I’ve been thinking a lot about U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston’s new bill lately, the one that would allow soldiers to be served beer and wine on post, regardless of their age. No matter which way I spin it, it never looks like a good idea to me.
Now, I’m all about personal liberties and often in support of special privileges for those who risk their lives for their nation. But these men and women, even those who are under 21, risk their lives defending the laws of the land, laws meant to be upheld at a high standard by our military, not skirted around.
According to spokesman Chris Crawford, Kingston’s stance is that “if we trust someone enough to risk their lives for this country and to operate million dollar equipment, we ought to trust them to have a beer on post.”
I get that. But the flashing sign you see when coming on post, announcing how many days it’s been since the last fatal vehicle accident sends a sour kind of reality crashing down in front of you.
Men and women from all different walks of life, both military and civilian, have abused the privilege of alcohol consumption. Even if that privilege is extended to our younger soldiers, and some handle it well, some are bound to take it too far. The sad truth that drunk driving has been the cause of many lives lost is a hard one to swallow.
So here’s what I say. I absolutely do trust our soldiers, regardless of age to perform their duties for their country to the best of their abilities.
I understand that they risk their lives even when their lives have just barely begun, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that level of commitment. But the way I see it is that if they’re already risking their lives in a war zone, we want to make sure that they’re safe when they come home.
Even though extending trust to underage soldiers would be nice, it would also means extending risk, and our soldiers have risked quite enough already.
Now, I’m all about personal liberties and often in support of special privileges for those who risk their lives for their nation. But these men and women, even those who are under 21, risk their lives defending the laws of the land, laws meant to be upheld at a high standard by our military, not skirted around.
According to spokesman Chris Crawford, Kingston’s stance is that “if we trust someone enough to risk their lives for this country and to operate million dollar equipment, we ought to trust them to have a beer on post.”
I get that. But the flashing sign you see when coming on post, announcing how many days it’s been since the last fatal vehicle accident sends a sour kind of reality crashing down in front of you.
Men and women from all different walks of life, both military and civilian, have abused the privilege of alcohol consumption. Even if that privilege is extended to our younger soldiers, and some handle it well, some are bound to take it too far. The sad truth that drunk driving has been the cause of many lives lost is a hard one to swallow.
So here’s what I say. I absolutely do trust our soldiers, regardless of age to perform their duties for their country to the best of their abilities.
I understand that they risk their lives even when their lives have just barely begun, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that level of commitment. But the way I see it is that if they’re already risking their lives in a war zone, we want to make sure that they’re safe when they come home.
Even though extending trust to underage soldiers would be nice, it would also means extending risk, and our soldiers have risked quite enough already.