Drinking in the Marine Corps

[ferreira864]

Good afternoon Marines,

So I'm leaving for MCRD PI in 12 days now (I'm excited!). And I have a question you guys might find pretty silly, but I feel the urge to ask it anyways.

Basically, I realize that Marines enjoy drinking. Nothing at all wrong with that. It's legal (given you're of age), it can be fun, and it's probably one of the few ways to pass time for those days that you're bored numb with not much else to do.

Problem is, I've never been a big fan of drinking. I used to a fair bit, but as I grew older drinking just made me angry, and I always felt stupid which made me feel ashamed and expounded the problem.

I guess you could say that I'm a little bit worried that if I don't really enjoy alcohol it will keep me from a lot of good times with friends I could've made had I been more willing to go drinking with them.

Are there Marines who would have more fun just driving around, sightseeing, or going to the beach and just having normal, sober interactions rather than just partying and hitting the bars every night? I won't say I'll never ever drink. I will. I just don't like drinking all that often because it's usually unpleasant for me these days.

Thanks. Sorry if that seems stupid. I've never been in the Fleet, so I don't know what it will be like.

[Mxzero]

You'll be fine, there's always someone around who doesn't drink, a lot of times the older guys or the Mormons. And there's usually people who go somewhere nice and drink and being a DD is always helpful to them. You'll have a difficult time finding people who never drink or always want to do something that's not drinking, but there are enough to do something.

[Zulu 36]

Good afternoon Marines,

So I'm leaving for MCRD PI in 12 days now (I'm excited!). And I have a question you guys might find pretty silly, but I feel the urge to ask it anyways.

Basically, I realize that Marines enjoy drinking. Nothing at all wrong with that. It's legal (given you're of age), it can be fun, and it's probably one of the few ways to pass time for those days that you're bored numb with not much else to do.

Problem is, I've never been a big fan of drinking. I used to a fair bit, but as I grew older drinking just made me angry, and I always felt stupid which made me feel ashamed and expounded the problem.

I guess you could say that I'm a little bit worried that if I don't really enjoy alcohol it will keep me from a lot of good times with friends I could've made had I been more willing to go drinking with them.

Are there Marines who would have more fun just driving around, sightseeing, or going to the beach and just having normal, sober interactions rather than just partying and hitting the bars every night? I won't say I'll never ever drink. I will. I just don't like drinking all that often because it's usually unpleasant for me these days.

Thanks. Sorry if that seems stupid. I've never been in the Fleet, so I don't know what it will be like.

A lot of Marines like to drink, but these days excessive drinking and the resulting stupidity is a fast career killer. When I was in, you really had to get truly ignorant to affect your career. Now, it takes very little. One DUI and kiss it all goodby. I knew SNCOs with several DUIs back then. Their careers may have been slowed, but not stopped.

Lots of Marines do not drink (or at least not to excess). There are many activities available on and off base for entertainment that does not involve mass quantities of liquid consumables. One just has to look for them. Sport teams, skydiving, scuba, beach bumming, all of that and more is available to you in the States and some overseas locations.

I hope Marines with more recent experience with activities such as the Single Marine Program and other organized off-duty activities will chime in.

[MOS4429]

Drinking is not a prerequisite for the Marine Corps, nor is it required for a good time.

Right out of boot camp at my first school, one of my instructers as a master sergeant who used to drink, developed a problem, and quit. He was a great Marine, a lot of fun, didn't condemn those who wanted to drink, and was a great example of how to be a sober Marine.

I drank at the time - a lot actually. I partied my fair share, though I rarely ever went to the e-club. We used to have school parties with a lot of beer and later at my first duty station, office parties with a lot of beer. I had 30 days leave prior to going to Okinawa, spent most of it drunk. I remember being so drunk in the airport and getting on the plane departing for Oki that I thought, man, I have got to dry up a bit. I elected to not drink one week. After a week, I thought, man, maybe I will go 2, then 4, then 8 and have never drank since. That was '83. My issue was a lot of people started out drinking for fun, and eventually it became a problem. There seemed to be a line that was crossed from drinking for fun and alcohol abuse. Once crossed, it became a problem, and I wasn't sure I would know how to identify the line and prevent myself from crossing it. So I quit.

