While everything you said does happen, it is not everyone, nor is it every command.
In my 4 years we never had a single sailor show up to work drunk at my command, even once. They would be reprimanded. They might showup hungover sure, but not drunk. I did hear stories from other ships about a few high ranking officers showing up to base drunk but those were isolated incidents.
I never talked to anyone who had ever snuck alcohol on the ship and I was cool with everyone. I was on a destroyer so maybe on a larger ship this is easier to get away with.
I myself had my Liberty removed for 6 months because some kid who was not invited to our party stole 2 bottles of alcohol from us and got blackout. We found him in the beach bathroom passed out on the ground and had to physically carry him for a 45 minute walk back to base. He was in the hospital for 3 days. We lost our privilege to leave the ship for 6 months.
Let's be honest. Being in the Navy is terrible, alcohol is the way the culture copes with how terrible it is. You experience so much bullshit that the only thing that keeps you going is the idea that one day you'll get back to land and be able to get wasted. The problem is you can't drink or celebrate at sea so people go overboard once they get back on land. Yeah people get too drunk and drink too much, but so do college kids, which are the same age as many of these sailors.
I'm not sure when you would have served, but it sounds like you had a solid command.
I dealt with things ranging from exactly what the parent said (see my sibling comment to yours), to having to do a medical call away for someone non-responsive being brought across the quarterdeck at 2357 (in 2015; that individual had to get their stomach pumped and an AED administered twice on the way to the hospital in Okinawa). I dealt with any number of drunk at work issues as both a Chief and as a Security Manager (surprise, that's one that will get your clearance impacted). The number of DUI's I dealt with was far down, but the amount of alcohol driven domestic violence that came across my desk was... well that was the main reason I didn't take the civilian position I was offered (as the Security Manager at my final command).
Big base, very strict when I was there. There was an international incident with a Marine right off base of Yoko before I arrived so it's possible they were tighter on rules than usual.
In my 4 years we never had a single sailor show up to work drunk at my command, even once. They would be reprimanded. They might showup hungover sure, but not drunk. I did hear stories from other ships about a few high ranking officers showing up to base drunk but those were isolated incidents.
I never talked to anyone who had ever snuck alcohol on the ship and I was cool with everyone. I was on a destroyer so maybe on a larger ship this is easier to get away with.
I myself had my Liberty removed for 6 months because some kid who was not invited to our party stole 2 bottles of alcohol from us and got blackout. We found him in the beach bathroom passed out on the ground and had to physically carry him for a 45 minute walk back to base. He was in the hospital for 3 days. We lost our privilege to leave the ship for 6 months.
Let's be honest. Being in the Navy is terrible, alcohol is the way the culture copes with how terrible it is. You experience so much bullshit that the only thing that keeps you going is the idea that one day you'll get back to land and be able to get wasted. The problem is you can't drink or celebrate at sea so people go overboard once they get back on land. Yeah people get too drunk and drink too much, but so do college kids, which are the same age as many of these sailors.