Should Active Duty Military Members be able to Drink, no matter there age?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
May 29, 2009 7:09am CST
The arguments for letting all active duty military members drink are often based around the idea that servicemembers are somehow more responsible than others in their age group.
After all, doesn't basic training pound a sense of discipline into servicemembers? It stands to reason that if there's ever a time when that self discipline is needed, it's when deciding how much is enough and staying away from the steering wheel if you've gone over the line.
It's true that servicemembers usually have responsibilities far beyond their years, and while on duty they almost always carry out those responsibilities with honor and distinction. It's also true that when it comes to alcohol, all that discipline seems to fly out the window.
The 82nd Airborne, a pillar of discipline and self control. I don't know if they still do this, but when I was at Fort Bragg, there was a billboard in the 82nd barracks area called, "The Safety Board". It posted the number of days without a drunk driving fatality among their ranks.
The policy was that if they could go 82 days without a fatality, the entire division would get a 4 day pass. I was stationed at Bragg for 8 years, the division only got 4 or 5 passes in that entire time. In fact, they rarely made it through a whole month without a drunk driving fatality.
To put that in perspective, think about any city in your state with a population of about 15,000. Now try to picture your reaction if you read that there was a drunk driving fatality almost every month.
The 82nd is a rough and tumble bunch, but paratroopers aren't any more into drinking as troops in any other division... or any other branch of the service.
We look up to our troops, we hold them up as heroes.. and rightly so. Nothing about this discussion is intended to show disrespect to my brothers and sisters in arms.
The alcohol problem in the military is lethal enough as it is. Let's not try to fight fire with Everclear.
2 people like this
6 responses
@Smith2028 (797)
• United States
29 May 09
Yes, that board still exists. I see it everytime I am at Bragg for training. And yes, they should be able to drink. No matter what the age people are still going to get stupid when drunk. If someone is old enough to give their life in defense of their country, they should be able to relax with a drink or two.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
29 May 09
But it's not a matter of just a few deaths. Under age drinking is one of the biggest killers of our troops. If anything else was killing that many troops, there would be no question about banning it.
@Smith2028 (797)
• United States
29 May 09
True, but there is a sense of excitement about underage drinking, it is illegal and therefore more exciting to do. Most 30+ people I know don't find drinking in excess any more thrilling because it is legal, rather most find the legal aspect of it drains. Don't get me wrong here, I am in no way condoning underage drinking, and as a matter of fact, I didn't drink until I was almost 23. But I see no reason to not lower the drinking age and see what happens. Nothing is permanent, if I am wrong and deaths don't go down, I would admit it and call for the repeal.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
29 May 09
Personally I don't accept any excuse for a troop driving drunk. I don't think anyone has more options on how to get home after drinking too much. I didn't know any NCOs that wouldn't rather go pick up a troop at 2am than find out they drove home drunk.
I know I got phone calls more times than I care to remember... but only a few from the MPs or CID.
A soldier who drives drunk does it completely by choice. They can't say there was no other option.
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
30 May 09
Ted, I think they should, if you are old enough to give your life for the country than you should be able to drink. But, I am a pretty liberal kind of guy.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
1 Jun 09
Ok, so what should the military do about this dismal track record? What would you want your government to do if you found out that your city couldn't go more than 82 days without at least 1/15,000 being killed because of drunk driving?
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
29 May 09
One would like to think that all military, or even certain branches of the military are all responsible.
But honestly, there has to be a certain amount of risk taking willing to be done by this all volunteer "army."
Sure, most of them perform their duties with honor and valor, but when they are not on duty, that doesn't change the amount of risk taking they are likely to do.
Drinking and smoking are other kinds of risky behavoir, and you often see the young people in the services, indulging in them.
Its very sad, but the fact that many of these young people are willing to risky their very lives also makes them more likely to also indulge in other risky behavoirs.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
1 Jun 09
Yes, the military (especially the Airborne) attracts people prone to risk taking. The challenge of training is to channel that risk taking to something positive. It is part of the discipline of being a paratrooper. To drive drunk is to prove to the world that that particular soldier isn't really up to the challenge in the first place.
1 person likes this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
29 May 09
Does the fact that only getting 4 or 5 passes in the 8 years you was there not tell you that most people no matter what the age, can't control themselves when they are drinking. It is bad enough to start drinking at the age of 21 and I have heard the argument that if you are old enough to serve your country then you are old enough to drink. Just because you put on that uniform, does not mean you are mature enough to handle it, it takes lots training to make them a man/woman. If you add booze to it for someone under the age of 21 you just add more fuel to the fire. I think the drinking age should be raised to 25 myself. i always look at the face of the person standing in front of the judge on the news when they are in front of him for a drunk driving offense, especially if they have hurt someone in a crash or ran over someone they didn't see in the road, because of the booze they had been drinking the night before, this is something that they would not do in normal every day life, but that round of booze changed everything and now they are in trouble,their face shows the fear they now are facing because of one night of drinking. The military maybe should make it a rule if you get caught drinking while in the service, no matter what age then you are out. Booze seems to control so much of our life anymore. Leave the drinking age at 21 what we don't need is more underage drinkers on the road.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
30 May 09
I don't mean this in an offensive way but I think that military men and woman should set an example and especially when they go off to war or to serve overseas I would hope they are capable of acting responsibly so no the miltary should not allow special priviledge when it comes to drinking. Service members do not enlist expecting a free ride and if drunk driving is not taken seriously there then its just setting a bad example. Another thing I was thinking is that many people trying to pass going to jail enlist and they probably already have drinking problems but Im not sure about the programs the military has to address this, AA?
Do they still do that, allow kids to enlist to avoid going to jail?
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
1 Jun 09
It's been a long time since judges gave the "Join the Army of Go to Jail" ultimatum. Not that it doens't happen at all, but it is one of the things recruiters are told to ask the recruit. If the recruit answers "yes" then they aren't supposed to enlist them.
Yes, there are several AA type options for soldiers.
When I went through basic the first time (1982) soldiers were allowed to smoke at times. But by the time I went through the second time (1986) all smoking materials were considered contraband. To get caught smoking would mean and "Article 15" which usually meant extra duty and forfeiture of 2 week's pay.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
30 May 09
when one of my previous boyfriends went into the army he was expected to stop smoking from day one and he was a chain smoking and I still do not know how he did it after being expected to run for miles, phew.
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
29 May 09
should Active duty military members be able to drink no matter what their age?
Parated, I am a vet and I believe that active duty members should be ale to drink no matter what their age. They are not babies and if they can go off to war and die for their country they certainly ought to be able to have a drink if they desire one. I'm not saying that they should be allowed to get smashed but one of two drinks on the weekend isn't the worst thing that they could be getting into. 
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
1 Jun 09
Fair enough, so what should be done about the huge drinking problem (especially the huge drinking and driving problem) in the military?
