rickair7777

Old school military was most certainly a heavy-drinking culture, I caught the tail end of that and my uncle (retired BUFF driver) died getting a liver transplant. But they phased that out over the last 25 years. A DUI is an automatic career-ender for any officer and essentially any enlisted. We all have annual alcohol awareness training. The Navy (and I think one or two other services) now does random breathalyzers when you come to work. Alcohol has been removed or severely constrained at many formal social and ceremonial occasions.

We still have our moments I suppose, but it's well contained these days. If your ship stays on deployment for longer than the standard 6 months, you get two beers

Hell, the navy recently fired the leadership of a warship for getting drunk during a port call...in Russia! NOT getting drunk in that circumstance probably would have created a diplomatic incident

OK, there's always "that guy"... we're at Al Udeid for a few weeks, so this guy borrows ID cards from folks who aren't going to the bar, (like 5 or 6) so he can use their nightly quota on top of his own. The officer in question is good though, he's on track for flag (or the brig, one of the two).

FXDX

Then you should realize that there are 5 branches of the military.

No offense taken.

atpwannabe

Yep..this is a true statement. I served in the early 90's and remember it vividly. Me and others from Bravo Cmpy-4th Platoon got shnockered:

• after Basic Training graduation
• on way to A.I.T. @ KIAD
• @ "Bowling Alley" during A.I.T.
• in the barracks where I was stationed

During AIT, I can remember seeing 1st Sgts and Sergeant Majors in the bowling alley tying one on. Depending upon who was on CQ duty, determined whether or not you got reported to your Platoon Sgt and/or Top. That's just the way it was then.


atp

rickair7777

I remember seeing officers in the O-club basement bar at Benning sticking dollar bills into a strippers g-string...with their teeth. These were Colonels in uniform, ah the good -ol days

johnso29

Whoops. You're correct. Sorry.

johnso29

If you bothered reading the entire thread(maybe you need to slow down)then you would understand my post. But as usual you're too busy slinging insults and ranting on and on.

I've been working so little lately I keep forgetting to strap my schwantz to my leg.

rickair7777

Five? I thought it was three...

The USMC is part of the Navy, and the USCG is part of the TSA or somesuch.

The AF only qualifies because they managed to get "emancipated minor" status from the army after The War

Flying Low

.....operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President at any time, or by Congress during time of war.

or that's what wikipedia thinks, anyway.

What

Hmm I think someone missed the sarcasm

nbecca

I know of a pilot that volunteered himself and his crew for a breathalyzer after a passenger mentioned smelling AL. He tested over a .100. He had no idea he was under the influence due to his tolerance of AL.

"Grounded" is a good story in the AA Big Book, but I don't really see that the author ever really grew to live a "sober" life. He stopped drinking but kept many of the underlying Alcoholic behaviors, just my opinion.

"Flying Drunk" is a MUCH better book.

I also know of a company (and Chief Pilot) who was made aware by the hotel that they had a pilot in the bar after midnight with a 0600 van time, yet did nothing about it until the cabin door was closed and the parking brake released. That seems pretty over the top.

We all know pilots that display alcoholic behavior, at home and on the road, but excluding an intervention, there is nothing anyone can do for those pilots until they overcome their self-denial, accept that they are powerless over alcohol and seek help - for themselves, not just for their jobs.

Not to be overly picky but the pilot would have been working the ninth step if anything had gone wrong, not the eighth step.

IMO, the best, most responsible and caring thing a fellow pilot can do when faced with another pilot that may be under the influence is to say, "Either you're calling in sick right now or I am." Then follow it up with Pro Stands and HIMS.

Oh, and AA works for MANY people, it's my experience that AA alone is a partial solution for many Alcoholics. AA has to be combined with something else to be most effective for many people. That can be Church, yoga, exercise, volunteer work or whatever, but we all need to do something that takes our minds off ourselves and makes something other than us the center of the universe.