After reading chapter 15 I thought it was a nice break for the men to be able to drink and it was well needed. It seemed to build a bit of morale. While reading I didn’t think anything was very wrong just by the language, I thought it was normal behavior for the men to get to drink. The drinking could have very well gotten out of hand, but that was not the case here. The military now has soldiers that are not of legal drinking ages; in this case they could have enjoyed a soda but not partake in the alcohol. Also there are so many more risks allowing soldiers drink than the benefits. The men have not drank in a very long time and have dehydrated bodies that can’t handle the amount of alcohol they are used to. However, these people are adults and have been through a very hard time, and they are going back to the field very soon where their lives are in danger. They all deserved to relax and enjoy a few drinks. This was a rare treat and I see it as more okay because it isn’t a reoccurring thing. Given the circumstances of the book’s situation and the affects, I think the drinking was fine.

As a leader you want to trust that even for one night (in a foreign country) things can be in control if you let a group of adults drink, but that is something I would not risk myself. It is unfortunate that drinking leads to problems, but the US military is not taking those risks and cares more about the well being of the men and the mission.