Originally Posted by
littlefish 
It sounds like the "sobriety" he had before was just going through the motions. Just curious why he is going to mandatory AA meetings? Does he have a dui violation?
Yes, I think that while the sobriety he had before was a blessing, he really wasn't working the steps to understand the root of the problem, and he was probably bound to relapse eventually. I think the extended periods of time away from home for military training just sped up the inevitable. The meetings are mandatory only in the sense that he voluntarily signed up for a program through the VA where he has to get signatures for meeting attendanceat least 3 times a week. He can leave the program any time he wishes, but the meetings are a necessary part of the program if he wishes to continue.