The program had previously been inactive, but thanks to the initiative of various Airmen along with Senior Airman Dylan Starr, who is now the AADD program coordinator, it is back up and running.
“I pushed to get it started back up because I believe it plays a vital role in our wingman culture and ensures the safety of everyone on and off base that could be affected by a drunk driver,” said Starr.
AADD runs every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and dispatches drivers to pick up callers in local area as far as Huber Heights to the north, Miamisburg 675/75 interchange to the south, Trotwood to the west and Xenia/Yellow Springs to the east.
The program operates on a ‘no questions asked’ policy, meaning that when a caller gets picked up he or she will not be asked any personal information to include their age, rank or duty location. The priority of AADD is simply to get Airmen home safely, according to Starr.
Volunteers can be enlisted, officers or civilian base employees who hold full-time positions. Teams of volunteers are made up of drivers, passengers and a dispatcher. Drivers are always sent out on calls with a passenger to ensure the safety of the volunteers. To be a volunteer driver, one must provide their own vehicle. To be a dispatcher, additional initial training as well as quarterly group training is required. To learn more about how to be a dispatcher, contact Starr at dylan.starr@us.af.mil.
“I personally encourage Airmen to keep this included in their night’s plans. This service is free and is there to help them,” said Starr.
To volunteer for AADD, go to https://cs2.eis.af.mil/sites/21146/Rising6/default.aspx, pick a spot on the calendar and sign up. Volunteers can sign up as a unit or individually and can choose to volunteer for the whole weekend or just one night.
For a ride home, call 937-257-AADD (2233).
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