Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.
Personally i think its fine the way it is. Except for the drinking age, which makes absolutely no sense. You're allowed to go get your legs blown off in some hellhole halfway across the world, allowed to wield weapons of war and watch your buddies get killed, to be thrown into battle where its kill or be killed, but GOD FORBID you be allowed to drink (not both at the same time, of course, the military is rightfully merciless when it comes to drinking on the job).
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Overseas the drinking age for military members is 18 which allows about 99% of the military to drink if they so desire while overseas.Not in certain countries true but in order to get to them you must stop over in a place like Germany. I have mixed opinions on that to be honest.On the one hand it allows people under 21 not to feel left out at social gatherings.On the other hand it puts a very young person at risk of developing alcoholism.Trust me on this a military dorms/barracks will blow the socks of off any college campus when it comes to drinking.
I can recall getting my first base when I was 18 years old it was in Arizona but they let you drink anyway you just had to avoid the military police and certain senior NCOs and officers that would prowl around.Some guys that I fist hung around with they drank(a lot) every night so waiting to fit in I did as well.After two weeks being still half drunk at roll call I decided that life style was not one I had any desire to continue so I stopped hanging around those guys and only drank on weekends like a more reasonable person.Not every young person makes that same choice.
Part military Esprit De Corps evolves social activities like drinking and I do not see any problem with that the problem is that social drinking and abuse is a fine line that many young people can not separate and they start a bad sometimes life long habit.
The argument is what makes a person an adult and that answer varies.