Smoking ban in U.S. military?

[Patroklos]

I have watched a ship run out of cigarettes. It is not pretty. Hell, it is not even pretty when I run out of one kind of cigarette let alone all of them.

EDIT: We ran out of Diet Coke once too, and that was FAR worse. I really thought I was going to get fired for that, even though there was nothing I could do about it it (the nearest ship with pallets was 1000 miles away, and every time we were going to get an UNREP we were called away for something or other).

[zakubandit]

As my old section sergeant used to say, "aint this about a *****" and just retarded for the gov to even contemplate. For one soldiers already sacrifice their lives to the military, teens fresh from HS give up a chance at a normal early adult life *the college life* by signing up. We have to deal with constant crap about alcohol, alcohol free weekends and all that crap *when other military's around the world can drink while deployed* now smokes? I mean hell, we compromised with dip *which I did very rarely* but smokes sometimes were just not possible.

Tankers, we are in a moving steel bomb. Ammo all inside with us, fuel in the fuel cells. Smoking...well not very easy when your in a steel box and can't step out for a smoke. So we dipped or chewed because of convenience...or at least that was the case until I became gunner and my TC and I had a driver and loader who both smoked...majority vote, smoke in the tank. Not always smart, but when its day 20 of the field problem, its colder than a witch's tit outside, and your on an engagement with opposition light up and ash in the afcap by your feet.

Yes it is stress relief, everyone knows that. Soldiers have enough stress that many turn to drugs...taking away smoking is gonna drive the majority to just not listen to the ban. They banned smoking and walking when we were still in BDUs, and it took us awhile to get used to that. But banning smoking all together....**** that ****.

[Dis]

I have watched a ship run out of cigarettes. It is not pretty. Hell, it is not even pretty when I run out of one kind of cigarette let alone all of them.

EDIT: We ran out of Diet Coke once too, and that was FAR worse. I really thought I was going to get fired for that, even though there was nothing I could do about it it (the nearest ship with pallets was 1000 miles away, and every time we were going to get an UNREP we were called away for something or other).

diet coke what kind of gay ship were you on?

Real men drank mt. dew. Unfortunately mt. was always the first to run out. So yes I did drink diet coke when the regular drinks ran out. I couldn't drink coffee, so that was my only source of caffeine.

The really salty ones were the guys that drank hot coffee in a 120F engine room. I could never do that.

[Patroklos]

diet coke what kind of gay ship were you on?

Real men drank mt. dew.

No Dis, young men drink Mt. Dew, old men drink Diet Coke. Translation: E-6 and above drink Diet Coke or in other words all the people that matter as far as making everyone's lives miserable because they are pissed off.

Most importantly though, COs drink Diet Coke

Coffee, fortunetly, is far more efficiently stored so I never ran out of that (though I would run out of the good stuff on occasion).

[Blaupanzer]

Live and let live! Does our Congress really want every military retiree to live 10 to 20 years longer than most of the smokers do now? Who's going to pay for that? We live in a country run by idiots who feel the need to meddle in our lives by making a legal behavior illegal in all but name. On the other hand the Congress has no stomach for getting the Bush admin torture investigation behind us. Everyone here would get off pins and needles and go into action if that past could be settled up in some way.

Incidentally, I am suspicious that these regs could not be applied to soldiers, sailors, etc, who live off base as the MPs, APs, etc. have no authority there and the local police also have no authority to enforce military regs.

[onodera]

Your military is decadent. Drinking soft drinks, feh.

[RGBVideo]

hahaha good luck on enforcing this

[zakubandit]

Blau has a good point. But during the duty day soldiers step out for a smoke...well at least my platoons did...every hour for a 5 to 15, depending on heat category. Patroklos you made me realize that all of my COs did drink diet coke. I never realized that before. Even a few of my LTs drank diet coke....its a friggin conspiracy! What kind of hard ass can try to keep the mean guy routine going with a can of diet coke in their hand, save for the Tops who use those cans to spit in.

[DinoDoc]

Does this apply to the Commander and Chief as well given the fact he still lights up?

[zakubandit]

If they want to enforce a ban on smoking to soldiers of all services they had better make it blnaket for alkl government employees. DOD, FBI, CIA, NSA, ATF, DHS, INS, etc. Singling out soldiers like they are the dominant force behind cigarette purchases....screw that ****.

[Sava]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/12/mil...ban/index.html
Although non smokers are able to find that stress relief somehow...

[Lorizael]

...ATF...

That's an amusing thought.

[zakubandit]

Don't get me wrong, I love America and what it stands for, but how utterly stupid can the people really be? If civilians support they are retarded, if politicians allow this they are going to run the risk of losing retention quotas. Hell, retention wont even matter if this gets started, enlistment will drop to a stagnant level and retention will be unheard of.

[Dis]

As mentioned above retention is very good right now. And will continue to be good as long as this recession is going on. But even before the recession retention was good. Esp. since 9/11. I do believe the military offers a way out for many folk (it's why I joined). It's an attractive option to escape problems at home. And the money isn't real bad, and there's possibility of getting college education (if you choose gi bill).

But I'm no so sure if recruitment will continue to be good if they don't allow smoking and the economy gets better.

As mentioned above they can't enforce this off base. But they sure as hell can enforce it on base/ship etc.

I believe they should allow smoking in designated areas. I'd like to see smoking eliminated on submarines, but if it is a stress relief as they say, then perhaps not. But I really don't think smoking is a stress relief. It's just that not smoking causes stress because they are addicted. There's a difference there.

I also believe they should stop selling cigarrettes at the PX/exchanges etc at the discount price. If they want to smoke go off base and pay full price for the cancer sticks. And yes I believe even ships should not sell them (bring enough for the entire cruise if you want to support that habit).

[Patroklos]

And yes I believe even ships should not sell them (bring enough for the entire cruise if you want to support that habit).

You know this is impossible Dis. I agree that there is nothing wrong with selling them at market price, but by your logic a sailor should bring everything he needs for six months and we can just close the ship store altogether.