For much of the Navy’s history, the answer was get him to quarters on time and all was good.
But in the 1970s, assessing the damage that booze was doing to its people and to readiness, Navy embarked on a broad program to—in the phrase of the day—deinstitutionalize alcohol.
- Ship’s parties had to have soft drinks, too.
- Drug and Alcohol Program Advisors were trained for every command.
- The Bureau of Naval Personnel stood up a highly effective and well-staffed alcohol abuse prevention program.
- In-patient 28-day treatment programs started at naval hospitals; again, highly effective.
- And now, under the even more advanced Navy Alcohol Abuse Prevention program, strong and effective measures to control Navy drinking continue in place.
In the 70s and since, promotion boards have taken note of drinking problems. For a while, it seemed that a recovering alcoholic who’d gone through the 28-day program actually had a leg up in front of the chief’s board. But soon it became clear that if the command found out about it, a hit for a DUI or some other alcohol-related incident carried a real risk of killing advancement for the sailor and promotion for the officer.
Stigma got attached to the 28-day program. A drinking problem became a career problem for the individual. No matter the wonderfulness of the Navy alcohol abuse programs, incidents involving alcohol could be fatal in one’s profession.
So “what do you do with a drunken sailor” became a serious personal question if you were that drunken sailor.
What do you do if you think you might be drinking too much? What action should you take if you worry that your family life is suffering and your professional life at risk unless you cut back or quit? Obvious answer: cut back or quit. And to protect your future, do so quietly.
But that’s hard. Quitting on your own is hard. Chancy too. Falling off the wagon can make a lot of noise. And trying to just cut back carries risk of only postponing that career train wreck you dread.
Now, finally, there’s a better answer than trying to fix a drinking problem by yourself. With an excellent track record, it assures full privacy. It’s an online start-up based in Scotland and now opening in the United States: the One Year No Beer Challenge.
The Challenge is the tool you’ve been looking for to quietly quit drinking. It gives you the help you need without telling the world you have a problem. And it works. Costs a few bucks to sign up, but surely less than the price of drinks you won’t be drinking.
I’ve no financial interest in the Challenge and won’t have. I found out about it in the Bahamas out chasing bonefish with one of its investors (there is life after the Navy). I won’t be taking the Challenge myself, having dried out before my XO tour and not a drop since.
If you’re like me—you love the Navy, but you love booze too—then take action. I had to. You should.
The One Year No Beer Challenge can help you do that without breaking any crockery. Check it out.
