correctly, the Senator was very pleased with the attitude of the commanding officer there, and the attempts which he was making to try to bring about rehabilitation of those who had become addicted to drugs-many of them to the hard-type heroin and the like.

The Senator has now become the chairman of a committee which will be able to look into this matter more thoroughly. I anticipate that the kind of job which the distinguished Senator from Iowa will do will be one which is long overdue, which will be welcomed by the Senate and the country as a whole, and which will help to point a way toward a solution of this problem, which is growing not better but worse with the passage of time, and which will affect not only the military, as it does at the moment, but in time will affect the population as a whole.

Again I commend the distinguished Senator for his initiative in this most important and delicate field.

Mr. HUGHES. I thank the Senator from Montana.

Mr. BYRD of Virginia. Mr. President, I wish to join with the distinguished majority leader in commending the thoughtful and able Senator from Iowa for his work in regard to the drug problem in our Armed Forces. I do not know of any subject more important for congressional consideration than the accelerated use of drugs in the Armed Forces. It presents a grave danger to our Armed Forces. As a Senator and as a citizen, I am very glad that the conscientious, dedicated, and able Senator from Iowa is chairing a committee to delve deeply into this problem.

Senator HUGHES. The hearing is adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair.

(Whereupon at 2:40 p.m. the subcommittee hearing was closed.)

MILITARY DRUG ABUSE, 1971

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1971

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ALCOHOLISM AND NARCOTICS

OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE,

Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met a 9:30 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 318, Old Senate Office Building, Senator Harold E. Hughes, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding.

Present: Senators Hughes, Javits, Dominick, and Schweiker. Committee staff members present: Wade Clarke, counsel to the subcommittee; Richard J. Wise, minority counsel to the subcommittee; and Jay B. Cutler, minority counsel.

Senator HUGHES. The Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Narcotics, of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare will come to order. This is a special hearing on the Department of Defense plan to deal with the drug abuse problem in the military.

The Chair is pleased to welcome the two distinguished Senators from Montana, Senator Mansfield and Senator Metcalf.

Gentlemen, you may proceed as you desire.

STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE MANSFIELD, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MONTANA

Senator MANSFIELD. Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the opportunity to appear before your subcommittee this morning.

Our purpose today is to give our unqualified support to your efforts toward solving the widespread and disheartening narcotics problem in the armed services of this Nation. As you have indicated, Mr. Chairman, these problems are approaching the proportions of an epidemic. According to the latest figures which have become available, it has been estimated that at least one in 10 of our men in Vietnam have become addicted in some form or another to hard drugs. In my opinion, that is a conservative estimate.

When you add that to the casualties which now number, as of June 12, 1971, 54,871 dead, 300,123 wounded, for a grand total of 354,994, when you add that to the cost of this war, which certainly must be somewhere in the vicinity of $130 billion at this time, when you add that to the division among our people in Vietnam and in this country, we begin to get some idea of the concept of just one aspect of what Vietnam means.

Unless dynamic and effective action is immediately taken, grave consequences will result not only in our armed services, but among

the civilian communities of this country as well, especially in the years ahead.

This subcommittee has provided leadership in the Senate by focusing attention on this serious problem within the military. I know that you have had the support and approval of the distinguished Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Stennis, and the ranking minority member, Senator Smith. We want to assure you that the Democratic leadership of the Senate intends to cooperate fully with you as you attack this problem. I am quite certain that Republican leadership will do the same.

I have read your report submitted after an extended study which began over a year ago on drug addiction in the Armed Forces. I found it complete, comprehensive, and sound in its recommendations.

I am pleased to see that this past week the President himself has sent to the Congress a bill to concentrate the resources of the Nation in a crusade against drug abuse. Undoubtedly, the actions of this subcommittee were primarily responsible for calling attention to the urgency of this matter, and I am pleased to note that the administration has adopted many of your recommendations.

Your chairman has made it clear that this subcommittee is healthoriented, wishes to avoid sensationalism, and is interested only in solving the problem. His considerable personal influence has been brought to bear on the Congress as well as the Department of Defense to the end that prompt and effective methods are being instituted for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of military personnel who are the victims of drugs.

One need recall only a few of the distressing statistics to realize how widespread the problem of drug abuse is in the armed services; 30-40,000 of our Armed Forces in Vietnam addicted to heroin in one form or another; the side effect of 875 U.S. military deserters, many of whom are engaged in illegal drug activities; an addiction rate of around 10 to 15 percent among draftees serving in Vietnam; and estimates that drug experiments among our Vietnam servicemen may run as high as 80 percent, compared with about 50 percent among U.S. civilian youth generally. A 1968 study also showed that over one-fourth of the 18-24 year olds at 22 U.S. military posts used marihuana and other drugs.

Although figures indicate the drug problem to be particularly prevalent among men serving in Vietnam, it is widespread throughout the Armed Forces, at home as well as abroad. It is obvious that these men are in dire need of help, yet few of them seek medical aid because they are afraid they may be prosecuted. This is no solution and only adds to the problem. It is time for the Defense Department to accept its responsibility for treating those within its ranks who are dependent upon drugs.

