Beer for Soldiers site shut down

[Diva]

A popular Web site where people could send donations to buy beers for U.S. troops in Iraq has been shut down by the military, Stars and Stripes said Monday.

Army Sgt. Dale Rogers, in Iraq with Company C, 1st Battalion (air assault), 503rd Infantry Regiment, said he started the site to help boost morale among his fellow troops in Iraq.

But, lawyers from his unit notified him late last week that his morale booster violated the Joint Ethics Regulation because, as a soldier, he is a federal employee banned from soliciting gifts.

When does moral boosting go over the line? Do you think that Beer for Soldiers (http://www.beerforsoldiers.com/) should be continued to take donations or are the lawyers in the right?

[Lan]

Army Sgt. Dale Rogers, in Iraq with Company C, 1st Battalion (air assault), 503rd Infantry Regiment, said he started the site to help boost morale among his fellow troops in Iraq.


Its a lack of discipline, there soldiers in a war. All they need now is beer? Look what happened at the end of world war two with Allied soldiers, far away from home+ spare time + weapons + beer= bad things. Jheesh, I thought the army was already in question for professionalism from that prison thing...

[LizardKing]

I think most of ya'll know where I stand with this. I think it's asinine. The website was in the spirit of fun and was an excellent idea. I will be very suprised if it doesn't re-appear, this time bieng run by a civilian. And Lan, it has nothing to do with discipline or lack of the same, they are soldiers serving thier country in a hostile foriegn land, and running a website like that one is a welcome diversion as well as something to look forward to when they get back. I've spent substantial amounts of money buying soldiers a beer, a drink and even the occasional meal when I run into them in local restaurants and bars. Not to mention the airports where I seem to spend so much of my time! The same courtesy was extended to me anytime I traveled anywhere in uniform, it never failed, walk into a bar in America (and many places in Europe) in uniform and there is almost always some guy who served who would like to buy you a drink. It's a time honered tradition and it's a good one. I think shutting beerforsoldiers.com down is silly but I also understand the Army's concern for any appearance of impropriety. I do think it will be re-opened though.

[Lilith]

I too think it's asinine. It is not as if they were getting beer while on duty. And if they have a beer when off-duty, what is the harm? And please don't preach to me about military discipline, alcohol and weapons--unlike most of you, I have lived in war conditions, and even there no one looked askance at a soldier off duty getting a drink.

This seems like a real anal response from some military lawyer who probably does get a drink with his buddies on a regular basis himself. Talk about hypocrisy. I mean, they basically shut the site down on a fucking technicality about government employee and soliciting gifts, nothing to do with drinks for soldiers or alcohol.

I hope the site is reopened. When my brother was in Iraq, I would have been glad if there was someone there to buy him a beer at the time.

And Lan--history is fine and dandy, but you have to remember that history is whatever whoever writes it wants it to be, and whatever moral messages they want put in it.

[Boozer]

In cases like this, lawyers are never right. This is a bunch of crap. The site should be reopened. I've never served, but I do know that they must be facing a lot of stress over there. A few cold beers never hurts to lighten the load on your shoulders.

[Fire]

To add to LK and Liliths posts, most bases overseas actually serve beer and sometimes liqour to the troops there. Not in Iraq I'm sure, but obviously they see the need to have a place the troops can go to and relax, even if it is helped along by a little alcohol (and those bases have a limit on how much you can purchase anyway - in Qatar you could only get 3 beers per night)...and it's not like we're buying those soilders beer and sending it too them while they're over fighting, it's for them when they get back, to celebrate, to relax..am I right?

BUT...
It is true that we are not allowed to take gifts...over a certain amount of money, even though that amount is over the price of one beer but what they are doing (almost positive of it) is counting up all donations made and making it a lump sum, as in one big gift....depending on how much was given, that IS against the rules. I'm not saying I'm on the lawyers side at all, I'm not...just giving a little info on it..
I'm sure the site will get opened back up, by a civi like LK said and I hope it does.

[Evilpoptart]

Frankly I think they should be getting cases of beer not A beer :p. God knows that one just ain't gonna cut it. I for one will donate when and if the site gets back up

[JakeD]

I don't think it's fair, but rules are rules. Sure, they're calling them on a technicality, whatever, but beer's not THAT big of a deal. If the site was "Hookers For Soldiers", I'd be a bit more concerned. In the case that this is some half-assed attempt at a form of prohibition, I think it's pretty weak and ill-attempted.

Personally, I'd hope that the lawyer(s) in question had better things to do with their time than scrutinize over some dude's website, but I guess that's what it's like when people in your profession become a dime a dozen...
* JakeD ain't too fond of lawyers.

[MtlguitarJames]

Lawyers would sue santa clause if they could. I mean hey, if a lawyer can win someone a case at McDonalds for hot coffee or for being fat, lawyers can do anything. I know how the rules in the Military go. They are going by the book. Sometimes they pick and choose what they want to enforce though. Kinda sad actually.

[kittyroze]

I think it should be possible to give soldiers small gifts. However, I disagree with buying them beer. I don't approve of drinking on the job. I realize how stressful it must be over in Iraq, which is why I'd rather they didn't even risk being slightly less than at their best in case of an emergency.

I'm totally for sending cigarettes, chocolate, and other goodies, just not alcohol.

[LizardKing]

LMAO!!! KITTY! It's not for the soldiers while they are IN Iraq! It was originally set up while they were stateside, all the proceeds that they recieved during overseas time went into a fund so that they could have a big beer bash when they got back. Open to the public BTW.

Speaking for myself, I have been on the giving and recieving end of this tradition. I will buy a beer, a meal or sometimes pick up the tab for a soldier every chance I get, I've also been treated (usually by a fellow vet) on many occasions, and I can tell you, it touches me in a way that I am at a loss to describe every time it happens. The idea that a complete stranger would give me a drink, or sometimes even pay for my meal makes me feel like I am just a tiny part of something so much bigger. This is the reason that I like to continue this tradition and I hope all of you do to, when you see that servicemember, especially the one all by themselves in the airport, thank him or her. And if you can do it buy them a cold one, they've earned it.

[kittyroze]

I still think that alcohol isn't appropriate. I still view it as a drug. A legalized drug, but a drug none the less.

Buy em a meal, give em a hug, tell them how much you appreciate what they do. I just disagree with giving them alcohol.

[Thaum1el]

I know that there are sites that gives the chance to give away apizza (http://www.pizzaidf.org/) or a hamburger (http://burgeridf.org/) to someone who serves in the IDF. Under these circumstances, this wouldn't be possible either, because the issue here, despite seeming to be the point most debated in the thread, is not that it is alcohol, which off-duty is, from what I've learned, acceptable for those who serve, but that it's a question of a gift. And that's a matter of principle. A principle that, in this case, seems rather stupid and over-reacted, but in many instances, one might be happy that it's there.