Alcohol on the Battlefield

The recent tragedy of the Panjwai massacre and the alleged shooters use of alcohol on the night before has people looking at the "no-alcohol" policy in Afghanistan. Some say that keeping Soldiers at a zero-level use of alcohol promotes binge drinking at a later time - usually just after redeployment. Many enjoy alcohol as a stress reliever and believe that rationed alcohol (as many ISAF partner nations adhere to) would relieve the stress that many Soldiers endure during a deployment. Read the comments of one military member in "When Booze Comes Off the Battlefield", At War Blog on The New York Times, March 23, 2012.