I am delighted that because of the policy recently inaugurated the Defense Department is taking unto itself a large degree of that responsibility at this time. Such individuals should be identified and encouraged to seek treatment and rehabilitation without fear of any punishment whatever.

As the distinguished chairman of this subcommittee has stated. if the drug epidemic continues to grow among our Vietnam forces

and addicted men are restored to civilian society, uncured, we will only be transferring the violence of Indochina to the streets of Ameirca. It is an appalling thought when we recall that in the last 2 years, 16,000 American military have been discharged for drugrelated offenses, 11,000 of them under less than honorable conditions. In the President's message to Congress on this subject, he stated: The Department of Defense will provide rehabilitation programs to all servicemen being returned for discharge who want this help, and we will be requesting legislation to permit the military services to retain for treatment any individual due for discharge who is a narcotics addict. All of our servicemen must be accorded the right to rehabilitation.

On December 3, 1970, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, in its report on the Department of Defense appropriations bill for 1971, made this statement:

For a considerable period the Committee has viewed with growing concern increased evidence of drug use and drug abuse in the military services. It has also followed carefully the hearings held by subcommittees in both the Senate and House on the subject. The Committee has also noted the awareness of the Department of Defense of the nature of the problem and the desire on the part of the Department to take remedial action.

However, it is the view of the committee that immediate action is necessary and desirable. Therefore, the committee strongly recommends that the Secretary of Defense consider the establishment within the Department of Defense of a drug rehabilitation center for the treatment of service personnel volunteering for such remedial care. It is the committee's belief that an additional medical facility could be located in unoccupied buildings at an existing base or at an installation presently planned for closing. Preferably, the location would not be located near a large metropolitan area. Such a facility could be provided under present authority with funds available to the Department of Defense.

The committee recognizes that at the outset the program would probably be of a somewhat experimental nature, but believes that the urgency of the problem and the desirability of a solution that will benefit both the Department and the individuals involved make full consideration by the Department an immediate concern.

Mr. Chairman, I hope that the committee will not consider the Senators from Montana now appearing before you as being parochial minded, but we do want to call to your attention the fact that an ideal facility for this purpose exists at Glascow Air Force Base, Mont. The distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Hughes, has been there and knows of its potential.

To the other members of the committee, I would like to point out that it has a completely modern, fully equipped, 50-bed hospital lying completely idle with X-ray machines, dental chairs, operating tables, pharmacy, kitchens-in other words, everything necessary to provide immediate medical treatment of any sort. All that is needed is an adequate staff to operate it.

There are family homes, dormitories, a gymnasium, schools, theaters, clubs, and other facilities which can be used by a rehabilitation program of this nature. Glasgow Air Force Base is 17 miles from the nearest town, and that has only a population of approximately 5,000. Certainly, it is not located near a large metropolitan

area.

It is my understanding that when Senator Hughes recently propoesd to the Glasgow community leaders that an alcohol and narcotics rehabilitation program could be located at the base, he was

assured of the full cooperation of the community. This cooperation was predicated on a well-run and carefully designed program.

Glasgow Air Force Base belongs to the Department of the Air Force. The taxpayers of this Nation have already paid more than $150 million to build and maintain this installation. A $12 million mortgage against the homes alone remains to be paid off. It is essential that a productive use be found for this base. It is fully modern, in fact one of the newest in the Air Force inventory, is completely equipped, and its facilities are immediately available.

We srongly encourage a closer look at this installation by this committee and the Department of Defense to determine whether it should be utilized in part for a model alcohol and narcotics rehabilitation program for active duty personnel of all services.

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, may I say in closing, in behalf of my distinguished colleague and myself, that while we are advocating that every consideration be given to the possible use of Glasgow, which is in reality the newest installation of the Air Force, but which is now not in operation except on a haphazard, hop, skip, and jump basis, that the overriding problem is the care of those of our men in Vietnam and elsewhere who have become the victims of addition to hard drugs.

Whether or not Glasgow is used is of secondary importance. What is of primary significance is that something must be done, and done now, to take care of these people who have become addicted in this manner and who are in need of immediate relief, assistance, and help, and who no longer can be ignored.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee.

Senator HUGHES. Senator Metcalf, do you have an additional

statement?

STATEMENT OF HON. LEE METCALF, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MONTANA

Senator METCALF. Mr. Chairman, when I was on Montana Supreme Court, I learned that when someone made a fine and outstanding statement, I should leave it that way and just say I concur.

I do congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership and activity in providing the kind of rehabilitation for drug addiction that is the responsibility of our government. It is just as much a responsibility to restore these men to civilian life as the victims of drug addiction as it is to restore the wounded or the diseased and ill.

One of the prompt and effective methods that Senator Mansfield was talking about is a rehabilitation program, and a rehabilitation center. I concur again that the most important thing is to set a program like this underway, but the Appropriations Committee inadvertently neglected Glasgow Air Force Base, one of the newest, one of the most modern bases in the military system. This is not an old World War II barracks. These are some of the finest homes the State of Montana, the finest hospital in the State of Montana; asiums and theaters that are equal to any in any city in the 1 States.

to carry out your program-you know Glasgow Air Force -it seems to me admirably suited to carry out the responsibilities