Despite high rates of alcohol abuse, the Army has delayed for nearly three years a plan to offer all soldiers access to confidential counseling for drinking problems, a move that leaders in alcohol abuse treatment say is a mistake.
The Army began a pilot program in 2009 for confidential treatment, but it continues debating what to do next because of a high dropout rate.
One in four GIs now have a drinking problem, and alcohol has been linked to record numbers of suicides, sexual assaults and domestic abuse cases, Army research shows.
There are AA meetings on the bases, and nearby.
I really doubt the alcohol problem is any worse than it was when I joined the Army in 1977. Dealing with drunken soldiers was a daily task and certainly a feature of every tour as staff duty officer. And of course there were the Friday afternoon officers’ calls at the club with the Squadron Commander, where we all got tight. And I won’t even mention the rampant drug use. Of course the culture of the Army was vastly different then. Much more traditional, if less professional.