Drinking in Uniform? Good idea?

Their was a time when you did not go out in public in your anything other than your dress uniform.

If you are on base why not.

If this were the case in the Navy and you banned drinking, there would have been no Navy

A utility uniform is now a combat uniform?

I have a picture on my son and his buddies on the flight out of Afghanastan stopping in Germany. A little airport bar dressed up to look like a Bavarian Beer hall, they were having a huge liter mug of beer it looks like. I didn't think anything of it except looking at a table of very tired very happy soldiers and airmen happy to be out of that shit hole.

Our job is to leave smoking craters filled with the bloody, mangled bodies of our enemies. As long as we're not making bloody mangled bodies of ourselves after drinking, get slammed. This NCO will enforce the standards, but this is his personal opinion.

I have always found that it looks tacky and that it should be avoided.

To quote be impartial the regulation in reference to Combat Uniforms:

AR-670-1, 4-3
(2) Personnel may not wear the combat uniform in off-post establishments that primarily sell alcohol. If the off-post establishment sells alcohol and food, Soldiers may not wear the combat uniform if their activities in the establishment center on the drinking of alcohol.

The regulation has the exact same stipulations on dress/mess uniforms. This can be just like most other regulations interpreted however the Commander chooses to do so. I would imagine that if the overall focus of the Soldiers in uniform shifts to that of being alcohol consumption then it would be unauthorized. The regulation says you may not where the uniform if it centers around drinking but never says that you aren't allowed to consume alcohol at all.

Another important thing to understand is that almost every post has its own policies on this subject and while the regulation may not prohibit the consumption of alcohol the policies might.

As for appearance of senior leaders drinking in Combat Uniform. I feel as if you would only see this in unit sponsored events, such as Hail and Fairwells. I think my previous statement stands true still. If it gets to the point where the Hail and Fairwell loses focus then that is where it begins to cross the line.

Regardless of what the regulation says, we as leaders have a responsibility to uphold standards of conduct and to carry ourselves with a higher sense of responsibility. We expect our Soldiers to be be good stewards and we should set that example. Drinking in itself is not a horrible act, its the actions or inactions we take during and after drinking that creates problems.

Endstate: Leaders set the example. Stay within the guidelines documented for us and you cannot go wrong. Failure to understand regulation is not a reason to dismiss it.

They are setting themselves up for DUI charges, I bet MP's was waiting outside for an easy opportunity.

I am not sure if I qualify to answer on this one because, unless they have changed the regulations, Marines don't go anywhere but to and from work in their uniforms... other than class A's and Blues.
I can honestly say the only time I ever saw anyone in uniform drinking, was at the Marine Corps Ball, or the E Club.
Its a big thing in the Marines, that when in uniform, you are not just "YOU". To the world at large, you represent the entire Corps, so there are a thousand eyes on you when you leave a Marine base. Even stopping for gas in your Cammies is frowned upon, so you will not see Marines in that uniform slugging back a few shots at the local watering hole.... unless, as I said, the regulations have changed drastically.