According you your answer, we should not recruit the younger people into the military. We should recruit the older more mature individuals?
........having served 7 years in the service I know there are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of 18, 19, and 20 year olds that I personally think are too young and immature to be walking around with a loaded weapon if it is not absolutely necessary. On weekends, most of the time most of them are drunk.
Now, in the line of duty, carrying is another matter. I carried a .45 regularly due to carrying US Registered Mail between cities in Japan. But, when I was not doing that, it was locked up. And, I had to qualify (tests) for the job which was easy for me because I grew up in the country around lots of guns everyday.
On a battlefield like Afghanistan is a different deal altogether since they are much busier, much more intensely supervised, the threat is huge and I don’t think alcohol is allowed for anybody in country.
I just think we need more not all people armed on these bases. If you think “All” is better, I appreciate and respect your opinion.