New Navy rules take aim at alcohol abuse, smoking (Breathalyzers on ships)

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 03/05/2011 | Bill Bartel

[same old song]

The Navy will take a more aggressive approach to curbing alcohol and drug abuse and continue moving toward a smoke-free force under initiatives announced this afternoon by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

In response to concerns about alcohol abuse, particularly among younger sailors and Marines, the department this year will install Breathalyzers on every ship so that crew members coming aboard to work will be tested. Crew members already on board will be randomly tested.

If a sailor is found to be intoxicated, he or she will be subject to counseling and treatment but not formal reprimand or punishment. The machines are intended to help detect problems that can be addressed before alcohol abuse causes a serious career-ending problem.

The department also is beginning a new alcohol education program. Particular attention will be given to younger service members who, Navy officials believe, may misunderstand how long alcohol remains in a person’s system.

The Marines are expected to introduce the Breathalyzers to some units during the year.

The readiness effort also includes stronger discouragements of tobacco use among sailors and Marines. The department is ending the subsidy of cigarettes and other tobacco products sold at base commissaries and exchanges. The Navy is also making available smoking cessation materials to all personnel at no cost.

Navy officials believe that smoking contributes to poor health among active-duty sailors and retirees. They contend that cracking down on the behavior can reduce time lost to sickness and reduce health care expenses.

The new initiatives also include programs to address sexual assault and to begin random testing for spice, an illegal synthetic drug that mimics marijuana.

Mabus’ remarks, made at Norfolk Naval Station aboard the Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, were broadcast worldwide through military television and web sites during a special “all hands” call.

Navy officials said that the new effort is intended to “build resiliency and to hone the most combat effective force in the history of the Department of Navy.”

[NavyCanDo]

We had a big bruiser from Alabama who would drink Aqua Velva he got from the ships store, when he ran out of smuggled booze. We dreaded when he would return from shore leave at 2 in the morning, because it would often end with him pulling a sleeping Yankee sailor from his bunk and beating the snot out of him. I had my turn a time or two.

[a fool in paradise]

What about those homosexuals who snort poppers?

[nathanbedford]

There is another thread not far from here in which FReepers are deriding Tony Bennett for calling for legalized drugs.

On that thread we react favorably to the federal government intruding in the private lives about what we are permitted to ingest and not ingest on pain of criminal sanctions. It does so without constitutional warrant.

Here, we are dealing in an area in which the federal government has and should have extreme sweeping power over the private lives of its sailors to maintain combat effectiveness and yet in this area we have resistance from FReepers. Here the federal government is fully authorized by the Constitution to act but it has refrained from imposing criminal sanctions.

If we are conservatives, it seems to me we ought to judge matters first on their constitutionality and then on whether we like the policy rather than determining constitutionality by whether we like the policy.

[a fool in paradise]

Do they know who the Commander in Thief is and what he does on the job?

[Sporke]

Uh....one of the first things we loaded onto my ship during our initial outfit....was hundreds of cases of Budweiser. It surprised me a bit at first, but...it didn’t go to waste. :)

[GATOR NAVY]

The department is ending the subsidy of cigarettes and other tobacco products sold at base commissaries and exchanges. The Navy is also making available smoking cessation materials to all personnel at no cost.

I was under the impression they had done this years ago when I was still active duty. I used to smoke Japanese cigarettes when I was stationed in Japan-they were cheaper than smokes on base. Sea stores are long gone. And I know the smoking cessation stuff was available. I was going to go through a program and then ended up quitting cold turkey on my own.

The alcohol crackdown doesn't surprise me a bit-it's all part of the "intrusive leadership" initiative. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not in anymore. At the end of this month I officially go on the retired list. They won't even be able to recall me anymore.

[Smokin' Joe]

Well, I guess there's still 'buggery and the lash'...

Oops, wrong navy...

[Smokin' Joe]

If we are conservatives, it seems to me we ought to judge matters first on their constitutionality and then on whether we like the policy rather than determining constitutionality by whether we like the policy.

BRAVO!

You, sir, 'get it'.

[octex]

The liberals now in charge of our military are truly nuts!

I served aboard a CVA and cigarettes were $1 a carton, although we had ration cards that only allowed two cartons every two weeks (paydays). .....When in the Med, our V-2 division CMDR arranged a day off for us when we were on “holiday routine”. Liberty boats took us to a small island nearby, along with food and cases of beer. We played baseball, ate, smoked and drank a lot of beer, while getting sunburned because we didn’t wear our shirts.

During all my time aboard ship, I don’t recall smoking or drinking causing anyone to have to go to sick bay.

[octex]

The Navy has always forbade alcohol on ships. And, has always busted sailors that showed up for duty after drinking.
**************
That’s BS. I served on a CVA and there were LOADS of beer and liquor.

A V-2 Division party on an island in the Med requistioned many cases of beer from ship stores.

We once had to pull out of Mayport with a skeleton crew to plow right through Hurricane Donna. The officers’ quarters just below deck and forward were flooded because of the high waves. During clean up, the enlisted men were able to “salvage” a lot of bottles and even cases of hooch.

[moehoward]

"However, I fear this is about catching the hangovers at quarters in the morning."

Or those that maintain BAL of an unacceptable amount.

Back in my days on the Connie, you'd see the occasional flask. Sometimes you could catch a whiff of pot around a catwalk between flight ops. Only saw two guys get the boot though. Both for repeatedly getting so drunk they were still smashed the following day.

[SoFloFreeper]

Ray Mabus is the kook who used to be governor of Mississippi. He is an Obama arse licker.

[kearnyirish2]

After you’ve looked the other way to fill the ranks with convicted felons to kill Arabs, I guess now that we don’t need them anymore we’re back to “raising the bar”...

[Celtic Conservative]

LOL!

CC

[Celtic Conservative]

This country was built by hard-smoking, hard-drinking men. Where are they now?

Mostly dead From Cirrohsis and lung Cancer.

CC

[JackOfVA]

What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
Early in the morning?

Put/chuck him in the long boat till he’s sober.
Put him in the long-boat and make him bale her.
What shall we do with a drunken soldier?
Put/lock him in the guard room ‘til he gets sober.
Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him.
Pull out the plug and wet him all over
Tie him to the taffrail when she’s yardarm under
Heave him by the leg in a runnin’ bowline.
Scrape the hair off his chest with a hoop-iron razor.
Give ‘im a dose of salt and water.
Stick on his back a mustard plaster.
Keep him there and make ‘im bale ‘er.
Give ‘im a taste of the bosun’s rope-end.
What’ll we do with a Limejuice skipper?
Soak him in oil till he sprouts a flipper.
What shall we do with the Queen o’ Sheba?
What shall we do with the Virgin Mary?

[Mr Rogers]

“This country was built by hard-smoking, hard-drinking men. Where are they now?”

Those left in the military are trying to avoid the fudge-packers Obama has set loose - with the approval of most of the US population.

[sport]

That response was supposed to have been on private reply. I have requested that the moderatoe remove it.

[wally_bert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uluNnu3h2a8