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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/alcohol before bootcamp
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Question
I heard from someone that you cant drink 48 hours before leaving to basic training. Why is this? Isnt alcohol out of your system in less than 1 day? Can you get into any real trouble if you drink 2 nights before you leave as a going away party, but then dont drink the day before you leave?
Hi,
Assuming you are old enough to drink (age 21 in most states), there is no such rule or regulation, to my knowledge that says you can't drink for 48 hours before leaving for basic training.
However, understand that on the morning you ship out, you will undergo a blood-alcohol test (not a breathalyzer test, but actual taking of the blood, which is much more sensitive than a breathalyzer). If you show any intoxication level at all (measured by 0.05 or above), you won't be shipping out on that day. Depending on how much you drink, what you eat, and your body-size, it could take up to 48 hours for the alcohol to get out of your system.
Serious about joining the military? Then now is the time to understand that military service is *all about* not getting to do what you want to do. My advice? Play it safe, and have your "going away party" three or more days before you ship out, especially if you plan to drink to excess.
Hope this helps!
Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com
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Answers by Expert:
Rod Powers
Expertise
Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.
Experience
Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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