Theory and Practice: Age Restrictions on Alcohol Relative to Military Eligibility

Theory and Practice: Age Restrictions on

Alcohol Relative to Military Eligibility

Steven Reaux

SOC 120

Instructor: Jeff Otterstetter

December 20, 2011

Theory and Practice: Age Restrictions on Alcohol Relative to Military Eligibility

For many young adults in this country, signing up to serve and protect our freedom is a practical career opportunity. It allows them to grow up and learn responsibility while offering them educational and financial benefits. Within the first year that they enlist, they are broken down and rebuilt to endure many different hardships and strenuous situations that the average civilian would have no clue. They are handed a gun, and taught to kill when necessary; risking their lives for our freedom. Yet, when they get off, they are not even allowed to have a drink with their counterparts without pending legal consequences. Old enough to be a war hero yet not old enough to consume an alcoholic beverage; an ethical issue presenting an array of ethical problems such as, inconsistent respect issues and abuse of given rights. Using a utilitarianism ethical view, I would say that by lowering the drinking age for military members while on military installations would create more good than bad and therefore, young recruits should be given that right as an added signing bonus for their service.

The military breeds their recruits to live, breathe, and uphold higher standards than their civilian counterparts for many reasons. The primary reason being because they will have to endure many more hardships and stressful situations therefore, they will need to be able to make the right decisions during those times no matter what age they are. After training they entrusted with the notion that they may need to step up and take charge at any given moment.

Most new recruits usually all under 21 are deployed overseas within the first year after training. They do more before 5'clock in the morning than most civilians do before noon. Not to mention, they are also away from their loved ones and families for extensive periods of time, without really knowing if they will ever return back home.

Military members are entrusted with their counter parts lives in their hands on an everyday basis. They are constantly reminded of the common laws of war, military training, and general rules consistently with reoccurring internal training. Therefore, it is continuously embedded into their way of life; as they are soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are expected to up hold those military expectations at all times. They are given such an abundance of responsibility at such a young age and are expected to uphold those responsibilities the same as everyone else, irrelevant to age.

That is how this ethical issue leads to the ethical problem of inconsistent respect issues.

On one hand they are upheld with a certain amount of distinction and honor. Yet, on the other hand they are still judge solely off their age when it comes to the fact that they cannot even go out and celebrate with their buddies and have an alcoholic drink, legally, upon their return. In most cases the consumption of alcohol by minors on military installations is and has been going on forever and will continue until those restrictions are lifted. "Although many have argued before that those old enough to man multimillion dollar machines and to kill or be killed should be able to have a beer, the time is right to finally give this issue serious consideration" (Butler 2007.)

The debate of the legal drinking age is nothing new to the United States as it has been disputed for decades. In the early 80's the drinking age varied been 18-21 and differed from state to state dependent on their local jurisdictions. "In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act required states to enforce the legal age of 21 for purchase or possession of alcohol or risk losing Federal highway dollars under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The bill was passed largely because of successful lobbying by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and although it does not outlaw the consumption of alcoholic beverages by those under 21 years of age, most states perceive it as such, or at least treat it thus so as to not lose that Federal highway money." (Butler 2007.)

Military installations are governed under the Department of Defense (DOD) and because of this; they can have different jurisdictions and laws than the state and local agencies. While they usually try to follow most of the local laws and jurisdictions, they do have some variariance. This is why it the drinking age on military installations should be evaluated as looked at a separate perspective than what the local and state jurisdiction is; because of the separation it would be easy to install the law, regulate, and enforced

The current DOD regulation in regards to the drinking age on a state side military installation states: "The minimum drinking age on a DoD installation located in a State (including the District of Columbia) shall be consistent with the age established by the law of that State as the State minimum drinking age" (Butler 2007.) For an international installation outside of the Continental United States the DOD regulation states: "The minimum drinking age on a DoD Installation located outside the United States shall be 18 years of age. Higher minimum drinking age will be based on International treaties and agreements and on the local situation as determined by the local installation commander" (Butler 2007.)