Posted on 08/04/2016 4:15:52 PM PDT by Nachum
For all intents and purposes they might. But military clubs serve a purpose in that they let the member let off steam and provide them with an outlet to mingle with their peers and others for everything from recreation with free food and happy hours to shows and local stage entertainment that is not covered by APFs or Non-APFs.
The switch to making the clubs self-supporting started in the early 90’s with the re-designation of the club managers position. There are almost no club military personnel left in the field. So co-mingling was a way to cut expenses and centralize product orders to cut costs. Lots of more reasons, but basically had nothing to do with rank affiliation. Just dollars and cents.
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“...an outlet to mingle with their peers”
Not if they’re all inclusive. It’s not a club in that case
Few below the rank of about E-6 or E-7 will be able to afford to join or dine there anyway.
When my ship was homeported at NOB Norfolk in the early 60s there was the EM Club, the "Acey-deucey" Club (1st and 2nd class petty officers), the CPO Club and the Officer's Club.
I saw this myself as far back as 1992. I was a civilian contractor with orders giving me company officer rank (I had to be able to give orders to the security police}. RAF Lakenheath, UK, a large AB with lots of pilots.
The only time there were more than a few people at the O club was Sunday Brunch. My boss, who knew everybody, including the club management, only went to the NCO club. Much nicer, better food and services.
ACtually you’re correct, they had a club and the officers had their own room. Aside from functions, there were very few people at the bar at any given day.
The military club system does typically do a good job with brunch. I don’t know if the current snowflake generation gets up to go to either church or brunch, even on military bases.
Times are different nowadays. The entertainment in large measure comes from the female lieutenants; at Fort Eustis every one of the gals in my battalion was sleeping with her NCOIC. Every one. At Fort Story, we had a West Point grad who was renown for her Lewinski type talents...now that’s defense spending for you.
All of the “all ranks clubs” I have seen or worked in had separate drinking areas for the ranks, officer/enlisted, and a social bar for everyone. The only clubs that were not separating their corps were on some remote assignments that didn’t have the facilities or didn’t qualify for greater funds due to size. Galena, AK, where I spent a year, was a single club operation with single bar, utilized by the whole. But, there were very few officers on that site and the CAC units were not allowed to leave the CAC building except for certain times like the free steak dinners the club put out once a month for it’s members or intramural sports. They even had their own movie capacity getting the films for a few days before they were shipped back to Elmendorf. But with only about 250 assigned there, it was stoned knives and bear skins. We held our annual visit by Tops In Blue in the gym on a stage we built during the day they arrived. Our theater was too small. But they spent two days with us and about everything wild happened. Most I can’t start to tell you for fear of getting censured.
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I suspect the drinking really happened in dorm rooms where the member could get a little looped without getting in any real trouble. That’s what friends are for.
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Manners and etiquette . Please forgive the delayed response.
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