emptycan

Wish me luck. I hope it's the right choice. I think a lot of us would make good marines.

FormerWineGirl

While joining the military is a noble path, I hope you are joining because you really want to be a part of the military, not just to get sober. While I am certainly no expert, I do know that one must be physically and mentally fit to serve. Only you can make those initial determinations for yourself in considering this decision. Good luck with whatever you decide.

FreeOwl

Holy crap.

The military won't get you sober.

Very much the contrary.

The military was a fabulous enabler of alcoholism - for myself and many others.

LBrain

Just gotta say, my drinking career really took off after I joined the military.

Some things you can run away from or disguise. Alcohol abuse/dependence is not one of those things. I fear that choosing military life in an attempt to thwart your alcohol issues could actually backfire. Do your research. You will learn that alcohol problems are quite prevalent within the enlisted ranks.

Been there...

emptycan

Start with strawberries, you might work your way up to these god damn bananas lol

Hawkeye13

You'd be much better off in an outpatient like Salvation Army treatment
instead of a drinking training camp such as most branches of most military service.
Seriously. And then there's the drugs.

Poor plan if that's the motivation for going--

Good catch Seren on the Cheech and Chong quote

Seren

Hmmm....well, it doesn't sound as if you are in full control of your faculties at the moment, if you follow my meaning.

My interpretation is that you just started this thread to amuse yourself and to shine people on a bit...and for bonus points, you are quoting Cheech and Chong movies...interesting.

I wish you all the best, truly. So young with the potential of so much life ahead. I hope you realize someday that you deserve to treat yourself with more respect. Please take good care.

ScottFromWI

If you are serious, I'd suggest running your idea past your local military recruiter first and see what they have to say. The military is not a sobriety program.

aasharon90

Use the Military to serve your country if
that is your calling. You will be training
for the better good of our country, to
stand tall, proud with lots of responsibility.

If using the military to help you get
sober helps, it may work, but then it
may not. I don't know.

There is more to just not drinking. If
underlying issues that come along with
addiction, reasons to drink, are not
delt with, work thru properly incorporating
a program of recovery, then the addiction
to drink or use will never be put to rest.

Life continues and there will always be
some person, place, thing, situation, that
will get under our skin and we will always
want to deal with it with alcohol or drugs
unless we use a healthier, more effective
plan in its place.

Im sure there are people that drink
when they have breaks or go on leave.
We can never escape alcohol or drug
because it has and will always be there
in the world, around us.

The temptation to drink to escape or
numb feelings, to try an solve whatever
problems we have or don't want to
face head on is forever lurking just
waiting for us to let our guard down,
to be vunerable, weak, pizzed off, whatever
it is to take us down.

Addiction is dangerous and kills. It's
not something to take lightly especially
if we are alcoholic or addicts.

Education on addiction is important.
A program of recovery learned and
applied to all areas of our life will help
us remain sober and help us stand tall,
strong against the temptations of it.

We can try to escape addiction, but addiction
wont escape us unless we learn all be can
about it and incorporate a program of recovery
is keep it in it's place, arrested, each day we
remain sober or clean.

Use the Military to support our country
and use a program of recovery to support
you life to live healthy, happy, with willingness,
openmindness and honesty.

Rar

My husband was in the military for several years during the early years of our marriage. He was a heavy drinker at that time. They even carried their booze along on field trips.

Opivotal

You need to get sober before joining the military. Last you posted, you were drinking 12 beers a night?

Don't think you'll make it through boot camp. Seriously, think about rehab or a safe detox with your Doctor.

chrcarlson

How do you like my profile pic? It's out the door of a blackhawk over Anbar. I spent 6 years in Iraq where alcohol was strictly forbidden. I got so drunk one time listening to a firefight in Ramadi I needed help walking. I drank less but it was still available. Drunks will always find a way-we are a clever and unrelenting lot.

I have a lot of respect for the USMC but they are not in the business of curing alcohol addiction. Go to AA or some damn thing but quit drinking before going into the service.

least

The marines are not there to get you sober. Get some help to get sober before you join.

thomas11

The military is a training ground for alcoholics. It's a badge of honor for some.

LostManhattan

I concur with all of the above.

Thumpalumpacus

On the assumption that you're serious, I'll add my agreement that the military is a breeding-ground for alcoholics.

Additionally, if you go in as a practicing alcoholic, I get the feeling you're going to learn quickly just what an Article 15 is ... maybe with repeated study sessions.

I'm not sure how detailed MEPS medical screening is nowadays, but it may be that your alcoholism has physically DQ'ed you already.

At any rate, sober up and then enlist, if you still want to do so.

FreeOwl

In the Army - military police at that - I attended a company dinner.

One of the traditions of the night was that the senior officers and enlisted leadership made a "grog" in a toilet bowl. This "grog" consisted of all manner of booze, codeine-laden cough syrup from the TMC, various disgusting stuff from MREs, etc.

Through the night, various infractions of procedure and policy were punished with trips to the grog. Most had to go once, maybe twice.... I purposely got myself sent there.... I have no idea how many times.

I recall an image of coming out of blackout locked up in parade rest in front of the Battalion Master Sergeant - him hollering at me and me replying to his bellows "yes, Master Sergeant... NO, Master Sergeant".

Then later another image.... being handcuffed by the air force MP's and trying to kick out the windows of the police cruiser.

Then another later image.... having been released to be held in the barracks to sober up.... guards outside the room - of me jumping out a third story window to call my wife.

She wouldn't get me.... so then another image of destroying a phone booth and tearing up parking lot signs throwing them through windows. Another image of more handcuffs and another police cruiser. Being booked and released to the custody of my duty sergeant..... coming to on his floor next day with these images in utter confusion and despair.

Yeah.... the military really helped sober me up.

Those years in Germany spent drinking my head off and partying were just like a stint in rehab, all right.....

rich7v

Some of the most hard core drinkers I have ever met were in the military.

My brother's best friend in high school joined the military. They were both big pot-heads. I remember the first time I saw him a few years later. All he would talk about was all the great pot he was able to get while in the service.

Wish you the best!

thomas11

Are you reconsidering emptycan?

Bailey3

My first unsupervised pass in the army was only two hours long. I came back smashed along with every other member of my company. And, so it began.

The military will not sober you up. That's a choice you have to make for yourself.