New Secret Service rules on alcohol, unsavory bars

http://news.yahoo.com/secret-rules-alcohol-unsavory-bars-233826181.html ^ | 4/27/12 | ALICIA A. CALDWELL, LAURIE KELLMAN

[Libloather]

New Secret Service rules on alcohol, unsavory bars
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL and LAURIE KELLMAN | Associated Press – 20 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to shake the disgrace of a prostitution scandal, the Secret Service late Friday tightened conduct rules for its agents to prohibit them from drinking excessively, visiting disreputable establishments while traveling or bringing foreigners to their hotel rooms.

The new behavior policies apply to Secret Service agents even when they are off duty while traveling, barring them from drinking alcohol within 10 hours of working, according to a memorandum describing the changes obtained by The Associated Press. In some cases under the new rules, chaperones will accompany agents on trips. The embattled Secret Service director, Mark Sullivan, urged agents and other employees to "consider your conduct through the lens of the past several weeks."

The Secret Service said it would conduct a training session on ethics next week.

Sullivan said the rules "cannot address every situation that our employees will face as we execute our dual-missions throughout the world." He added: "The absence of a specific, published standard of conduct covering an act or behavior does not mean that the act is condoned, is permissible, or will not call for — and result in — corrective or disciplinary action."

[Pilsner]

Just how is a Secret Service Agent supposed to know what an unsavory bar looks like, or how much alcohol is an excess for that particular individual? Somebody will get a multi-million dollar Federal contract to conduct training.

[occamrzr06]

We had a 12 hour no alcohol before going into the detention center at GTMO.

What is the flight rules, no alcohol within 100 feet of the plane and no smoking 12 hours before flight?

[JimSEA]

I see. They make new rules when the problem was that they didn’t follow the old rules. Makes sense???

[386wt]

The “Off-Limits” lists were always good bar guides when I was in the service. Especially handy when assigned to a new base.

[Rapscallion]

Those chaperones are usually called commissars.

Also called "minders".

[BwanaNdege]

I used to hit twenty or thirty “unsavory bars” a night, one night in six...

Shore patrol in Olongopo City, Subic Bay, the Philippines. We lieutenants of the visiting Marine Battalion Landing Team accompanied the regular Navy Shore Patrol on their rounds to keep an eye on our troops. It was a good idea. Kept our guys from giving the Navy SP to much trouble.

Three blocks outside the gate, both sides.

PT Barnum would have loved it. What a circus/zoo.

Always said that this was one place just waiting for the wrath of God.

Sure enough, 15 years later Mt Pinatubo dumped several feet of ash on Olongapo.

Me? I spent my liberty at the base gokart track. I figured that was the best way to stay out of trouble. As I look back 35 or so years later, it was a wise decision.

[RetiredTexasVet]

I would think that any bar with Hillary, the Food Stamp President or any of the administration would be deemed to be unsavory!

[ebshumidors]

Glad to see the SS is tightening up. Heck, in aviation we went to 8 hrs from bottle to throttle instead of 8 feet years ago!

[SaraJohnson]

I want the job as their GS15 chaperone! :)

[Noob1999]

“Hey, brown sugar jus wake me up at 4am for your American Green. I be on duty tomorro”

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yes, but they are tasked with advance work and that is (including) counterintelligence, countersurveillance, discussion of the local protection environment, grasp of known cells and threats, and cooperation with the local agencies either US Embassy or local government. I can also imagine the SS at a G-20 summit. 90% of the protective guys off duty from various countries, minus Arab states maybe, will be going out for a beer to bond in a friendly country, discuss cooperation, etc. but the US guys just might have to whine down to the front desk/lobby "sorry, we might not be able to attend tonight, as we can't just seem to find our CHAPERONE." (LOL).

Also, anyone wanna guess this "chaperone" is going to look like Janet Reno, Janet Napolitano or Sandra Fluke?

[dfwgator]

Closing the barn door after the horses have already escaped.

[dfwgator]

I can hit the bimbo bars from 4 pm until 10 pm, get drunk on my azz and report for duty at 8am.

"As long as I get 1 hour of sleep.......*snap fingers* I'm cool."

[Rembrandt]

Years ago when I was in the Navy and stationed in the Philippines, the first places we’d go were the bars designated “off limits.” Great places, great cold beer, great hot women!

[AmericanInTokyo]

LOL. This whole thing will flop, like the jack*ss idea of kids on milk cartons, scaring the hell out of other kids all over America (Mommy, am *I* going to get kidnapped and killed by a bad man like that boy on the Borden's milk pack?"), or aspirin bottles that no way can an 85-year-old with arthritis living alone get opened. Stupid solutions borne out of stupid ideas and reasoning.

Hey, what if an SS agent is "gay" or "lesbian", and openly goes to a local "gay bar" off-hours. If that was considered by his chaperone later as a "disreputable establishment", could not the USG become the defendent in a sexual orientation discrimination suit? Oh, I am sure the White House would overlook THOSE kinds of outings (extra curricular activities).

[Talisker]

Secret Service director, Mark Sullivan said the rules "cannot address every situation that our employees will face as we execute our dual-missions throughout the world." He added: "The absence of a specific, published standard of conduct covering an act or behavior does not mean that the act is condoned, is permissible, or will not call for — and result in — corrective or disciplinary action."

[A Navy Vet]

"Years ago when I was in the Navy and stationed in the Philippines, the first places we’d go were the bars designated “off limits.”"

Really? I was in Subic numerous times in the mid 70's-80's and never heard of an "off limits" bar. Remember Jolo's at the end of Masaysay, and another one to the left on the cross street? Some pretty nasty stuff - think stacks of coins. Double bullets were your friends before arriving home, har. Great times.

[Rembrandt]

“”Years ago when I was in the Navy and stationed in the Philippines, the first places we’d go were the bars designated “off limits.””
—
Really? I was in Subic numerous times in the mid 70’s-80’s and never heard of an “off limits” bar. Remember Jolo’s at the end of Masaysay, and another one to the left on the cross street? Some pretty nasty stuff - think stacks of coins. Double bullets were your friends before arriving home, har. Great times.
—
Well, that’s all good and I’m happy that things were so rosy when you were in the PI.

I was in the PI from 1968 - 1970. There were typically three off-limits bars including the Top Three and the East End..I forget the other one.

[IrishPennant]

- think stacks of coins.

hehehehehe....that brought back memories with images...thank you!

[Ax]

I was at Clark AB, 1961-62. There were a few Off Limits joints in Angeles, and they were Off Limits for a reason. If you went in some of these dives, you might not come back out. Spent some off-duty time in Angeles, just for a change of scenery. That was an interesting ride from Angeles to Olongapo and back on the Philippine Rabbit.