About South Carolina Counter Drug

The National Guard Counterdrug Program this year celebrates 30 years of support to more than 300 federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies across all 54 states and territories.

The program's history is marked by parks that are built in the place of demolished drug houses, record multi-billion dollar drug seizures, positively impacted at-risk youth, and has enhanced law enforcement agency's capabilities to combat illicit drug activities.

The National Guard began providing support to law enforcement agencies in 1977 when the Hawaii National Guard used helicopters and personnel for illicit domestic marijuana field eradication.  In 1985, shortly after President Ronald Reagan declared a "War on Drugs," Texas, New Mexico, Florida and California National Guard were the first states to conduct counter-narcotics support missions with law enforcement.

The Counterdrug Program was established by congressional

legislation in 1989, with a mission to leverage unique military capabilities, national resources, and community focus in the nation's response to drugs and associated security threats as the need for a national program grew.

With the rise of overdoses from opioids, synthetic drugs and the national security threat by drug trafficking organizations, the significance of the program and its contributions are pertinent to the nation's response to drug and associated transnational security threats.

Guard collaboration among law enforcement agencies is vital to combating the transshipment of drugs, money laundering and domestic trafficking issues that the nation faces.

As of April 2010, the program had implemented drug demand reduction programs in 1,000 middle and junior high school, boys and girls clubs, and after-school programs, providing 400,000 students with an awareness of risks related to the abuse of drugs.

Today, the national program now impacts communities and works to reduce the demand of illicit drugs through the civil operations program. The role of a civil operator is to coach, train, facilitate, coordinate, lead and support coalitions and community-based organizations to make community change.

With the opioid epidemic at large, communities in disparity and the future of the nation's security on the line, Counterdrug Guard members continue to answer the call to duty.