My personal opinion is that military should be allowed to consume alcohol at the age of entry into service. I say that because it is possible to enter at 17. Individuals are given much responsibilities at that age or earlier. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most states allow working at age 16, earlier if it is a family business. Driving is the same and also earlier if there is a hardship. And furthermore, you can vote at age 18. I feel that the military undoubtedly asks the member for sacrifices that are oftentimes unthinkable and not comparable to driving, working, or voting. Examples are, but not limited to, loss of life and separation from family for extended periods of time, and deploying to hostile environments. I have met both mature and immature younger adults AS WELL AS older adults. The military changes people; I have seen by first hand accounts of 18 yr olds passing into elite groups of military units such as Pararescue, Combat Control, and TACP (Air Force Spec ops) and will tell you that they have their "heads on straight." So age isn't a factor. The military does not tolerate alcohol abuse. There are many briefings, usually weekly, about drinking and driving and alcohol related incidents. A great majority of service members understand that an alcohol related incident will definitely hinder their career. Another reason is that if an individual is stationed outside the US they most likely will be able to drink, under the age of 21, because they will conform to "the laws of the land" unless their command has imposed restrictions. If an individual is willing to sacrifice certain aspects that many take for granted or don't care about then they are entitled to drink if they wish. The military protect all...even the bigots, racists, liars, hate groups, and etc even if that member doesn't agree with a particular viewpoint.
My personal experience...I did underage drink. When I turned 21 my "party drinking" slowed down drastically because I could get alcohol anytime I wanted. The store was approximately 200 yards from my dorm room. I guess that being "sneaky" was part of the fun. My solution is to allow anyone in the armed forces the opportunity to consume alcohol; their ID cards would be their right to consume. Old enough to die, old enough to drink / Work hard, play hard.
And for the record I am prior Air Force. Retired, 21 yrs 2 mos 5 days, and have always felt this way.
Bro McMullen
My Freemasonry