Why are soldiers allowed to drink on duty?

[Optimizer]

Barracks demand weapons and ammunition. Nothing strange about that.

But alcohol? What kind of officer would disregard their soldiers' need of clothing, meat and fruit, to give them booze instead?

[KevinL]

Its a well-known fact that soldiers on leave, especially in the Navy, like to frequent bars. But on the barracks? Yeah, you're right. We'd have to ask the original programmers, and I dont think they're around any more.

[Optimizer]

Maybe one should think of Alcohol as an abstraction of all kinds of processed vegetable food, such as bread, juices and canned fruit.

[nedfumpkin]

Anyone who has been on a base knows there is always a mess that is serving booze. Usually a mess for officers, another for NCOs, and another for other ranks (OR). :)

[OilCan]

But alcohol? What kind of officer would disregard their soldiers' need of clothing, meat and fruit, to give them booze instead?

Good question! Wonder why I never put 2+2 together on that before.

[edbangor]

Perhaps the way to look at is to assume that the food and clothing is supply by the army, from their own supplies, but that the booze is bought onto camp by others for when the soliders are off duty.

On the other hand, we may just be taking this all a touch too seriously.

[Grandma Ruth]

The British army conquered the world but couldn't have done it without the NAAFI, the officers' mess and the camp followers - well, maybe the less said about them the better! I've always had a quiet chuckle about the alcohol requirement, myself.
What I can't understand is why soldiers are so reluctant to go where you want them to: gross insubordination, don't you think?
Actually I think there is a tale to be told about the military in RT3. When Milo and others were messing around in the code to create the 1.06 patch, they found a tank that had been designed but never used. I imagine one of the original developers was inclined towards the more miliary type of computer game and maybe lost the argument about which way it should go. It would be fascinating to know what went on, but as Kevin said, I don't think the people who designed the game are around to ask.

[edbangor]

I don't think the people who designed the game are around to ask.

Why's that? Did they all get shipped out to Area 51 or something....

[davey917]

But alcohol? ...?

BUT: They ONLY use it medicinally!

[Pat in the desert]

Nothing says that the alcohol is for on duty. Plenty of off-duty time, at least in peacetime.