Lowering the drinking age on-base
Finally, a real issue; Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA), is planning on holding public meetings on whether facilities on military bases should allow military members to drink alcoholic beverages while they’re under the age of 21.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., has said there is support among military leaders for proposed legislation to allow service members under 21 to drink beer and wine at base restaurants and clubs.
If alcohol is going to be a legal beverage, I see no reason why 18-year-olds should be prevented from drinking. Especially if they’re in the military. No one can prevent anyone from being an idiot no matter how many laws get passed.
At Fort Drum, many underage soldiers went to Canada where the drinking age was 18. Military bases around the world have a lower drinking age outside the gate. If the troops are drinking on their posts, at least they’ve got their buddies to take care of them and get them home.
Category: Military issues
I don’t always agree with you on social issues and I’m not a huge fan of vice (except my own, of course) but I agree with you on this one. I do think if the drinking age was lower ON BASE (only) it would benefit the soldiers. (Sailors are left to their own, looking for it in port, but hey– that’s what makes them Sailors)
Keeping them on base and away from the shucksters trying to separate 19 year old and their money is always good.
This would also prevent a bunch of useless NJP’s for “underage drinking” and the destruction of some good careers. I drank underage. I wasn’t an idiot. I chilled in my room and drank some with my friends.
When you are underage, whether there’s a rule or not, you are going to drink. Since it’s much harder to get booze if you are underage, when you do get it, you are going to get a lot, binge, and get extremely wasted. If you always have the option and it’s not against the rules, you have less of a motive to over-drink because the option is always there.
Simple economics really.
The drinking age should be 18.
This guy needs to first put his efforts towards eliminating the stupid blue law prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sundays in Georgia. Then he needs to work on lowering the drinking age, not for active military, but for everyone.
While I’m old enough to have been “legal” at 19 in many states, there were some that were imbibing at 18 on post because no one questioned them on their age, or checked their IDs, while drinking at the E clubs. There wasn’t NJP for those that were underage, but there was, also, the fact that we looked out for each other and didn’t let those that were underage show their ass if they had one too many. I think that’s why the command looked the other way, as well.
I hope this is successful. Drinking comes down to nothing more than responsibility. We tell our younger soldiers they can’t drink, but they can be a NCO at age 20. They can’t have a beer, but they can have a rifle? The drinking age never stopped anyone I knew from drinking when they wanted. It just ensured that the 1st SGT had someone to wax the floors at the HQ office.
Lower it.
I’ve always thought it was strange that the nation could accept the idea that you were moraly developed enough to bear the responsibility for millions of dollars worth of equipment, and to accept the ramifications of taking a life, but not mature enough to drink.
As OT said, we always looked out for eachother, and as NCO’s my peers and I always took pains to ensure our soldiers could play as hard as they worked, in an enviroment that kept them from prying eyes and external harm.
When I was in (circa 80’s-90’s)they had just the raised the civilian drinking age to 21. One time, I had just flown home on leave, and I remember my mother arguing with a bar-tender in the Philly airport that he should serve me a beer because I was a Marine; and all our serviceman and women deserved a drink if they wanted one. In the service all the clubs served us at 18. I don’t know who had the bright idea to change it but, be that as it may. Our men and women who don the uniform of the United States military deserve the ability to have a drink if they choose to. In this atmosphere, they never know if it may be their last. God Bless them.
The 21 drinking age should be revisited everywhere. First, your either an adult or your not by 18. Time to get responsible. Make the abuse penalty tough, and enforce it. Second, its a farce. It doesnt stop anyone who wants to drink at any age. The Nat Assoc. of College Presidents can tell you alcohol is not just a commodity on campus – its used like money. Its hidden, but barely and its everywhere. By enforcing the 21 law it forces students to drive to get it, or to smuggle it in, or worse go to easier substances to hide – aka hard drugs. I have 2 in college – I know.
They still do go to Canada, but most stay the night because the CG a few years back decided that US law of 21 would also apply to soldiers who crossed the river and following CGs have continued the policy.
I’m not sure if you remember them John, but the Pennants and Spinners clubs have both been shut down, and have become the USO and post museum respectively.
Hard call. I watched the young adults in Europe and that is probably the only thing done well. Kids and responsibility with beer and such. Troops definitely deserve that ability.
I joined at 17 back in 1975. The drinking age throughout the majority of the states was 18, except on base. We could go to the EM clubs and NEVER got “carded”. We could also buy beer right out of the vending machines right in the barracks. IMO, if one is old enough to serve, then one is old enough to be served.
nope, not a good idea…we have a problem already in the military with drinking, and it carries over to our deployments overseas…bad, bad idea…we would become a major attraction to aspiring alcoholics…lets join the army and get wasted too
Most bars around here don’t care how old you are if you show a military ID.
Jason–I wish that were the case. I was in Great Mistakes when WI upped their age from 18 to 19 on the way to 21. All the EM Club served to 18-21 year olds was 3.2 beer; aka piss. Since IL was 21, guess where everyone hopped in their cars and DROVE to?
And yeah, come down on those who do stupid shit while drinking, but all we’re doing by having a 21 age is making criminals out of normally good soldiers and sailors. Keep it on base, and you’ll see a lot fewer kids having alcohol-related incidents out in town, and guys more willing to cover for each other getting their buddies back to the barracks.
Old enough to get one’s ass shot off, old enough to have a beer. (Dudes under 21 still get sh*t-faced drunk and do stupid sh*t anyway now… wouldn’t be any different for anyone.)
18 should definitely be the age for the military. Especially when you consider that an 18 year old drinking in the Army would by culture have a buddy and likely several NCO’s looking out for them to make sure they don’t screw up.
In Minnesota we are looking at giving Guard unit commanders the authority to let troops drink while on post. There is also a push to let 18-21 year olds drink at a VFW or Legion, but that gets into trouble with federal highway funding.
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Okay Jonn I’ve cooled down now, and I agree w/ you on this one. By God if a young person is good enough to fight and possibly DIE for this country. Then by God they can have a drink. Hell I’ll even buy it for them.
Oh! and yes it would be nice if this Ga rep would do something about the BULLSHIT blue law here in Ga. Hell you can go to a resturant and get shit faced but you can’t pick up a sixpact at the corner QT and take it home. Go figure.
My spelling and typing skills SUCK. Sorry.
Dirty Al–you know that he as a US Representative can’t really do much about it. The blue laws you have are on a STATE level. And yeah, it always amazed me how the supposedly “enlightened” liberals down in Mass. can’t buy a six-pack on Sundays, but the liquor stores on I-93 and I-95 in NH are open. Bob Marley (New England comedian) was right…New Hampshire really IS like a college frat party–pay at the toll, get your cup, and take your damn seat belt off, ya Sally!
“18 should definitely be the age for the military. Especially when you consider that an 18 year old drinking in the Army would by culture have a buddy and likely several NCO’s looking out for them to make sure they don’t screw up.”
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Wouldn’t this just cause more of a hassle for the military? Now, they only have to worry about a small minority who break the rules. But if the drinking age is lowered, everyone will be drinking and they’ll have to worry about everyone in the military possibly getting too drunk or getting themselves in trouble (as happens with many 18-20 year olds, just look at any college campus).
Why add extra hassle?
Would the apparent boost in morale be worth the extra hassle with more people getting in trouble with getting drunk and such?