More “Help” for Members of the Military
Well isn’t this “special”. It appears that one of the uniformed services is about to “help” its members by further restricting their behavior.
Specifically, it’s been reported that the Navy is considering a ban on tobacco sales on both bases and ships.
Hey, I understand that tobacco is (at least arguably) a nasty habit, and can have bad effects on one’s health.
But it’s legal. And apparently unlike the Navy, since it’s legal I don’t see any reason why adults can’t choose to use tobacco if they so desire.
Sheesh. Give me a freaking break.
Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", Navy
This has been coming for a while.
It all stated back in the late 90’s when they removed the really cool porn from the shelves on base.
Bummer. Just Kidding!
How would the exchanges ever stay open without cigarettes? Cigarettes and alcohol are about all I ever bought there. I can only imagine somebody is probably considering alcohol too. Here come the freaking fun-police.
Also in the news, employees at the gas station just outside the gate have started high-fiving eachother for seemingly no reason.
Funny you should say that…about ten years ago, the AF banned tech school students (AIT types for you Army folks) from smoking on Sheppard AFB while they were students; permanent party could still smoke as they pleased but new kids straight out of basic could not. The day after the ban went into effect, every tech school student who was allowed to leave base was standing outside the front gate, three or four deep, smoking. The second day after the ban, we all got yelled at in Commander’s call for obeying the rules.
I was there during that timeframe. PDA park (right next to the minimall) went from the place to be to dead in a day. The massive gaggle at the main gate was quite amusing. Glad I had a car then. Me and my buddies used to ride around and smoke instead. Bastards.
Ah, old PDA park. That was right across the street from my dorm in ’04…I went TDY back to glorious Wichita Falls for six weeks for an SEI course in ’08. By that time, all AETC students, including TDY students, were banned from smoking during the duty day. Turns out a fifteen minute break was just long enough to hop in the car, drive to the nearest stoplight on base, flip a U-turn, and make it back to class smelling of smoke.
Let me see if I understand this. These folks are in a war fighting branch of service where they may be asked to lay down their lives. Additionally, most of their jobs are inherently risky because of where they perform them – either on, above or below the sea. And the Navy wants to ban tobacco because it could kill them?
Remember a trip to Aviano AB in Italy and the guys who chewed couldn’t get any chew. We were working the Pax Services desk at the AMC terminal and called our friends in germany to get a few sleves.
They said “No prob…we’ll square up when we get home.”
They went to the BX and bought a case of Skoal and then put it in a box and gave it to the aircrew. Next flight, BOOM we had a case of Skoal and were handing it out to the Active Duty Guys.
We got a lot of “Gee why didn’t I think about that”..but then again, Reservists have a lot different mindset than active duty guys I think. We train a bit differently and we’re *always* deploying or going TDY or whatever as opposed to being at one duty station for years and years.
They are destroying the time tested Combat Food Pyramid. Caffine, Nicotine, and Sugar.
Aint that the truth.
Yo Senior Dirt Sailor we need to talk.
Get my email from Jonn.
Wait… They don’t have four packs of cigs in C rats anymore?
Bogus!
RunPatRun For real!!! Man I remember those 4 packs very well and looked forward to them. I have since quit smoking but I did the whole time I was in the military. Believe me there were times when the calming effects of a relaxing smoke were heaven sent. This is just more PC being generated not just from the Navy but I believe, there are higher ups behind this. Maybe higher than the Pentagon even. I wasn’t Navy but I can’t imagine being a smoker and setting out on a six month cruise with NO SMOKES!!! Yea it’s a forced way to make people quit but that it the problem for me…it is FORCED. As long as tobacco is a legal vice then it should be available to all consenting adults who choose to partake. I don’t know but I am sure the Navy has tight restrictions already on when and where a sailor can light up while under way. This is just another social experiment being tried out on the military…again…and again!
Also gave them up, but it had nothing to do with availability. I remember PT tests in recruiting (really!), had a Ranger in our company who killed everyone with his run time and then had a Marlboro.
That would be par for the course, Sparks. The same president who got butthurt when people talked about his own nicotine habit will ban servicemen and women from smoking, all the while keeping his own ashtray plenty full.
Had a young SSG when I was at Ft. Bliss who used to do his two mile run with a cigarette in his ear… would light it on the last lap just to chap the 1SG’s ass. Knew I was going to be on the carpet in the 1SG’s office after every PT test without fail… trying to keep a straight face.
“Maybe higher than the Pentagon even.”? Sparks, you think it could be Moooooch? She’s hell-bent on making everyone healthy, damn the consequences.
UpNorth…I can hear it now, “Barack you worthless, big eared, ass hole I dun TOLDS YOUS bout smokin in here! Awright den if yous ainta quitin den I’ma callin da Pentagons and dale be tellin dem service folks, No mo cigarettes fu yoos! And yoos ainta sleepin wit me tonight yoos got dat! So just put yoe big ears to beds someplace elses in dis big ass house!”
Gum is next.
Would want to be in Command of a unit that just had a couple hundred people quit tobacco cold turkey, forced cold turkey at that. Talk about potential for War Crimes.
