Super Bowl Beer for Troops in Iraq

BAGHDAD – American troops in Iraq will be allowed to drink beer without fear of court-martial for this year's Super Bowl — an exception to a strict military ban on drinking alcohol in combat zones.

In what is sure to be a major morale boost, the top U.S. commander in Iraq Gen. Raymond Odierno issued a waiver Wednesday paving the way for troops to participate in the popular American football tradition.

Super Bowl XLIII will kick off on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida, but it will be 2 a.m. in Baghdad when the live broadcast starts in Iraq. Troops will gather in dining halls on military bases nationwide to watch the game.

A copy of the waiver said the consumption of alcoholic beverages will be limited to Feb. 1-2 and service members can only have two, 12-ounce beers each.

Odierno also appeared to acknowledge the sensitivity of drinking alcohol in an Islamic country, particularly considering the game falls during a holy period for Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims.

The waiver orders commanders to "keep in mind all host nation laws and customs regarding alcohol consumption" and "to exercise discretion and good judgment in enforcing these guidelines and restrictions."

U.S. troops have been banned from drinking, possessing or selling alcoholic beverages under a general order that also bans them from possessing pornography and other activities. They can face a reduction in pay or rank or even a court-martial if they violate the rule.

The Washington Post reported that several service members said the only other time the ban was lifted was in 2005, for troops operating under the Baghdad command.

Drinking alcohol isn't illegal in Iraq but is banned under Islam, and extremists have frequently targeted liquor stores.

The exemption comes as the U.S. military faces stricter Iraqi oversight under a new security agreement that took effect on Jan. 1.

Violence has declined dramatically over the past year, and the Americans are involved in less combat, focusing more on their training and advisory roles.

Just amazing. Over there protecting their sorry hides, and they don't want Americans to drink beer. Perhaps if these people in Iraq could drink, they would be less busy killing each other.

 

Freakin A, thats great. Those folks deserve to watch the superbowl and kick back a cpl beers. Glad to hear it !!!!!

 

If I had my way they would be drinking suds whenever they wanted as long as it was not on the job, and did not impair their ability.

 

Man! Now they decide that! lol

 

They waited for you to come back and have all the brewskies you want here in the good old USofA before that.

 

lol

Last year I was just getting up and eating breakfast at the chow hall as the Superbowl was ending.

 

Yup, nothing like a bunch of drunken a-holes defending our freedom. Why not roll a couple of fatties too? Some jagov is gonna get wasted, get depressed, and blow his brains out. Maybe even taking a few ''buddies'' with him. Yea. Great idea! Its not a party over there. Thats why we wont win. "I want my cell phone, my laptop, my MTV''. Imagine what that seems to the average Iraqi. Watching guys drinking and whooping it up. Drinking Buds and eating Doritos. While they scrounge around for survival.

 

Unhappily i fear your right Craig , speaking from experience in the military i know when we were given the ok to drink 2 beers what happened was a fair number of the guys didnt want any,all the more for the ones who did.
Result was you had drunks on board a USN warship at sea.
Im not saying any harm came of it but whats the point of offering 2 beers to a guy in battle?
Its a safe bet the same thing happens and you'll have drunks with automatic weapons and access to far deadlier weapons.

 

I can be reasonably assured this will be well supervised and controlled. Lets not piss in the cherrios . The desenters can thank the soldiers for the freedom to b i t ch and moan at out troops having a bit of America overseas.

I am sooooooo glad I do not live in a negative piss poor world with nothing but crap to spout off about.

 

I worked in the PAC office during the first Gulf War and I seem to recall we contracted cruise ships, just off the coast, for R&R for our soldiers. Alcohol wasn't banned on these ships was it?
I agree keeping the alcohol away from the weapons would be a good idea.

 

Thats your idea of AMERICA!!!?????? Well supervised and controlled. Wow, that does sound like fun. Maybe if they are good they can play on the swings and jungle gym. Man I was a sailor; I enjoyed getting looped like everyone else. Sailor's credo...Drink everywhere and piss anywhere...But That crap only makes those guys miss home more. You happen to think is America is about drinking and watching tv. I think its about more than that. Is that soooooooooooooooooooo ok with you?

 

Hold the bus a minute , are you saying Arizona Jack that we have the current troops to thank for freedom ?
Has it escaped your notice that the majority of troops would rather not be there , a heck of a lot of people here in the US would rather they came home too.
How did Iraq ever threaten our freedom exactly ?

 

Yeah. Those guys are just going to get hopped up on their 2 beers while watching the Superbowl at 2 in the morning and off the entire base. Bad idea. These blood thirsty killers are just itching to off each other since none of them have had a chance to get out of the military since 2003.

 

Why is it so important to you that these guys drink? Are you Budman? Hopped up? Gee wilikers

 

You are right. It is silly for me to care about them. I should realize that it is not important to me at all now that I will not ever have to be in their situation again. In fact, it makes it a lot easier for me to say Let Them Eat Cake. As long as they eat it with no beer, that is.

 

Stu Joe , is that true ? No military personnel can complete enlistment and exit with honorable discharge in hand ?

 

Sorry, I neglected the sarcasm alert there.

Most anyone who is in the military now should have enlisted or re-enlisted since the Iraq War started and absolutely since the GWOT began. So, for the vast majority of US military members, if they didn't want to be there now, they wouldn't have to be. I have no idea how the other country's services work.

 

Thanks Stu Joe , even though i served with the USN im not from the USA nor have i lived here until Oct last year.
I wondered if what you had said meant that nobody could complete the contract due to it being in the middle of a conflict.

When i say a lot of military dont want to be there im sure you know what i mean.Its a job , yes , its a paycheque , yes , it doesnt mean they would chose Iraq as a posting.Watching documenterys im gladdened to hear they dont want to be there , the coalition has no business being there at all.

 

Gee, David. Nothing like misquoting. I didnt write why do you care about them. I wrote why do you care whether they drink or not. But you knew that, you silly.

 

You are right. It is silly for me to care about them having something like two whole beers for the Superbowl. I should realize that it is not important to me at all now that I will not ever have to be in their situation again. In fact, it makes it a lot easier for me to say Let Them Eat Cake. As long as they eat it with no beer, that is. Ever see The Shawshank Redemption?

"Me, I think he did it just to feel normal again, if only for a short while."

Better?