The official age for drinking is 21 whether you’re on base or off and the official policy is zero tolerance for any underage drinking offense. This includes everything from drunk driving to being pulled in by civil authorities for walking around in public while intoxicated. First offense you get a warning with mandatory AA meeting attendance and your command watches you because you’ve been identified with a problem. Second offense is automatic treatment with more AA meetings and they’ll kick you out unless your conduct and job performance is very good. Read carefully: not just good - but very good. If you have a third offense you’re automatically discharged no matter what.
Having written that, the reality is you’re entering a Marine Corps who is at the end of a very long and nasty shooting war where War Returnees are drinking heavy. Truth is all you really have to do is knock on the appropriate barracks door to drink whatever you want. No one is going to deny your right to get drunk because the prevailing attitude is if you can fight and die for your country you sure as hell rate having a beer or shot if you want to. The only two unofficial rules are pay your own way so your fellow Marines don’t feel like you’re using them and keep it low key so you don’t get them or yourself in trouble.
The operative phrase here is be respectful and mature, not childish and stupid. Heaven have mercy on your soul if you get your fellow Marines in trouble for acting up because they won't if you do. Remember, there is always tomorrow night and you can always get a motel room for a weekend binge as long as you show up sober Monday morning.
The experienced Returnees are senior so it’s their job to keep an eye on everyone so things don’t get out of hand. If they tell you to get some sleep because you’ve had too much, do it without question. At the time you’ll probably think they’re being azzholes but you’ll thank them the next afternoon after you’ve sobered up because you’ll know they don’t want you to get that first offense mentioned above. Remember, you’re all in the same unit and no one ever said you had to like each other to fight war or drink together. So forget all the personal crap and just follow their lead in all things and you’ll be okay when it comes to bending certain rules like underage drinking, cleaning your weapon with gasoline or going into the field with an unloaded rifle. After all, they didn’t stay alive to make corporal or sergeant because they’re stupid.
For the record I'm not telling you to drink or not drink because thats not my place. I did back in the day so I'd be a total jerk to tell you not to what I did. What I am telling you is to be responsible if you do drink and passing on these few tips to help you avoid hanging yourself by being immature and stupid.
As always, the choice is yours so make it a good one. Best of luck to you all.
Deanosaur, You are giving bum scoop. Involvement in an alchohol related incident is usually NJP*. In many commands it is mandatory NJP at battalion level. Turning a blind eye is no longer the unofficial policy. If it gets out that you turned a blind eye, the command fries you too. I have seen too many Marines get fried for under age drinking, and just under age drinking. No DUI, or fighting, or any other stupidity, just under age drinking. In short, if you are under age DO NOT DRINK! It is just not worth the aggrevation.
*NJP- Non-Judicial Punishment. Loss of pay, rank, and/or liberty.
Good heads up Thorin. I should have said "depends on the unit you're assigned to." I just left West Coast units and they're following what I wrote above. Bummer that units are still strictly enforcing a policy which makes no sense. I'm thankful to this day for being infantry because they don't play that nonsense and take care of their Marines.