That said, in answering the question, I continued doing the same things and having just as good a time. I still went to the office parties, engaged in the activities without a beer in my hand. I had friends who drank and friends who didn't, and the fact that I didn't made no difference to them. I also enjoyed athletics, so worked out a lot, and yes, I explored Oki like crazy.

There were some times where there was pressure to drink. But I think after I said no thank you a couple times and stuck to my guns, people understood, respected it, and didn't pressure anymore.

And I think I have to add, anybody who claims to be your friend but will only do so if you drink with him IS no friend at all. BTW, it's not a stupid question.

[ferreira864]

Appreciate all the responses!

I'm not anti-drinking. I would partake every so often, it's just not my thing when done too frequently. I never understood how some of my buddies in high school made drinking their lives.

But yeah, you're right. Nothing is in black and white. I'm just going to focus on being myself and being the best Marine I can. Mature adults will respect it, and immature ones won't. Sounds like a great way to filter out friends to me.

[Zulu 36]

Bear in mind too, today's Marine Corps is also hell on wheels with underage drinking, regardless of how well you maintain yourself. You're 19, so you'll be underage anywhere in the States.

[eric huitrado]

Don't worry about the whole drinking thing, When I was in the barracks, we had drinkers (i was one of them) it's fun for a short time, but like it was posted before. it IS a career killer. just buy a decent camera and take lots of pictures for when you get salty like us. I have very few pictures to show my wife and grandkids. lots of bar stories, but then who cares about those stories nowadays.

[thewookie]

One of my Marines in Greece was a Mormon and he didn't drink the whole year he was stationed there on guard duty, saved a ton of moolah. And since he wasn't drinking he was exploring/touring and he saw a lot more of the island than most of us.

At the end of the year he bought a motorcycle, he paid cash for it.

I on his way to his next duty station coming back off leave he was speeding and hit a tree with the bike.

RIP, Walters.

There are lots of demons, and more ways to die -- pick your poison.

[MarinesFTW]

You can actually make quite a bit of money being the DD for people. Just because you dont drink doesn't ruin the good times, if you can actually get into the bars and hang out with everyone, its all you really need. Now, not being of age, I drop them off and head home and wait until about 2-3 AM and go pick them up because I can not get into the bars. Go out, have fun, be there sober cab, and make sure they dont get into trouble.

[Phantom Blooper]

make sure they dont get into trouble

A sober person or a drunk cannot keep a drunk out of trouble.

I agree with the DD and all....but drunk or sober an individual is responsible for their own actions according to the law.

Keep making that money...but realize you can help them...but they are responsible for their own actions.

[Yonkers]

Bear in mind too, today's Marine Corps is also hell on wheels with underage drinking, regardless of how well you maintain yourself. You're 19, so you'll be underage anywhere in the States.

This this this.

Ppl get caught a month out of their 20th bday here in oki... Drinkin age is 20 here

[Old Marine]

Many a career Marine has screwed the pooch on their career because of a drink here or a drink there. Drinking, the last time I checked was not a qualification to join the Corps.

[rufus1]

Went in back in 1970 and met one Marine that did not drink. He worked with the Chaplin and never saw him turn anything up. It would have been nice back then to have someone to drive and maybe I would not have ended up in jail. Maybe my car would not have made so many trips to the body shop. There is a lot of advantages to NOT drinking! It took me many many years to figure it out and that it compounds a lot of problems you may face. Good luck and stay strong.

[cubawatcher]

Act like an adult,honor the Corps and our country.If anyone gives you sh*t for not drinking you don't want them as a buddy anyway.Have a ginger ale with ice cubes,mix and listen-you'll be amazed at what you'll hear and learn from people half in the bag.That's an old trick from the business world.

[Phantom Blooper]

I have more fun now with virgins.....

At least I remember the names and places I have been.