Military drinking age???

ehhh....yeah....They'll just risk this amazing job they have to get high because they don't get special treatment over their non-military peers.

That sounds like some 8 yera old stuff....I'm gunna pee my bed cause I didn't get ice cream or something...Not the mature type of decision making that would warrant special treatment.

 

As they say in Alabama, "THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS'

 

Which is why the laws are the way they are...Our society doesn't approach alcohol the right way...hence it's been legislated all to hell.

 

I think this is a great argument and I'm not going to contest it in any way because I agree with / feel compelled to believe by your empirical knowledge and experience of the military (which I obviously don't have). However, I think because soldiers are held to a higher standard lowering the drinking age solely for them takes a risk the military would more than likely refuse to take. You see your average college-aged civilian on the news and in the paper in trouble for something stupid while drunk and nobody thinks twice about it, however I'm forced to believe that if the military drinking age was lowered to 18 and as a result there were increased rates of alcohol related crime in 18-20 year old military members it would cast a negative shadow on that decision again because armed service members are held to that higher standard. Lunis, do you agree? I'm not arguing against any other argument on this thread because frankly none of this applies to me (21 year old civilian) I was just adding my .02 for someone interested in this general debate. All 3 of my best friends from high school are Marines, two of which can't drink yet.

edit: and I completely agree with highly crediting the military for taking action against drug and alcohol related crimes; this needs to be adopted by more employers.

 

We are very lucky to get all these kids joining the military to fight both of the wars. The wars are terrible, THERE IS NO DOWNTOWN. At least in Nam, you had something to look forward to after you got a break from being in the sh*t.

 

Haha... really? You don't think it has anything to do with the United States' circumspect views on alcohol?

 

This is in the parenting and social standards not because they get to drink when they turn 18. People in Asian don’t tell their kids they did good for being average. In American society kids get a blue ribbon for just participating. Remember the kid that got banned from playing base ball because he was too good. Think that would happen in Japan?

Besides its not like being 18 ever stopped anyone from drinking. I remember back when we were 18 we would just go to any local liquor store and buy what ever we wanted. All we had to do was make sure the camera saw that we showed an ID to the clerk, the clerk did care as long as it was on camera that he checked the ID.

 

Thanks for mentioning abu garab....they were reservist who got hammered for that...to include the one star female general...I don't consider them in the same light as the active duty because they get to go home. A VERY NECESSARY PART OF OUR MILITARY FORCE but they are not subject to the same laws as the active duty force when they are not on drill status....

 

Please quote me your source about alcoholism being rampant in the army. I'd like to read it....the military is a reflection of society....if its rampant in the military then it is rampant in the rest of society....

 

I certainly don't think so! But of course I didn't read where this barb was aimed at the military. Correct me if I'm wrong!


Brunes I think I misread your comment!

 

We also have one other standard that helps us recruit, train and retain our 18 year old guys and girls. It's called a standard. You have to meet certain prerequisites to get in and then to stay in. So a comparison of us to the civilian market could very well be skewed...just something to think about...by the way in aviation if your caught with a positive urninalysis for mj you are sent to rehabilitation. The second time your out of aviation and into another field where you will be flagged as a drug offender. Pretty much the same with alcohol.

 

Not all of us...(USMC 1970-72)

 

If you want to jack the drinking age to 20 or 21, by any rationale, you should also boost the enlistment age to that same age. ( see what the Pentagon thinks about that)

 

This isn't standard across the services...Navy/Coast Guard aviators have a 0 tolerance for legal trouble with alcohol (drunk/disorderly or DUI in public). And VERY little tolerance for pattern alcohol abuse...You'll get one shot at a treatment program if you are forced to go- and if you self refer you'll get treatment, but we watched VERY carefully.

Drugs are 0 tolerance in the Coast Guard.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-06-18-army-alcohol-problems_N.htm

Heres the answer you are asking for one source. I may have mispoke when saying rampant but its not like it isn't a growing problem in the Army right now. However when the Army decides to make new programs http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009510140_apussoldierslayings.html that involve alcohol that tends to say something. But it mostly comes from personnal observation. I can remember sitting there drinking a lot more than before I left on deployment. I understand that it is a reflection of the wars we are fighting but we must realize that it is a problem.


And nothing happened to that one Star in fact she got her second star a short while after that.

 

http://militarytimes.com/forum/showthread.php?p=104150

There it is. The Army is unanimous that the legal age to drink should be 21 citing an increase in drunk driving related accidents that saw a notable correlation with combat deployments.

It's a well-written article with some valid points for both sides. The safety aspect of soldiers being able to drink while confined to post. They're able to get out and have a good time and still walk back to their on-base quarters. Conversely, some soldiers abused the privileged and still got behind the wheel and ultimately that, along with outside pressure, ruined it for everyone. Not to forget the drug cartels gave an excuse to finally close the Mexican border to soldiers.

Soldiers have a certain reputation around base. They're known to cause a little trouble, get a little rowdy, but the local community still supports the military and welcomes them with open arms understanding the rigors of the job and that certain behavior comes with having a large military population. The rest of the country doesn't see this relationship and expects more of a pressed and clean disciplined view of the military with fresh haircuts, pressed uniforms, shined boots, and everyone marching around in parade formation. Where any lack of discipline or misconduct is completely out of place and everything runs as a well-oiled machine. I hate to break the news, but we're still human.

We do a good job of catching the mistakes, policing our own, and covering our tracks, which ultimately leads to the spit-shined projection that makes it to the public. But the locals that live outside the gate see us sitting in the front yard in our underwear drinking beer in a kiddy pool, so to speak. When a soldier misbehaves around base it's dealt with swiftly and appropriately but taken in stride. When the same mistakes make it to the general public it's blown out of proportion since it's in such stark contrast to the refined image they're used to.

It's just different, I can tell when I'm in a military town whether I'm outside an Army base, Marine base, or Air Force base (sorry I don't hang out around the squids much). I really think you have to live in that environment to understand the Yin/Yang and how the bad, though constantly present, still doesn't surpass the good.

To bring back to the article, in a peacetime military everyone is able to toss back a drink and relax while relieving a little stress but the rigors and trials of a deploying military are more than discipline and good intentions can make up for.

 

If you want the drinking age in the military to be 21, have the enlistment age 21 also. I am for full citizen rights for anyone in the military. Immatureat 18?? I know guys that are 60 years old that are immature. That argument is bullshit.

Drink but don't drink and drive.

 

That would require the military to give full civilian rights to begin with. But I do not care if I had to give up some rights when joining the military. It just means I will still have all the rights I fought for when I get out.

 

Navy is the same way 0 for drugs and 2 strikes for alcohol. Ive seen guys got kick out at 18 yrs bc they got there seccond offence.