Should 18 year olds in the military be allowed to drink alcohol?

Yes. I think they should be allowed but only at the nco club. They shouldn't be able to purchase it at the class 6 or be able to drink on the town. But in a safe monitored setting, yes. I don't think there should be booze in the barracks to minors. 18 year olds to me are like children. I

When I lived in Colorado, I had just turned 18, and Colorado state allowed 18-20 years old drink....3.2 beer...

If you can service in US Military and death at 18, vote at 18 than should drink at 18. I did went Viet 18, vote at 18 and drink at 18. Jun 1970

This shouldn't even be a question! YES! They signed up to defend our country so why not be allowed to drink? Actually the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 anyway. At 18 you're old enough to be given the death penalty, enlist into the service- go to combat, spend life in prison, buy cigarettes, etc. But I firmly believe if you're old enough to die for your country, you're old enough to drink.

If you are old enough to die for your country, you are old enough to have a drink.

Just my two cents, but there are plenty of people over the age of 21 acting stupid, getting DUIs etc. Age is just a number and there are plenty of 18-20 years olds that can make smart decisions about alcohol, just like there are plenty of 21+ year olds that can't.

Absolutely they should. I will echo everyone else's response when I say if you're old enough to die for your country than you're old enough to have a beer. I wrote a paper about this same argument and I believe that the 18yo in the military is much more mature than the demographic of an 18yo in college. If I can trust him with a weapon and my life than I can trust him with a drink.

When I was 18 they moved the drinking age in NY to 19. Then when I was 20 1/2 I lost the privilege for 6 months. I Understand the 19 year old limit as it helps keep alcohol away from High School kids but I don't think it should ever have gone up to 21.

Yes, if they are serving in the military

I'm a non-drinker. I actually, despise alcohol. I've seen it ruin too many lives and alcoholism runs in my family. That being said, I'm also slightly libertarian. If you want to partake, you're a braver person than I am and I think you should be able to. Why? Freedom.

Here are my thoughts on lowering the drinking age to 18.

IMO, a person is either an adult at 18 or an adult at 21.

Everything should be at 18 or 21.

I'd be for raising the service age, voting age, etc. to 21, but I don't see that happening.

Therefore, everything should be lowered to 18. If you can die for your country, drive an Abrams tank, and live in some hell-hole for a year, you should be able to drink a beer when you get back home.

While we're on it...you should also be able to purchase a handgun at 18 as well. The military is highly trained with firearms--a soldier who can carry grenades and a rifle and pistol on duty, should be able to carry one all the time, off-duty as well.

To quote O Brother Where Art Thou, "That don't make no sense."

I'm not only for a military exemption to the rules, but would like to see everyone be fully a legal adult at the age of 18. If there are valid arguments for making the "adult age" 21, then make the thing 21. But a person isn't mostly an adult at one age and fully one at the other. You either are, or you aren't.

I believe so, military or not. Hell, I think 16 should be legal with parents consent. Maybe if we didn't hold it back and instead taught them to drink responsibly from an earlier age we could avoid some of the ARIs and DWIs we seem to be plagued with.