Drinking Age -- Fort Bliss TX

[exlurker]

Regarding the "old enough to serve in the military" argument for a lower legal drinking age:
Excerpt from article:

Texas Army base raises drinking age

FORT BLISS, Texas -- This military base in the far West Texas desert stood as the last Army post in America where if you were old enough to fight and die for your country, you were old enough to drink a beer.

But the party is over at Fort Bliss.

Citing too many drunken-driving crashes and arrests and too many fights, the new commanding general has raised the drinking age on base from 18 to 21, bringing 17,000-soldier Fort Bliss into line with what has been the law in the rest of Texas since 1986.

And not only that, but all Fort Bliss soldiers are barred from slipping across the Mexican border to Ciudad Juarez, . . . where young Americans have been getting drunk -- and getting into trouble -- for generations. From now on, no passes to Juarez will be issued.

The new policy took effect May 22. . . .

Just my personal guess, but I assume that the "new commanding general" at Fort Bliss didn't order the change without careful consideration.

Article is at:
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/268370/

[Coramoor]

We want an Army that can go into a combat zone, risk their life and limbs, kick down doors wearing 100 lbs of armor, and ruthlessly kill our enemy...but we don't want them drinkin', whorin', or fighting amongst themselves.

It's like the Army is taking away everything that is fun and only offering more deployments in return. Awesome.

[alum]

This is nothing new and it's about time that Bliss got in line with the rest of the Army. Long gone are the days of mandatory officer calls, Friday evenings at the O'Club, NCO and enlisted clubs. There is a one-strike-you're-out policy at least amongst the officer ranks in terms of alcohol-fueled misbehavior.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Coramoor

We want an Army that can go into a combat zone, risk their life and limbs, kick down doors wearing 100 lbs of armor, and ruthlessly kill our enemy...but we don't want them drinkin', whorin', or fighting amongst themselves.

It's like the Army is taking away everything that is fun and only offering more deployments in return. Awesome.

So it's OK to drive drunk, be in accidents and be in fights in public?

That's how you're allowed to have "fun" in the Army?

Well, until the late 60's members of the armed forces under the age of 21 couldn't vote.

That was a travesty.

A drinking age of 21 simply brings this post in line with the rest of the country.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Just my personal guess, but I assume that the "new commanding general" at Fort Bliss didn't order the change without careful consideration.

There has been A LOT of careful consideration over this, and actually some controversy.

The fact is there have been waaaaaaaaaayy to many drunk-driving related accidents & incidences, so that is what spurred the new change.

The MPs have always been strict on enforcing the speed limit, but after all these incidents they've become EXTREMELY strict. In fact, they'll stop and cite you if you go even 1 mile over the speed limit.

[GooniePDT49]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

So it's OK to drive drunk, be in accidents and be in fights in public?

That's how you're allowed to have "fun" in the Army?

Well, until the late 60's members of the armed forces under the age of 21 couldn't vote.

That was a travesty.

A drinking age of 21 simply brings this post in line with the rest of the country.

Yeah I agree with the 21. Although it sucks that you can be old enough to serve in the armed forces and take a bullet but not old enough to drink. If people acted like adults when they drank, the age could stay at 18, unfortunately adults dont always act their age when it comes to alcohol. I also dont agree with any prohibition type laws, cause as history will show us, prohibition has never worked, even on a federal scale.

[Coramoor]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

So it's OK to drive drunk, be in accidents and be in fights in public?

That's how you're allowed to have "fun" in the Army?

Well, until the late 60's members of the armed forces under the age of 21 couldn't vote.

That was a travesty.

A drinking age of 21 simply brings this post in line with the rest of the country.

That's hardly what I am saying.

I'm pissed off at the current attitude of punishing everyone for the misconduct of the few.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by Coramoor

That's hardly what I am saying.

Really? See below:

"We want an Army that can go into a combat zone, risk their life and limbs, kick down doors wearing 100 lbs of armor, and ruthlessly kill our enemy...but we don't want them drinkin', whorin', or fighting amongst themselves.

It's like the Army is taking away everything that is fun and only offering more deployments in return. Awesome."

The fact is that I don't think the Army does want them "drinkin', whorin', or fighting amongst themselves.

Our military is supposed to be professional. That's a heavier load than getting busted for underage drinking in the chapter house.

At least, that's what I think.

[PhiGam]

I've always favored 19 years old- it works in Canada.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by Coramoor

I'm pissed off at the current attitude of punishing everyone for the misconduct of the few.

Its been more than a few, and i think its high time that steps were taken to aleviate the situation.

[GooniePDT49]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

I've always favored 19 years old- it works in Canada.

Oh yes. Thats what we need. Drunk, unprofessional soldiers. What is this, Poland?

[Coramoor]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Really? See below:

[B]
The fact is that I don't think the Army does want them "drinkin', whorin', or fighting amongst themselves.

Our military is supposed to be professional. That's a heavier load than getting busted for underage drinking in the chapter house.

At least, that's what I think.

You are right. A Soldier in the Army faces situations much different than a kid drinking in a frat house.

We want our Soldiers to be professional enough to understand proper escalation of force and the rules of engagement...but don't trust them to make decisions concerning other matters at home? They are allowed to determine if it's time to kill a person or not, but they aren't allowed to have a few beers during their time home from combat.

People are going to screw up. That's a given. Especially in an organization with hundreds of thousands of men and women, many of which are just coming home or getting ready to go back to a combat zone. If you haven't done it, you can't begin to understand what it is like and what goes through a young Soldier's head during those times.

[epchick]

Yeah well, you don't live here, so you can't possibly know the sheer amount of accidents and deaths we've all had to deal with.

Sorry, i'm not willing to put my family at risk just because an underage soldier wants to have a few beers when they are home.

[33girl]

Was it drunken driving back & forth over the border or just in general? If it was the former, I would think the over the border ban would solve the problem w/ out eliminating alcohol altogether. Isn't Mexican alcohol higher proof too? If so that might cause a lot of the problem. If your normal drink up till you taste that stuff has been Miller Lite and you don't know how to handle strong stuff, you're going to get really stupid really fast.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Was it drunken driving back & forth over the border or just in general? If it was the former, I would think the over the border ban would solve the problem w/ out eliminating alcohol altogether. Isn't Mexican alcohol higher proof too? If so that might cause a lot of the problem. If your normal drink up till you taste that stuff has been Miller Lite and you don't know how to handle strong stuff, you're going to get really stupid really fast.

Most of the incidents have been located on base, but the most recent ones have spilled over onto non-military property---but none have been drunk driving over the US-Mexico border (at least that i'm aware of). In fact, the soldiers have been prohibited from going over to Mexico because of what's happening at the moment.