge who had worked closely with him in Iraq noticed he was deteriorating and needed help. His personal life was affecting his work. He was missing physical training due to being hungover, and he reeked of alcohol when he showed up for work.
Whitton was admitted for the first time by mental health to a treatment facility to allow him some time apart from his wife, get away from alcohol, attend support classes and cope with his life.
The two-week treatment focused on his marital problems … but did not focus on his alcohol problem.
“When I was released, I really had nowhere to go,” he said. “Thankfully, my chain of command allowed me to stay in the barracks which was good … but in the end, it was bad because I was a staff sergeant living with younger Soldiers. I knew basically everyone, and it was a nightly party with lots of alcohol.”
He continued his drinking pattern and showed up to work late. His unit gave him a lot of leeway because he was about to PCS to Fort Lee. No one paid any attention to what he was doing. Whitton was dealing with a divorce and leaving his four kids behind in Kansas.
He arrived at Fort Lee alone. “I had no friends, no family and I did not know how to handle myself,” he said. “I depended on alcohol to get by.
“It was nerve-racking coming to a new unit, not knowing what to expect,” he explained. “I had heard horror stories about Fort Lee. You either come here to get demoted … or come to get promoted. My first months here were rough and all I remember is drinking.”
He found a co-worker he called a friend and they drank every day together. He alone would drink a case of beer each night.
He was still visiting mental health for depression and insomnia. He felt the only way he could successfully sleep through the night was to take prescribed anti-depressant, sleep medication and drown it down with alcohol.
At that time, Whitton was still legally married, and found himself involved with a married woman. The husband found out and reported Whitton to his chain of command. He was given a no-contact order by his leaders.
“I really didn’t have a care in the world at that time,” he said. “I was a pretty poor father … I didn’t care about work, I didn’t have a drive, no enthusiasm, I had just about hit rock bottom. I had nowhere else to go.”
He had ignored the no-contact order. One day, the female he was not to see had visited at his apartment.
“I remember she came and then left … I was drinking a lot, and had fallen into a deep depression,” he said. “I drank more heavily that day and recall drinking a full bottle of amaretto straight, a bottle of vodka, and 18 pack of beer. I sat there going through all my awards and decorations. I was thinking … why did I deserve this? They’re better people out there more deserving than me. I was beating himself up.”
The women returned to his apartment, and from what he remembers, she tried to help him.
“I wasn’t listening,” he continued. “I went to my bedroom and took a half a bottle of anti-depressants, every sleeping pill I had, and had blacked out. I woke up the next day to find my apartment destroyed. I don’t know what happened? I must have had a temper tantrum -- lost my cool. The police were knocking on my door with the lady I was seeing. She had left her ID and needed an escort in order to retrieve it. In her account, she reported to the police that I assaulted her. The police was not only there to retrieve her ID but they arrested me for assault and battery.”
Whitton knew he was in big trouble … not only legally but also with the military.
“The next day I showed up to work and my NCOIC and he gave me a counseling statement recommending me for an UCMJ for disobeying a lawful order and adultery,” he said.
NCOIC asked him if he was ok to go home, he said he was not.
Whitton was admitted to Southside Regional Medical Center, Petersburg to the mental ward.
He recalled, “All I remember I was not allowed outside, not many windows and I had no alcohol. I was scared … I didn’t know what was going to happen with my career or if I would ever see my kids again.”
The staff gave him medications to help with the severity of his withdrawals that plagued him two days into the treatment. At that time, he was not ready to quit, because he didn’t know if he could do anything sober. He had drown every problem with alcohol.
He recollects that he owes most of his recovery to a lady who looked over him while he was in the ward. He said she would not stop believing in him and wanted him to seek help for alcoholism. She assisted with getting him treatment at Fort Belvoir, for a 28 day alcohol program.
To Whitton, he still felt at that time he didn’t have an alcohol problem, he was a social drinker or at least what he told himself. He didn’t realize all the underlying issues that caused himself to drink.
“I never really focused on the PTSD portion,” he said. “However, the nightmares were still happening and I didn’t know how to deal with them.”
When he got to Fort Belvoir there was a set schedule and a counselor who focused solely on PTSD treatment. After a week of treatment and listening to other people’s stories, he realized he did have a drinking problem.
One way he learned about himself during his treatment -- he had to write a detail paper on his entire life. When he wrote the timeframe after enlisting in the Army, his life became vague. The PTSD started to come more into play importantly in his life.
“I realized I needed to get help on the PTSD and my insomnia,” he said. “I finally focused on myself and said I could do this and I wanted to do it, but it was going to be difficult.”
During treatment he had made contact with an old college girlfriend, Candice, who is now his wife.
“It had been 11 years since I spoke with her,” he said. “She had become my rock, my go-to-person. We became close and I give a lot of my success to her.
“Coming out of treatment knowing she was there and having a great COC, with NCOICs that stood beside me really helped. They knew this wasn’t who I was … I had the potential to be a great leader.”
Out of treatment he got an UCMJ article 15 that includes to 30 days of extra duty, and suspension of his pay and rank for 60 days. “If I didn’t screw up I would get it all back,” he said. “During this process, I hired a lawyer. The outside court gave me a year probation and they would suspend the charges after one year, if I did not mess up.”
For his probation he had to do 100 community hours. The probation officer helped him contact the president of the Hopewell Youth Football League, Robbie Pine to volunteer with his youth league.
“I told Mr. Pine I wanted to fight this battle with alcoholism,” he said. “If I can help any child -- it would help me.”
He was granted the community service and Whitton opened up his calendar to help. At the end of the football season, Whitton had received a volunteer of the year award for the Hopewell Football League.
“This award meant I could be successful without getting drunk,” he said. “He wrote a phenomenal letter about me to my probation officer and to the courts.”
After the year probation, his probation officer told the court Whitton was the best candidate he has ever had. Whitton was a great success, not only did he do 100 community hours but exceeded over 200. The judge reduced his charges.
Whitton’s said he began to see a light that was starting to shine.
Today, almost four years later, he is sober.
He voluntarily works with the Army Community Service, Army Family Team Building and talks to classes about resiliency and being the bouncing ball. He uses his story on how someone can be resilient and to make it through tough situations.
“I am back to who I was or who I should have been,” said Whitton. “The Army has provided so much for me and my family. I will never forget my tour here at Fort Lee. It allowed me to turnover a new leaf and to see a new perspective on life. The Army has given me a second chance.”
Whitton is transferring in a few months unaccompanied to Korea. His focus is to stay busy, finish his bachelor’s degree, to explore nature and to stay dry.
To learn more on programs here contact the Army Substance Abuse Program, located in building 8135, or to speak with a counselor contact [phone] or Behavioral Health at [phone].
For unit training on Alcohol/Drug prevention brief or Unit Risk Inventory contact: Matthew Murcin-Risk Reduction Coordinator [phone] or Elias Barnes-Prevention Coordinator [phone].
In addition, post chaplains are available to provide confidential counseling and occasional on post classes.

• Date Taken: 06.23.2016
• Date Posted: 06.23.2016 11:07
• Story ID: 202229
• Location: GOUVERNEUR, NEW YORK, US