Alcohol in the combat zone. Thoughts?

I think it would be abused and there are enough problems with sexual assaults and other misconduct already, alcohol would make it worse.

As much as I love beer...I'm not too sure if I would want it the places I've been. Not because it would impair judgment, but simply because people are stupid. They push the limits set out for them, and the next thing you know you have a drunk troop driving a forklift or armored vehicle through camp running down tents or B-huts.

That's a little extreme, I know...

I was able to get it even at a JSS in Iraq but it didn't interest me due to the heat there and plus I wanted to be 100 per cent for next mission. But on leave at a rear base sure.

As I sit hear and ponder I think back to my deployments as a SF member. I have witnessedll branches (not pointing figures at any specific branch) get in trouble over having alcohol in Combat zones and it makes me think. If these individuals were aloud to have two drinks in a combat zone what would stop them from getting more than those two drinks. When I was in Qatar for my last assignment and was good friends with the SFS (base cops). They would tell me another one bit the dust because they decided to get more than their share. There is no way of controlling it in a Non-combat setting, so how would you control it in a Combat Zone? Not only with bases being either mortared, rocketed, or ground attack how effect would those individuals who had their two be. So now what "sit on the side lines and watch." I say no!

No there is already enough to worry about while in a combat zone, Everyone's head needs to in the game.

Having seen people go through the a particular op tempo without alcohol while downrange. It is not a good idea to introduce it while deployed.

Just a little thought to chew on… Back on the ship if we spent 45 consecutive days at sea we received a ‘Beer Day’. Everyone got two old fashion Movie Theater / Chuck e Cheese coupons/tickets, so we could stand in line and redeem them for two warm Budweiser’s. On an Aircraft Carrier with 3,000+ people, it was surprising to see so many people walking around with 4+ beers. Now think of that on a nightly basis?

Really, beer? If that's truly on your mind in a "combat zone" then you are either an alcoholic or on a main base. I don't think beer is truly on the mind in the sense of needing one. Now wanting one after a long patrol or right after a TIC is completely understandable. Just grab a Bucklers.

So I voted NO to this and here is why. You have that 2 beer rule, and yeah it is for relaxation so on and so forth. Here is what I am looking at, my first deployment we honestly did not have the time for it. The second deployment even worse, when we WERE at the JSS we were on guard, so if for some reason you were ON downtime, you should have been resting and that was that. Of course that did not stop us from getting the occasional Mortar or Rocket attack and even a VBIED. If we had people that were drinking previous then it dulls the senses. Regardless of people's opinions, my counter argument to that would be, "didn't you say that you did it to "relax" a little bit?" This in itself is showing that the alcohol is in fact slowing things down in that body. Then you have those that for one reason or the other find a way around the rule, and before you know it you have problems. It is better to just avoid the problem by not getting IN TO the problem in the first place in my opinion.

I think it's a good idea not to have alcohol in a combat zone due to the fact that there will always be individuals who find a way to take things overboard. I mean and besides who in their right mind wants alcohol in a combat zone? I know this much I would not want to have to depend on someone who even has the slightest amount of alcohol in their system while in a forefight or whatever. So why complicate things? Focus on your mission amd get back home in one piece. Worry about beer when you get home.