Marine starts Project Guardian Angel

Local Marine starts Project Guardian Angel

HOPE HODGE

Stumble out of a Jacksonville night spot with keys in your hand, and you just might be met with a friendly question and a pop breathalyzer test.

Robbie Johnson, a Marine corporal with Camp Lejeune’s Headquarters and Support Battalion, is the founder of a new organization, Project Guardian Angel, designed to ensure that troops have no excuse for getting behind the wheel after a night of drinking.

The organization is in the process of securing 501(c)3 nonprofit status, Johnson said, and is an answer for those Marines and sailors who might be worried about using the base’s Arrive Alive program for transportation.

“Marines (sometimes) don’t want to use it because they don’t want their commands to think they’re alcoholics, or they don’t want to return to the barracks,” Johnson said. “We give them someone to have their back and help them make those choices.”

In Project Guardian Angel, the name of the game is stealth. A team of five volunteers will enter a club around 9 p.m. on a weekend night, Johnson said, hanging out and chatting with the clientele — but not drinking.

Around 11 p.m., when people begin to leave, the volunteers will tactfully approach those who look like they’ve had too much and encourage them not to drive. For those who protest that they’re fine, volunteers can produce an individual breathalyzer test. If the Marine or sailor is over the legal limit, another team of volunteers has vehicles waiting outside, ready to transport him or her to a destination of choice.
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Local Marine starts Project Guardian Angel