No drunken sailors in Obama's navy. While the "in the weeds" specifics of how the breathalyzer program will work are not yet revealed, the general contours of the program are that Navy leaders will administer breathalyzers to operational unit work sections and duty sections and apparently everyone on duty, including, presumably, ship and squadron commanders plus "random" samples of other sailors in shore and support commands. No probable cause. No reason to suspect alcohol use, much less abuse. One size fits all screening of everyone, regardless of rank, career status, history of alcohol use or abuse, duty performance, or billet. Marine units will phase in the breathalyzers later, after the Navy beta tests the program.
While no one is for alcoholism or booze clouded thinking in battle or on base for that matter but did it ever occur to anyone in the Pentagon that they have a volunteer defense force? Personally, I think even treating draftees as children let alone junior officers goes well beyond safety concerns and runs well into personal meddling. Again, remember the waning days of the Carter administration when ships sat in port for want of crews. Coming a day after Marines in Afghanistan where forced to disarm before mustering for Secretary Panetta, pep talk this regulation can be viewed as the final nail in the coffin of "special trust and confidence." Given sufficient time Obama can turn the best navy in the world to an unfortunate assemblage of politically correct, sober, gay eunuchs.
So ship me somewhere east of Suez,
where the best is like the worst
where there ain' t no Ten Commandments
and a man can raise a thirst.
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