Spiritual Minded Military Alaska Air National Guard: How Do I Stay Sober in Alaska When Drinking Is the Primary Social Activity — The Arctic Sobriety Protocol

 

THE ALASKA DRINKING CULTURE

The sun sets in November. It rises in February. The darkness lasts for months. The cold keeps people indoors. The isolation presses in from all sides. Alcohol becomes the default activity. It is not a choice for many. It is the only option.

The 176th Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson flies C-17s and HC-130s. The airmen rescue people from the frozen wilderness. They cannot rescue themselves from the drinking culture. The 168th Wing at Eielson Air Force Base refuels aircraft over the Arctic. The tanker pilots cannot refuel their own spirits.

Alaska has the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the nation. The veterans drink more than the civilians. The Air National Guard members drink more than the active duty ones. The pattern is undeniable. The pattern is deadly.

The civilian solution is "moderation." The civilian solution is "support groups." The civilian solution does not work in Alaska. The darkness is too long. The isolation is too deep. The drinking is too normal.

The Arctic Sobriety Protocol is not about moderation. The Arctic Sobriety Protocol is about survival.

For the strategic framework on high-performance sobriety in extreme environments, read NEW YORK AIR FORCE TACTICAL ARCHITECTURE: FROM COCKPIT TO COMMAND.

WHY ALASKA IS DIFFERENT

The Lower 48 has options. A sober veteran in Texas can go to the movies. A sober veteran in Florida can go to the beach. A sober veteran in California can hike in January. Alaska has none of these.

The temperature drops to minus 40. The wind chill makes it worse. The roads are ice. The sun does not rise. The movie theater is open. The movie theater does not serve the community. The movie theater does not fill the void.

The Alaska Air National Guard airman who stops drinking does not just lose alcohol. He loses his social circle. He loses his recreation. He loses his way to pass the darkness.

The civilian recovery programs do not understand Alaska. They assume you can go for a walk. They assume you can call a friend who is awake. They assume the sun will shine eventually. The assumptions are wrong.

For the complete guide to understanding how extreme environments complicate recovery, read From Battle Ready to Burned Out: What the Maryland National Guard Won't Tell You About Cellular Logistics.

THE DARKNESS AND THE CRAVING

The human body was designed for sunlight. Sunlight regulates serotonin. Serotonin regulates mood. Mood regulates cravings.

The Alaska winter steals sunlight. The brain produces less serotonin. The mood drops. The cravings rise. The airman who never thought about drinking at 4 PM in July thinks about drinking at 2 PM in December.

The darkness is not psychological. The darkness is biological. The enemy uses biology as his weapon.

The 176th Wing rescues civilians who made poor decisions in the wilderness. The Alaska Air National Guard airman cannot rescue himself from his own biology. He needs a protocol that accounts for the darkness.

For the recovery framework that addresses biological cravings, read Weekend Warrior, Weekday Wreck: The North Carolina Guard Logistics Solution No One Gave You.

THE ARCTIC SOBRIETY PROTOCOL

The Arctic Sobriety Protocol has five phases. Each phase addresses a specific challenge of Alaska sobriety.

Phase One: Replace the Activity

The airman who stops drinking has empty time. Empty time is dangerous. The enemy fills empty time with cravings.

Replace drinking with something physical. The gym is open. The gym is heated. The gym does not serve alcohol. The airman who works out when the craving hits burns the craving with the calories.

Replace drinking with something social. The sober airman needs sober friends. They exist in Alaska. They are hiding in the same isolation. Find them. Start a sober group. The group does not need a name. The group needs a meeting time.

Replace drinking with something purposeful. The Alaska Air National Guard airman has skills that civilians need. Teach a class. Mentor a younger airman. Volunteer at a food bank. The purpose kills the craving faster than willpower.

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Phase Two: Hack the Darkness

The darkness is not optional. The response to the darkness is optional.

Light therapy works. The Alaska VA prescribes light boxes for seasonal depression. The light box is not a suggestion. The light box is a tool. Thirty minutes every morning. The light tricks the brain into thinking the sun has risen.

Vitamin D is not optional. The Alaska sun does not provide enough vitamin D from November through March. The deficiency causes fatigue. The fatigue causes cravings. The airman who does not supplement vitamin D is fighting with one arm tied.

Structure your day around light. The sun rises at 10 AM. The sun sets at 3 PM. The airman who does not plan around the light loses the light. The airman who loses the light loses his mood.

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Phase Three: Build the Alaska Sober Network

The Lower 48 sober network relies on meetings. Alaska meetings are far apart. The drive might be two hours on ice. The meeting might have three people. The airman who relies only on meetings will relapse.

The Alaska sober network has three layers.

