People Ban: CO Peterson Air Force Base

By Jonathan On Jul 5, 2017

Please help those fighting for our freedom!

Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
12/9/06

I was wondering if you had any recommendations for someone to contact who can fight for our right to smoke here at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The Wing Commander is planning to implement a ban on any form of tobacco use for the duration of a normal duty day for us. This not only means that we cannot take a break and go smoke outside, but we cant smoke at all until we go home and take off our uniform. The ban is to include any time we are in uniform. Below are excerpts from email traffic concerning the policy, these emails were passed down from senior leadership to give everyone a heads up.

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Original Email (25 Oct 2006):

Enlisted Leaders,

I want to give you all a heads up of a policy I expect to go into effect on 1 Jan 07. If the policy is approved, the Wing Commander will require all US military personnel assigned to the 21 SW will not use tobacco on duty or while in uniform. I expect this policy to apply to the GSUs as well.

As a former smoker myself, I know it’s going to be hard not to use tobacco while at work. So I hope smokers & chewers will consider a New Year resolution to quit completely. The next couple months might be a good time to get enrolled in a tobacco cessation class.

Although the policy is still being drafted, I wanted to get the word out early so that people who are considering quitting can prepare by enrolling in a class.

Thanks.

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Follow-up Email (30 Nov 2006):

Here’s update on this proposed policy. Since the medical folks are concerned the tobacco cessation classes may be overwhelmed, it PROBABLY won’t go into effect until Feb, March, or as late as April. The policy letter is still pending legal review. I hope many will make a plan to quit soon–might be a good New Year’s resolution.

Also, this will not affect any civilians or Foreign military folks.

Thanks.

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If anyone would like to contact the Wing Commander, the phone# to his office is 719-556-2100, Colonel Jay Santee. Email: Jay.Santee@peterson.af.mil

As military members we cannot buck the system without getting our careers ruined but I believe if they were to start taking heat from outside groups on smokers rights they might have to back down.
– A Newsletter Reader

Commentary:

Before I took the oath, I asked my recruiter how many cigarettes will we be allowed to smoke each day in boot camp. He estimated around 10. Three was the most we ever smoked and for every 3 cigarette day, there were just as many days when the smoking lamp didn’t get lit at all. I guess my recruiter felt if he would have told me the truth, he wouldn’t have recruited me. For 3 months, the urge to smoke wasn’t nearly as big of a factor as the urge to drink water. It was limited as much as cigarettes were and we were constantly thirsty.

But then we understood that boot camp was a necessary test of our resolve. After we proved ourselves to be worthy of the Marine Corps, we were allowed to smoke like chimneys and drink like fish. However, this Santee charactor who is obviously abusing his authority with a personal vendetta against tobacco, is making a major dumb-Anti type mistake. Right now, recruitment in our all volunteer military is suffering and the thought that potential volunteers will have is the possibility that they might wind up with a CO as wacked out as he is. Not good!

Like Santee, Hitler forbid smoking in the SS while in uniform or during duty hours. The rest of the troops had their cigs rationed severely. By contrast, our WW II leaders knew that cigarettes were essential to keeping morale high and helping to deal with the extreme mental stress that comes with fighting wars. Which side won the war? Point made!

Too bad ‘ol General Chesty Puller isn’t around to give that Boy Wonder an attitude adjustment!

Semper Fi
Jim
12/10/06

From: John Gray
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:30:16 +0000
To: Jay.Santee@peterson.af.mil>
Subject: Smoking Ban

Dear Colonel Santee,

It was with some dismay that I read of your intention to impose a total smoking ban at your base. Yes, I know I am writing from the UK but as a person with a military background himself,

I felt strongly enough to e-mail you as I contend that those who fight for their country deserve to be treated like adults and make their own choices with regards to the consumption of a legal product.

Moreover, and I say this with respect, when you made your decision to stop smoking you did so as an adult who actually had that choice. With regard to your men however, you seek to remove that choice, hence not only imposing your own tastes upon them but treating them like children. Is this what a good and loyal fighting man deserves? Is this the way an adult should be treated. The simple answer is: no.

I therefore request, sir, that you carefully reconsider your decision in the light of what I have written.

Sincerely,
John Gray

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