TOP STORY > >Overturning underage drinking at Little Rock

By Airman 1st Class Regina Agoha
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Influences in today’s world have children and youth maturing at an earlier age.

Grade school students own cell phones. Sixteen year olds can drive cars, and some 17 year-old young men and women can choose to serve their country and sacrifice their lives for the freedom of others. All of these choices can be made before an adolescent turns 21. However, choosing to drink before that age is against the law. Breaking that law in the military is not – and will never will be – tolerated. In the state of Arkansas, the legal drinking age is 21 years old. Here at Little Rock Air Force Base, that law is strongly enforced as the 19th Security Forces Squadron, supervisors and Airmen work together to decrease the number of underage Airmen drinking their careers away.

From January of this year, to September of this year, 16 Airmen have been caught drinking under the legal age and five Airmen busted for contributing to the delinquency of minors, according to Joe Ott, 19th SFS industrial security.

“In the military, whatever the state you’re in, and what its law is on the drinking age, that’s the drinking age on the base,” said Cefus Benner, 19th SFS police services. “One of the big influences of underage Airmen drinking is who they hang around. I think a lot of it comes from people wanting to feel older, but what they don’t realize is the consequences that come with it.”

Consequences range from but are not limited to: loss of rank, loss of pay, an additional forfeiture of pay, restriction to the base and in maybe an extreme case, separation from the military.

Consequences are not determined by on or off-base law enforcement; they apprehend the Airman for violation of drinking underage. The commander of that Airman has the authority to rate the severity of the situation and make judgment on any chastisement.

Some Airmen believe that just because they are old enough to drink and others around them aren’t, they won’t get into trouble. If it can be proven that the alcohol was bought for the minor, that Airman who is old enough can be charged with an article 92, contributing to a minor, said Benner.

No one underage hardly ever gets caught actually drinking out in the open. The Airman may be walking their “buzz” off and is staggering a bit, a SFS member can stop that Airman and ask for their ID, and they will be caught that way. Most underage Airmen are caught drinking when they think they are being sneaky, either quietly in the dorm or having a party in the dorm. Random room checks from SFS are common in the dorms on base.

Benner’s suggestion to supervisors is gather all Airmen and check IDs as soon as they arrive on base. Supervisors should know who in their department are underage to drink, and send out a message to them, making them aware that it’s known who’s underage. It also sends a message to those who are of age not to buy drinks for those Airmen.

“For underage Airmen,” Benner said, “it’s all about personal responsibility. Put your personal opinions aside. The law of the land in Arkansas is 21. Don’t do it.”