Navy Considers Banning Tobacco Sales On Bases
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'sailors that are fit and resilient'
Sailors do less physical work these days than ever before. If half pissed pressed men and foreigners could throw enough iron to beat the combined navies of france and spain in 1805 then modern navies can easily defeat modern foes (i.e, tribesmen in inflatable boats) with a bit of tobacco smoke drifting aft.
What gets me is, try this in the prison system and there'd be bloody riots. Why should free men be deprived?
Sailors do less physical work these days than ever before. If half pissed pressed men and foreigners could throw enough iron to beat the combined navies of france and spain in 1805 then modern navies can easily defeat modern foes (i.e, tribesmen in inflatable boats) with a bit of tobacco smoke drifting aft.
What gets me is, try this in the prison system and there'd be bloody riots. Why should free men be deprived?
This has been going on for a while now. Though I suspect there won't be changes any time soon. Especially with the Navy Exchange profiting so much from tobacco sales alone. We smoke and dip like is going out of style.
I have a few friends in the army who used to smoke pipes until their briars were confiscated as "drug paraphernalia." At least they still had permission to go to bars and strip joints.
Like sailorjeremy said, this has been going on for awhile. While I was in (2004-2009) there was always talk about the CNO or SecNav considering banning tobacco sales at the NEX (Navy Exchange). Sailors indeed smoke and dip like nobody's business, I'm of the thinking that today's US Military runs on coffee, Monster Energy drinks and tobacco.
Well you're on to something, because it IS in fact going(if not already gone) out of style.
That's why we gotta deal with all the damn regulation now.
I was in the Navy for almost four years (with an early out of a few weeks to start school). Part of that
was on a minesweeper as a radioman, and I also worked on a remote station on Midway Island. This
is a delicate point on alcohol and tobacco. I don't think it should be pushed at people, which it was
during World War II when most non-smokers were converted by the omnipresence of cigarettes, and
many non-drinkers and moderate drinkers did some heavy consumption. However, most military
situations are boring, lonely, physically and mentally stressful, and dangerous, in various degrees.
I think it is a mistake to reduce and remove pleasures people can enjoy under those demanding circumstances.
If people want martial arts classes, yoga, or road races (running) I think that's good. But sometimes, a good
cigar or pipe of tobacco or cigarette is a really good idea. Military duty is not the time to start making life
even more spartan. There are plenty of deprivations that come with the territory.
was on a minesweeper as a radioman, and I also worked on a remote station on Midway Island. This
is a delicate point on alcohol and tobacco. I don't think it should be pushed at people, which it was
during World War II when most non-smokers were converted by the omnipresence of cigarettes, and
many non-drinkers and moderate drinkers did some heavy consumption. However, most military
situations are boring, lonely, physically and mentally stressful, and dangerous, in various degrees.
I think it is a mistake to reduce and remove pleasures people can enjoy under those demanding circumstances.
If people want martial arts classes, yoga, or road races (running) I think that's good. But sometimes, a good
cigar or pipe of tobacco or cigarette is a really good idea. Military duty is not the time to start making life
even more spartan. There are plenty of deprivations that come with the territory.
So, I had a skipper on one of my ships just tell the supply officer not to order cigarettes anymore when we ran out. It caused a lot of problems. I was the Helicopter Control Officer on the ship - I ran the flight deck. All of the junior officers in the group knew each other from the other ships and one night on the mid watch I sent a flashing light signal to the officer of the deck on the big landing ship helicopter (LHA) and told him to send me a case of smokes, would settle up in the next port. Sure enough, the next helicopter from the big boy had my case and I divided them up among the divisions.
My CO was SOOOOOO pissed at me. He called me into his cabin, dressed me up one side and down the other, even threw his pen at me (I remember comically now, looking down at the mark it left after he threw it). I had mid watches for a month.
But, he didn't do anymore to me because it was illegal to do what he did, and even he saw the value I it that I got. Anything I ever needed for operating I got from across the ship. Welding work, extra sandwiches for my boat and flight deck crews, you name it and our sailors delivered because they knew I went on a limb for them. It was great fun, too. :mrgreen:
My CO was SOOOOOO pissed at me. He called me into his cabin, dressed me up one side and down the other, even threw his pen at me (I remember comically now, looking down at the mark it left after he threw it). I had mid watches for a month.
But, he didn't do anymore to me because it was illegal to do what he did, and even he saw the value I it that I got. Anything I ever needed for operating I got from across the ship. Welding work, extra sandwiches for my boat and flight deck crews, you name it and our sailors delivered because they knew I went on a limb for them. It was great fun, too. :mrgreen:
Amen MSO. I never smoked cigarettes but when I was in Desert Storm I started chewing tobacco (Levi Garrett plug and Apple Jack, not Skoal or other "dips") like I was a baseball pitcher from the '70's. We couldn't have alcohol because the US gubmint acquiesced to the Saudis (yet the Brits had a fifth of scotch ration per month and I found a few that didn't drink). I agree that military life and duty is stressful enough. This will not accomplish anything.
dread, great story! I was a miserable enlisted swabbie. In boot camp, I served as "education officer" prepping
the guys (most of whom weren't students) for their written tests, and giving them a little harmonica music
after taps. When we graduated, the guys in the company gave me an engraved harmonica. The Company
Commander (like a drill instructor, senior enlisted guy) looked dumfounded. He barely knew I existed, which
was a careful and intentional tactic on my part. Suddenly I was some kind of folk hero. Surprise, surprise.
the guys (most of whom weren't students) for their written tests, and giving them a little harmonica music
after taps. When we graduated, the guys in the company gave me an engraved harmonica. The Company
Commander (like a drill instructor, senior enlisted guy) looked dumfounded. He barely knew I existed, which
was a careful and intentional tactic on my part. Suddenly I was some kind of folk hero. Surprise, surprise.
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