Alcohol in the combat zone. Thoughts?

The stories I could tell, if I have not already.
As it is we control entirely too much of life with endless rules and regs making it hardly worth the living. Yeah there could be some bad things happen, but there is more to living than watching for everything that could go wrong. Do we want our lives to be that bland?

While I personally don't drink anymore I would of enjoyed a couple of beers while down range. I have to agree with the General order of no drinking should be enforced I have to agree that it should changed. Rules are rules and should be enforced across the board rank should not allow you special privileges period point blank.

Peppered throughout the thred are responses with phrases such as "responsible use", "hold offenders accountable", "adults", "benefits to moderate use". All great points. That said, who is held accountable when the service member who blames the awkward kid in the unit for the death of a brother-in-arms, then over-indulges and takes matters into his own hands? The young service member? Or the leadership? What about the congressman? How bout all the people who voted for the use of alcohol? Save it for the command Holiday party. Combat is the one place to NOT give up your edge. People die that way.

I voted yes. While deployed I was sent to a British FOB where it was allowed, and there were no issues. I think for some reason we "Americans" make it taboo for no reason. Many other countries allow there men and women to have a drink or to with meals, even in hostile environments.
Some on here wrote about Vietnam and how they did and our didn't have alcohol. If that was the worst they did then great but allot of personnel used other substances. Talking to allot of Vets there was much more than alcohol. Just my two cents.

No, but its still there. Its not hard to find. When I was a PFC, I knew which soldiers were selling Alcohol. (PNN, Private News Network), not only that, if you paid the terp he would get you whatever you wanted. I never partook, and my second deployment I was an NCO, so none of the shady lower enlisted talked to me. I am highly against drinking in the combat zone. War is a 24/7 job.... and alcohol in the combat zone, even if "regulated" (i.e. medical personnel and QRF don't do it), it could easily become a coping mechanism..... kind of like how most of my platoon was smoking like a pack a day during deployment... (Not me though)

First of all the idea of having a beer to decompress after a hard day concerns me. It could start a bad habit of drinking to decompress and ending up dependent on alcohol.

That being said, alcohol was allowed in Vietnam and previous wars. I see no issue with allowing alcohol with limitations. There will always be that individual who is going to abuse it and find a way around the two drink limit. The two drink limit will have to be enforced to ensure individuals are not getting loaded prior to being on duty. We're all adults and the majority of us can act responsible so stop treating us like children. Those who can't act like an adult should be held accountable. I didn't violate the rule because it wasn't worth risking my career, but I also think the no alcohol policy is one of the dumbest policies we have when people are deployed. Additionally, if there is an MWR location on the base that is the only source the two limit can be enforced. Prohibition didn't work in our Country in the early 1900's and it's not working in the combat zone either.

The current policy is obviously too strict and unrealistic. Individuals are finding ways to violate it whether their family members send it to them in care packages or they make their own alcohol. When I was in Iraq in 2003-2004 there were several individuals caught in my unit for drinking. I believe the General Order also talks about forbidding relationships between enlisted, officers, and warrants and adultery; but there's a lot of that going around in the combat zone as well as in the rear.

With the American Soldier's wonderfully mature and controlled record of dealing with alcohol of any kind I would be forced to say no. There are a couple of other reasons other than the snide (but somehow truthful, if you consider it) and tongue in cheek way I put it. First there is logistics of getting additional tons of liquid beverages to the combat zone (yes, I know, if we want it, AAFES will get it there). But then, because it is rationed, it will have to be controlled. That means guards. Either contracted or Internal (Soldiers). And where there is a controlled Item there has to be accountability. An Old adage says "you can have control or you can have accountability, but never both at the same time". So the Black market will be there also.... And no one likes warm beer, so there is the logistical problem of getting it and keeping it cold. Now, you can say "But what about cokes and ripits and Monsters and such? Those are kept cold". Yes, but there is also another reason. Any high energy situation where you have a bunch of on edge, high energy alpha types who are barely under control without the self-control inhibiting effects of alcohol, you have the potential for an explosive situation. Not to mention that we are all armed. We all know stories of how well an ass chewing, a couple of beers and a loaded weapon go together. Especially where females are involved. I have seen the most squared away Soldiers lose all sense of perspective when confronted by a friendly female after the sixth month or so. You can say "Yeah, not me" all you want, but the leadership of the Military does not base its decisions on the ability of a few to handle their liquor. "But they had it in Viet Nam", you say- But they also had fratricide, rampant drug abuse and, lets face it, more mature Soldiers. Finally, alcohol is a diuretic. Just a salt tablets caused you to retain water (and we stopped taking those in the 70's), alcohol leaches all the water out of your system. Besides, who can stop at just two beers? So drink water, eat right and get enough sleep when deployed- and carry on.

2 beers turns into more, like whiskey that the locals make. I had soldiers drink in theater and they could not control it. One ended up shooting another soldier while they were playing with a 9mm. There for I have to say let them stick to non alcoholic beverages if they need one that bad. I drink and I suffered through 3 tours without anything.

APO is a wonderful thing.

Maybe if our society didn't have such a negative view about alcohol and started preaching the virtues of drinking smart rather than "if you have a drink then you're an alcoholic!" like many European countries do, it wouldn't be a problem.

Also, unless you're a total teetotaler, 2 beers aren't going to "cloud your judgement." That is just my opinion though.