Two beers per head are still authorized after 45 days underway when there's no port call scheduled in the next two weeks. But they still make a bureaucratic circus out of it to avoid hoarding and trading. They crack the beers before they give them to you so you can't stash them.
I had that happen once in my three years in the fleet and they didn’t open them for us (long time ago). We did have kegs & BBQ on the pier in GITMO once, too (“pigs on the pier”). I was in when they were just starting a/the tobacco ban on the ship. You could smoke them, but you couldn’t buy them . It created an excellent black market opportunity for entrepreneurs onboard. Last fun fact - my ship was catered by Krispy Kreme donuts every morning when we were in port - long, long before they were a nationwide brand.
It couldn’t be more of a contrast to the Royal Navy - my grandfather served from the mid 50s until the late 70s, and not only did they still have rum rations until 1970, but they dished out Valium like candy. The way he tells it most of the crew were high or drunk most of the time, and would end up laughing in situations that would otherwise result in brown trousers.
> Two beers per head are still authorized after 45 days underway
Good God!
In the Royal Navy its 3 beers per man per day, every day. (Coke tin sized or 2 beers if the tins are larger, depends what the NAAFI ordered in). There are usually a few extra tins going spare if you want it and a blind eye turned, though getting drunk on board (let alone on duty) is a serious offence. Frankly, its rare for anyone to act like a knob.
Mate, two beers is 45 days is mad. No way are us British going to sign up for that!
Obviously, but 2 beers per day has significant health risks, not to mention the other risks such as becoming alcoholic and all the societal costs that come with that. And seems like an odd habit to cultivate for a country that wants to pay for its citizens’ healthcare.
The same reasoning applies for daily consumption of high amounts of calories from sweet drinks and snacks.
There is a large spectrum between this and rabbit food.
Ah, so that's what this is about. Your objection to universal healthcare and a desire to regulate other peoples personal lives based on your own morals.
But if to want society’s resources, seems fair for society to want something from you.
People don’t seem to have a problem with dangerous drivers paying more for auto liability insurance. In the US, we subsidize healthcare costs from alcohol use and overeating, but we explicitly charge people more for healthcare costs due to tobacco use.
It’s all just various political tribes flexing on who can get away with what.
One of the many funny stories an ex-sailor friend of mine told me was that the crew on his ship would take blood thinners so they could get drunk on two beers...
This is a common reason that Sailors are known for partying after long deployments.
Imagine you are 21 and unable to spend money, have free housing (the ship) and free food, then you land in a foreign country where you can finally drink after 8 months at sea with all the money you saved.
This is US Navy-specific, and the person you are replying to seems to have a dated experience of when beer days are authorized. It's every 45 days underway without a port call in sight, and this is governed by formal published regulations. Most ships pull into port at least every 30-40 days outside of major combat.
Ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Global War on Terror were under General Order #1, which prohibited alcohol in theater, but elsewhere like Djibouti and Qatar were authorized three beers a day maximum.
