Is US Military Bound by the Legal Drinking Age of the State?

This seems to be a very valid question! We all know that every state in the US has a regulation on the legal minimum drinking age. When individuals below the legal drinking age are found consuming alcohol, they are convicted and subjected to trial in a court of law. What happens when in comes to the US military personnel? Are they bound by the laws of the state in which they have set their base or do they have an altogether different ruling?

According to an article posted in a website exclusively meant for alcohol related queries. A nationwide non scientific poll was conducted which reported that every seven out of the eight people from a group of 1,323 respondents voted for consumption of alcohol by military personnel irrespective of their age.

Military Personal and Drinking Laws

While traditionally military personnel were allowed to drink while on any federal military installations, during later eighties the government was forced to stop it. According to the Federal Law of United States Code the military personnel are required to adopt the law of the state in which they have set up their military installations. However there are exceptions to this rule. Where the military installations are set up at a place which is situated within 50 miles from countries like Mexico or Canada or a state which imposes a lower drinking age they can adopt the lower age limit.

The Zero Tolerance Test

You must be aware that the states have a number regulations like the Field Sobriety Tests through which they control Alcohol Abuse on road. Blood Alcohol Content Test or the BAC test is conducted on those, who are suspected to have drunk and where the results exceed the permitted levels, they are convicted and are subjected to further investigations. Zero Tolerance Test is prescribed for those individuals who are below the legal drinking age. Any amount of intoxication found in their body will lead to conviction.

While complying with the rules the military personnel are also required to abide by the drinking laws of the state and are subject to legal drinking age requirements, BAC and Zero Tolerance Test. The Department of Defense (DOD) codification talks about the adoption of a lower drinking age of the state or the jurisdiction of Mexico or Canada where the DOD installation is situated within 50 miles from Mexico or Canada.

Legal Drinking Age – Outside the US

The Department of Defense DOD installations located outside the US shall carry a minimum legal drinking age of 18 years for military personnel. Any higher age will depend upon the agreements, treaties and the given situation subject to the discretion of the installation commander.

Further information on this topic is welcome; please post your opinions and information on this forum for the benefit of everyone.