Posted on 12/16/2010 6:15:22 PM PST by Pan_Yan
VICTORIA Bitter has offered to send a shipment of beer to Afghanistan to save Australian soldiers from having to shell out $5 a can on Christmas Day. The move comes after Defence confirmed this morning it was "sticking with" a decision to charge the soldiers for the beer, prompting a public outcry.
Victoria Bitter national marketing manager Paul Donaldson told 3AW this morning the company was working with the Department of Defence to find a solution so that they wouldn’t have to pay for their beer.
He said the company had a shipment ready to go in its Abbotsford warehouse and hoped to liaise with the RSL and Defence Force to arrange for the beer drop.
One soldier calculated Defence was due to make a killing by charging the soldiers for beer.
"That works out to be $120 a carton of beer," the soldier said.
The soldier said no one had been given an reason as to why Diggers in Afghanistan were having to shell out so much for two beers - the maximum allowed per Digger.
But Defence says it already did a lot for its soldiers.
It pointed out it provided accommodation, food and welfare services to its deployed troops "at no cost".
Defence spokesman Alex Carter said on the "very limited and approved occasions" when personnel could drink alcohol - which was usually the equivalent of two cans of beer - payment was required.
"On occasion, this may be funded using unit social funds, ie, not public money," he said.
"On other occasions individuals wishing to consume alcohol must purchase the drinks."
Defence was asked on Saturday if Darwin-based soldiers in Afghanistan were being charged $5 a beer.
Yesterday it would say only that the cost and types of drinks available varied across the different countries in which the Australian Defence Force was operating.
Peter Mansell, the Darwin RSL president, said that he personally thought charging for two beers would be "bloody wrong".
But he also said there was no beer when he was serving about 40 years ago.
"We were in the middle of the jungle doing what we had to do," he said.
lolololol
$5 for a beer? Have these people been in a NFL, NHL, MLB venue lately? Why that’s a bargain!
Good beer and a good company. Huzzah for them!
It always amused me that my fellow soldiers were forced to pay import beer prices in the Philippines and Somalia for Budweiser.
Okay, but who deserves a free beer more than an Australian soldier in Afghanistan?
Could they get Philippine beer?
” It pointed out it provided accommodation, food and welfare services to its deployed troops “at no cost”. “
San Miguel (brewed in the PI) is among the world’s premier beers.
Absolutely. One of the beers I recall was Red Horse. It was made with formaldehyde. They also have "White Castle Whiskey, Seven Years Old."
No, just a lot of stupidity.
Yeah, but in those venues, you also don't generally run the risk of getting your butt shot up. (Had you mentioned the NBA, I may not have been so confident making this statement.)
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