History

In 1986 the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army recommended that the Department of the Army contract services for substance abuse counseling for Europe and Panama due to the high costs associated with relocating soldiers and their families back to the U.S. for treatment.

In 1987, the U.S. Army funded a non-personal service contract to provide adolescent services for U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) dependents. Based upon the success of the pilot program in Europe and the serious problem in the Pacific area, an additional contract was issued in 1989 in U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) in Hawaii and Japan, and for U.S. Forces Korea, Eighth U.S. Army (USFK/EUSA). Those services were expanded to USARPAC locations in Alaska in 1992.

In the late nineties, the U.S. Air Force and U.S Navy requested that SAIC begin providing ASACS services to some of their sites in Europe. In 1999, the Navy also added ASACS programs in Yokosuka and Atsugi, Japan. Then, in late 2001, the Air Force awarded SAIC their ASACS Worldwide contract, adding additional sites in Japan and Europe. In 2003 the U.S. Marines contracted with SAIC to provide up to two ASACS Counselors in Japan. SAIC has adapted the ASACS Program to meet the individual needs and requirements of each respective branch of service.

ASACS services are provided free of charge to all U.S. Military and eligible Department of Defense civilian employee, adolescent family members.

To date, the combined Pacific and Europe programs have screened over 19,000 adolescents and provided prevention education to approximately 720,000 military dependents and family members. Our efforts have reduced the number of in-patient referrals to less than 3 percent.