They should probably do something about that Rock and Roll as well.
I *snorted*, guffawed even. 😀
They did.
New Kids on the Block.
First morning in MCRD San Diego:
Drill Instructor: “How many of you hogs are smokers?”
About half the hands went up.
“Not no more.”
End of story.
When my company got mobilized, I put a “No Tobacco” policy in action in the CP. No spit bottles, no smoking with in 50ft of the CP.
Worked fine for about three days. Then the cravings kicked in and people were “sneaking” dip. (like I could not smell it or see the Spc 4 opening and closing the desk draw all day.) Punishment did not correct the problem at first, until we took our first rank.
My feeling was if you can’t do your office job with out a fix of dip, you have no business being in the military. How ever, I did not ban it out right either. With most of the unit from West VA, most of the unit smoked and dipped. All I wanted was an office and work area not cluttered with spit bottles and dirt floors not turned into spit-mud.
I’m sure a total ban would have resulted in a lot more conflicts between Soldiers and a lot more UCMJ actions. (I did not want any more of that headache)
and the coffee mugs/cups with the science projects forming in them were not a problem were they?
Everybody has a “thing” nice to see you restricting something that wasn’t your “thing”
Let me say on behalf of all your troops, you sir, are a dick. I hated crap like you pulled when I was in. Young men and women who a have joined up, get deployed and some ass “top” takes away one of the few pleasures from home that you get. You are a real hero Top.
I smoked, but I knew it was time to quit when they quit selling “at sea” smokes tax-free, and the price out in town hit the unreasonable amount (for then) of $15 per carton.
So I wonder who has an interest in the company that makes Nicotine strips and gums. Seems like a big win for them.
I am not sure if I need a sarcasm tag on this or not.
I’ve always found it a bit ironic that drugstores will sell nicotine patches and gum right next to the pipe tobacco and smokes.
The Navy leads the way! On all things politically correct, that is.
I hate Tobacco products with a passion. I used to double hate having to pick up nasty ass cigarette butts when police calling.
Instead of banning sales on base just document who all the users are and have them sit through quartery tobacco cessation classes where you have cancer survivors with half their face ate away come in to show the effects of it,
And have them do the police calls picking up their nasty butts.
Just An Old Dog I agree. Even though I was a smoker I said many times, I’ll take police calls and pick up butts. I thought it was fair that smokers clean up after themselves and not the none smokers.
No tattoos on the forearm/foreleg/neck in the Army, no smoking in the Navy…I guess it really is time for the pretty military as we wind down active conflicts…although pretty is in the eye of the beholder and so far I am not impressed with these new rules and the recent spate of senior leaders showing what total jagoffs they are…
Next thing you guys will be telling me is there is no alcohol allowed either….geez.
Uh, now that you mention it…breathalyzers on the brow, anyone?
Got them on my station. Every week it used to be, “Alright, who has to go to HQ to piss.” Now it also includes, “and who has to go blow.” It was comical when my name popped three weeks in a row since I am the only teetotaler in a division known for alcohol problems.
VOV: well, that depends. GO#1, anyone?
Right I hadn’t considered that in the ME there is a general order prohibiting alcohol right along side the general order prohibiting the taking of artifacts….
Of course that only makes me think we’ve forgotten how to actually fight a war…because we didn’t actually declare a war on these nations we consider them host nations for our troops as we chase after AQ and the Taliban….
Maybe next time we can just invade the bastards and kill everything that moves like we did in Japan…more people were killed in Tokyo’s firebombing than were killed by the nuclear weapons used….heaven forbid some civilians might die in the countries that host the people using commercial airliners as bombs to bring down buildings…
Give it time.
VOV Can’t wait for that. I remember WAY BACK when I was in, the talk even then about alcohol abuse among the military and the sometimes upset over the cheap drinking at the NCO clubs. So yea, I can see booze being next.
They want to stop Sailors from using tobacco. And I’ll bet that somewhere somebody in a position of political influence is waiting to unveil their proposal to legalize marijuana on bases and ships. Any takers?
It’s been my experience that many of those who want to ban tobacco are the same people who clamor for weed to be legalized. Of course that makes exactly zero sense to anybody with any sense of logic whatsoever, which explains why it seems to make perfect sense to so many hippies and other lesser forms of life.
I guess trainees no longer hear, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.” Well, if they do, it’s probably regarded as an invitation to perform fellatio.
Damn you, AirCav. I just about sprayed the keyboard.
I smoked a pipe, so never benefitted from the short smoke breaks during basic. What I do remember is one drill sergeant who would say:
Light ’em up ……. put ’em out. (pause)
Light ’em up ……. put ’em out. (pause)
Light ’em up ……. put ’em out. (Fall in!)
By that time most of the cigarette had been destroyed and break time was over.
–ghp
But pole smoking is still legal in the Navy. Thanks Obama!!!
Zing!
They are still fine with alcohol sales, and caffeine sales. No one has a problem with Joe carrying around a massive e-cig pipe. I liked the comment about getting rid of the good porn too! The hypocrisy is strong with this.
HEY! Is there a better way to encourage more @$$FAWK3RY than by taking away everything else that one could occupy their time with?