Joining the U.S. armed forces means sacrifice and discipline. You swear an oath to protect the Constitution and you become something bigger than yourself. In many ways, by joining the military, you are no longer your own person. Someone else tells you what to wear, where to live, what you will do, they may even ask you to give up your life for your country and you do it without question. These are the things that make young recruits proud to serve their country. It is not an easy path they have chosen, but changing the drinking age will not make life better for any of these young sailors or soldiers.
While alcohol is a culturally significant part of U.S. military culture, there are also strict rules. A DUI conviction can mean the end of an otherwise spotless military career and while underway, all U.S. Navy ships are dry, and no alcohol is allowed onboard. There is no reason to allow an eighteen-year-old recruit to drink or even a sailor or soldier who is twenty.
The early months of a new recruit's life are very structured. Learning discipline and obedience to orders will be vital to his or her success on the battlefield. They learn to keep their emotions in check and develop the instincts and skills that will keep them alive. This training is rigorous and moral is kept up by the promise of liberty, or unstructured time out in town. Recruits under the age of 21 may not drink and can be kicked out of the military or face harsh penalties if this law is broken. This may seem incredible that young men and women who will soon be facing the horrors of war cannot relax with a beer, but it is an important part of maintaining discipline and keeping them alive, both in combat and at home.
Part of being in the military is following rules, including the laws of the land. Changing the law will not make any of these young men or women better military personnel, instead it will distract those who are working hard to discipline themselves to become successful soldiers and sailors. The current law allows our newest members of the armed forces to learn to make sacrifices and discipline themselves. It also allows them to go out on liberty with fewer worries that they will end up in jail or worse, a body bag. Every year many more members of our armed forces die in alcohol related accidents, automobile or other, than are killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. We should be outraged. We should be writing our members of Congress. We should not be handing thousands of young men and women who want to serve their country alcohol any earlier than they are currently legally allowed. Military service should not be the golden key to lowering the drinking age. By not lowering the drinking age, we allow our men and women who are serving their country to learn to be the best soldiers and sailors they can, without alcohol as a distraction.