The Marine Corps Has a Drinking Problem
Proceedings Magazine - October 2018 Vol.
By Captain Aric Ramsey
Alcohol abuse degrades Marines’ ability to deal with adversity. Commandant of the Marine Corps General Robert Neller has been outspoken about the Marine Corps’ problem with excessive drinking, starting with his 2017 message to the force “Seize the Initiative.†At the U.S. Naval Institute’s DARE 2018 conference, General Neller asked sixty young officers, enlisted members, and civilians from across the Department of Defense what can be done.
The cultural paradox starts with the Marine Corps’ birth in a bar on 10 November 1775—a heritage reflected in many long-standing traditions revolving around drinking. The persona of a “Marine’s Marine†is a rough warrior who is bold and fearless, especially when it comes to the ramifications of potentially harmful behavior like excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, womanizing, and clearing enemy machine gun positions. Marines may believe that using substances to excess is what adults do, having been influenced by an American society that is only beginning to recognize its own problem . They may also be seeking refuge from stress, physical pain, or uncomfortable emotions by self-medicating with the most potent legal means available. Whatever the reason, excessive drinking is a problem and the Corps is grasping for solutions that will not unintentionally weaken its carefully curated warrior culture. While the service is not likely to answer society’s problem with alcohol, a start to solving the abuse may be found among leaders and not by any means attempted thus far.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2018-10/marine-corps-has-drinking-problem
