Ten Navy SEALs and one Navy sailor are being discharged from the service after a recent drug test came up positive for both cocaine and meth.
During mandatory drug screenings conducted, a total of 11 service members from the Naval Special Warfare unit tested positive for narcotics in March and April 2018, a Navy spokesman revealed Thursday. It is unclear if service members’ use of controlled substances in this case were related to one another, but the test has triggered an investigation by officials with the Naval Special Warfare Command, Business Insider reported.
Officials identified both cocaine and methamphetamines during the drug screenings.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for the use of illicit drugs; and as such, these individuals will be held accountable for their actions,” Cmdr. Tamara Lawrence said in a statement Thursday, according to Business Insider. “We are confident in our drug testing procedures and will continue to impress on all members of the command that illicit drugs are incompatible with the SEAL ethos and Naval service.”
The Navy faced criticism in 2016 over a reported increase in drug usage by members of the East Coast SEALs. The issue led to an operational pause and investigation by command, WTKR reported.
Drug usage in the military is not confined to their ranks, former SEALs noted.
“It made it look like SEALs more than anybody are taking drugs, and it’s not the case,” Don Mann, a retired Navy SEAL, told WTKR following the 2016 investigation. “The leadership doesn’t put up with it. The leadership demands 100 percent effectiveness for their job.”
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