1. Your Wingman: One person. The same unit. The same struggle. The same schedule. The wingman calls at 8 PM when the darkness is heaviest. The wingman asks, "How are you doing?" The answer is honest.
2. Your Virtual Network: The internet works in Alaska. The veteran sobriety groups exist online: The meetings happen at all hours. The airman who does not use virtual support is choosing isolation.
3. Your Unit: The 176th Wing has a chaplain. The 168th Wing has a peer support program. The resources exist. The airman who does not use them is not resourceful.

For the complete Air Guard perspective on building sober networks, read Robins Air Force Base Briefing: Why GA Air Guard Airmen Wear Their Allegiance.

Phase Four: Fuel the Sober Body

Alcohol is empty calories. Alcohol depletes nutrients. Alcohol disrupts sleep. The sober body needs replacement.

Hydration is the first replacement. Dehydration causes cravings. The thirsty brain confuses thirst with hunger. The hungry brain confuses hunger with alcohol craving. One scoop of Cellular Hydrate – Electrolyte Formula every morning. One scoop every afternoon. The airman who hydrates craves less.

Protein stabilizes blood sugar. The blood sugar spike-and-crash cycle triggers cravings. The airman who eats protein every three hours keeps his blood sugar stable. Stable blood sugar means stable mood. Stable mood means fewer cravings.

Clean energy replaces the alcohol energy. Alcohol provides quick energy followed by a crash. The crash triggers more cravings. Spiritual Minded Mushroom Coffee Blend provides clean energy without the crash. The airman who fuels with mushroom coffee does not need alcohol for energy.

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Phase Five: Fortify the Spiritual Perimeter

The enemy attacks the sober airman where he is weakest. The enemy does not need you to get drunk. The enemy needs you to isolate. The enemy needs you to believe that you are alone.

The spiritual perimeter has three walls.

1. Daily prayer: Not a long prayer. Consistent prayer. The airman who prays before the craving hits prays with a clear head. The airman who waits until the craving hits is already compromised.

2. Scripture memorization: The verse you have memorized is the verse you can use in the crisis. The verse you have to look up is the verse you will not use. Memorize one verse per week. The verses build a fortress.

3. Sabbath rest: The Alaska airman who never rests burns out. The burned-out airman relapses. The Sabbath is not a suggestion. The Sabbath is a command. One day per week. No work. No alcohol. No screens. Just rest.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." — 1 Peter 5:8

For the full spiritual warfare doctrine on sobriety and spiritual perimeter, read The Sovereign Protocol: Elite Gear & Fuel to Enhance Military Performance.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE CRAVING COMES

The craving will come. The protocol is not about preventing cravings. The protocol is about surviving them.

The craving response protocol has four steps.

Step One: Recognize the craving as a transmission. The craving is not your idea. The craving is the enemy's broadcast. You do not have to answer the radio.

Step Two: Move your body. The craving lives in stillness. Kill it with motion. Pushups. Situps. A walk around the building. The movement changes your physiology.

Step Three: Hydrate immediately. One scoop of Cellular Hydrate in cold water. Drink it completely. The craving often disappears by the time the glass is empty.

Step Four: Call your wingman. The call takes sixty seconds. The call breaks the isolation. The call reminds you that you are not alone.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." — 1 Corinthians 10:13

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THE ALASKA AIR NATIONAL GUARD REMNANT

You are not the only sober airman in Alaska. The 176th Wing has members who have stopped drinking. The 168th Wing has members who have stopped drinking. The Alaska Air National Guard has a remnant of sober warriors.

The Remnant meets in the dark. The Remnant check on each other. The Remnant does not judge relapse. The Remnant celebrates every day of sobriety.

The Alaska Air National Guard remnant is not a recovery program. It is a survival network. Fall in.

For the cap that marks you as part of this Remnant, secure your Spiritual Minded Military Cap.

CONCLUSION: THE ARCTIC SOBRIETY PROTOCOL

The darkness is long. The cold is deep. The drinking culture is strong. The Arctic Sobriety Protocol is stronger.

Replace the activity. Hack the darkness. Build the network. Fuel the body. Fortify the perimeter. Respond to the craving with action.

The civilian recovery programs do not understand Alaska. The Arctic Sobriety Protocol does. It was built by airmen who survived the darkness. It was tested in the coldest months. It works.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith." — 2 Timothy 4:7

Spiritual Minded Military Alaska Air National Guard: The Arctic Sobriety Protocol is now in effect. You are not alone. Fall in.

The Remnant does not transition. The Remnant re-enlists.

Spiritual Minded Military
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THE LITTLE GENERAL'S DOCTRINE

THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION. IT IS A DIRECTIVE FOR THE ELITE 1%. [BY ORDER OF THE LITTLE GENERAL]

15-YEARS DRUG-FREE | WORLD CHAMPION | VETERAN