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Wed, Dec 18, 2019

U2 Pilot Discharged From The Air Force For Drug Use

Capt. Joshua Bird Convicted At A General Court-Martial In October For Using Cocaine, Other Charges

U-2 pilot Capt. Joshua Bird of the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron was convicted in October in a general court-martial for using cocaine and distributing dextroamphetamine sulfate ... which is prescribed for treatment of ADHD ... for recreational use. He was also convicted of obstructing justice by shaving his entire body to avoid a drug test.

Business Insider reports that other charges included conduct unbecoming of an officer, and making connections between a civilian and a service member for steroid purchases.

Bird was sentenced to three months confinement and dismissal from the Air Force.

The prosecution said that Bird shaved his entire body to avoid being tested for drug use using a hair follicle, which is a standard alternative to a urinalysis.

Pilots often use of dextroamphetamine to help improve their concentration on long and complex missions, and Bird was reportedly prescribed the drug while on deployment. But he was certainly not supposed to distribute the drug to others for recreational use.

(Image from Facebook)

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