Quote:
Originally Posted by TDude90
I had wondered, how common is drinking among the SF community? I personally am not a big drinker, but could easily be talked into having a couple beers with the team... just not all the time.
No moral problems with it, but I do notice the performance drop when I drink, and I don't feel that its worth it.
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In my experience in the SF community, there is a time and place for everything, including drinking. Just remember, that if you want to hoot with the owls, you still have to soar with the eagles in the morning.
Alcohol is a relevant tool in the SF soldier's interaction with other cultures. Cross cultural awareness would tell you that when you are working with the Polish SOF, you should be prepared to drink some (excellent) vodka. ETOH is an important part of many different cultures, and similarly to us, it serves well as a "social lubricant." This can be solid-gold when you're building rapport with the host nation forces, locals, etc... However, remember that while drinking may have an important purpose in their social interactions, getting drunk and stupid rarely is. A drunk SF soldier is one tiny step away from a total loss of rapport, precipitating an international incident, or fostering a foreign resentment that could one day affect foreign policy. No joke- other countries know us, and expect excellence from us.
I don't drink at all- it's a choice I've made because my mind is my greatest weapon, and even one drink can affect my judgement (regardless of whether or not I think so). This choice has not affected the rapport I share with my teammates, because their opinion of me is based upon my performance and my values, not upon whether or not I drink. Many were the times that, as the Detachment Medic, something went down and I was glad that I hadn't been drinking.
Spend some time on the teams- you'll learn very quickly that being a moderate to seldom drinker will not affect your relationship with your teammates; but let it affect your performance or have an alcohol related incident once, and it may affect your status permanently. SF soldiers must be reliable, and your reputation within our tiny community is, at the end of the day, the only thing you've got.