Beer For The Boys!

[MikeM]

Geo,

I sure hope they are keeping it cold

 

[geo]

Some people always look at alcohol in extremes.
Do you physically need alcohol to make you go thru your day.  Are you dependant?
Do you want a cold brew to relax & unwind after a hard day / week outside the wire, share with your friends?

 

[Synthos]

There is very little that can match up to the relaxing effect of a beer after a long day. If you think wanting to have a beer a day is addiction you are way off. It's not necessary to have a beer but it is cool, refreshing, and a taste of home. Yes, some people abuse alcohol but there isn't any reason you should deny it (in reasonable quantities) to the majority of people who like to drink it -casually-.

Think of it this way: France (used to? still does?) include(d) wine in their IMPs! People don't see wine stereotypically as an abused drink because it is a "social drink". THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE DRINK BEER FOR!

As Bart simpson would say "Don't have a cow, man."

Two concerns:
    If someone is feeling upset about a wounded buddy (or worse) there shouldn't be any people trying to sneak beers if they think it'll help them forget the pain.
    I've seen some people get almost drunk off two bruskies.. Maybe there should be a weight consideration to the amount of beer one can drink?

 

[RangerRay]

The least they could have done was send in some decent beer, instead of mass produced swill! Geez!

Right now, I'm hoisting an Okanagan Spring Pale Ale to the lads overseas.  Ahhh...sweet, sweet ale!

 

[Alex]

I know seaforth93 is already getting enough flak for his post.. but I'm going to chime in as well.

I know far more people who drink that are "normal" than people who are alcoholics.  I also know several people who have a casual beer that are in fantastic shape both mentally and physically. 

As a sidenote, I also think that with the vegetable matter in beer, the occasional beer may actually be doing you more good than harm.  I wonder if anyone can confirm this?

Either way, it's good to hear that the soldiers over in Afghanistan are getting their dues.  Good on them.

 

[geo]

Guiness.... a steak in every glass 8)

 

[Kat Stevens]

Hey man,

Were you on CanchargeBat in Visoko?? He thinks Roto 0 Unprofor was bad! haha

Roto 0 UNPROFOR was 4 CMBGs tour.  Let me assure you, the decks were awash with beer, and we did pretty good in my opinion.  The only thing that got to us faster than crappy taskings were sea cans full of beer, in true "Germany Story" tradition.    :warstory:

 

[axeman]

Being allowed to have two beers  isnt the same as being forced to have two beers. if the troop doesnt want them thjey can leave them and get two pops instead.  in the navy the beer machines are still onboard . they pump out beers to any that have a loony . and theres generally no-one taking names  common sense can prevaill sometimes . just take it as it is a gesture to allow 2 beers to those that would want them .

i know i woulda liked them while on OP APPOLO  with the 101 Airbourne .     

 

[navymich]

I am curious.  In Afghanistan, or on any other deployment, what is the policy as to when you can have your beers?  Onboard ship we have the 2 beer limit.  You cannot drink while on duty and you can also not drink less then 6 hours before your next watch.

 

[Journeyman]

At one point, when PTSD was just being "discovered," someone asked what SAR Techs did after somewhat gruesome missions involving the stuffing of body bags with former people. It turns out that they would return to the hangar, have a few beers, and talk it out. The shrinks said "that's exactly what they should be doing."

Beer is a CNS depressant. People, whether SAR Techs or deployed infantry, are apparently more willing to talk about troubling experiences after a beer or two. It's healthy, and therefore in our troops' best interest.


And in an irrelevant response to navymich's query about when beer can be consumed.....I had the opportunity to do some jumping with the Dutch Marines. They were "asked" (as in, please), could they not drink beer while on the plane. And that was on the freefall lifts, not the dope rope (where they only had to go out the door and turn left) static-line jumpers. 
Uh, we'll do our own JM checks, thanks.

 

[George Wallace]

I am curious.  In Afghanistan, or on any other deployment, what is the policy as to when you can have your beers?  Onboard ship we have the 2 beer limit.  You cannot drink while on duty and you can also not drink less then 6 hours before your next watch.

There is no beer.  The two beer we are talking about is a 'special shipment/treat" that is shipped in once during the six month Tour.  Perhaps there will be another for Christmas/New Year.  These Tours are DRY.  When I hear Guns and seaforth93 spouting off about the Task Force, on matters they are completely in the dark on, I get upset.

 

[navymich]

George, I understand this was a "special treatment".  However, is there not still a policy laid out for these occasions WRT when the troops can and cannot drink it?

 

[George Wallace]

George, I understand this was a "special treatment".  However, is there not still a policy laid out for these occasions WRT when the troops can and cannot drink it?

???

Two beer per man.  Issued only at that function.....be it a dinner or BBQ or whatever is laid on.  There is no such thing as there being a Canadian bar that you can go to over a period of a week or two to consume your two beers.

 

[countrygal620]

two beers a limit? wow that must be hard . im glad to see you can benefit from some home things. i praise all you guys over there and ill have a beer right now for you. 

 

[Synthos]

hard? I don't think that's quite how they look at it.

 

[a78jumper]

Having seen all sides of the coin, I would have to put in a vote for dry operations. Some people went nuts with alcohol, especially in Germany and Cyprus. There was problems with alcohol in both Somalia and Bosnia, resulting in rape and worse. I saw the two beer per man per day system in place in Camp Julien. Believe you me the RCR tried an honour system, but as usual a select few ruined it for everyone else, so we all were treated like two year olds. Even with rations cards in place, people still begged others to buy them beer. When they leaned on their employees to do so ( I was there as a civy) it was the most pathetic thing I ever saw, picking on a Nepalese labourer so as to keep an addiction fueled. When I was reassigned to work for this "professional" engineer "S", I refused, because I had zero respect for him. A drunk, pure and simple. Yes I still drink on occasion, and confess to drinking too much at times in the past. I did enjoy my daily two wines, but then I got pneumonia and was too sick to drink even that. Suffice it to say my life did not revolve around a daily drink.

We did get a lot of free beer from Molsons Xmas 2003, "Bavaria" which I think they were having difficulty flogging back home

 

[armyvern]

Suffice it to say my life did not revolve around a daily drink.

Quite like the other 99% of the people that were there then?

 

[HItorMiss]

We did get a lot of free beer from Molsons Xmas 2003, "Bavaria" which I think they were having difficulty flogging back home

LOL yeah that CFPSA/Canex wanted us to pay for instead of giving it to the troops for free, glad that didn't fly...course it still cheesed many of us off that the Nepalese and camp workers were also drinking the beer which was given to THE Troops for free, but I digress.

2 beer per day per man is more then sufficient and in some case many just chose not to drink at all. Either way glad thwy can have some if they want it.

 

[Pte_Martin]

I agree with a couple of posts here, about drinking and talking with the "boys" is a good stress reliever. Why Many times have guys gone to bars here at home and had beer and wings and watched the game and talked about anything. It helps, and two beers aren't going to hurt anyone

 

[daftandbarmy]

I've noticed that it's usually the senior officers (above Lt/ Capt) and SNCOs who have the hardest time sticking to the prescribed limit in theatre. Then guess what? The soldiers follow the example.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa