Right on Larry...and while we're at it, make it legal for any soldier to be able to drink when back in the States...If you can fight for our country at 18, you can have a beer.

I think the government needs to leave the soilders alone if they want to smoke. Smoking does relieve stress. They are dodgeing bullets to keep us safe, so if a smoke helps them,I am all for it. They have enough on thier minds.
God Bless them all!!!!
Rita

I agree with you Larry, and for the record I do not smoke! The men and women defending our freedom do not need stateside government workers telling them not to smoke. Smoking is probably, at this point, less of a danger than their presence in the middle east. Thank you for speaking up on this ridiculous proposal!

My son is a Marine and he smokes. He's been to Iraq twice and in every care package that I sent to him, I sent him a carton of cigarettes. I don't smoke and I would never buy a pack for anyone else, but these young men and women are risking their lives for our country. Who are we to take away their choice to smoke? They deserve that and more. I would send cigarettes to anyone serving in the war zone! To take this away from them would be a crime!

Thank goodness you have the good sense to say the troops should be able to smoke. If they are old enough to fight, they are certainly old enough to smoke. I am not a smoker, but if I was in the military fighting for freedom, I might take up the habit.

I am not a tobacco user normally, but as a Vet of both Iraq and Afghanistan, I did smoke a few cigars. At first I did not have the need or want but after close calls and a lot of tense moments, smoking became a way to release a lot stress since there is no alcohol allowed. I think that there are a lot more things that will kill a soldier in combat a lot quicker than tobacco, so let the soldiers enjoy the tobacco while they can. If the government wants to ban the use then exclude combat zones.

Larry, I am not a smoker either. I never did smoke. But, I think that if soldiers want to smoke they should be able to without someone trying to run their lives. I think lawmakers and people in authority should get the heck out of people's lives and quit trying to control everything people do. This is supposed to be a free country, but our freedoms have been encroached on by lawmakers from the local level on up. There is always some busybody who wants to interfere with other people's lives. I could say a lot more, but I will close here. Thanks for listening to me.

Hi Larry,

I, whole-heartedly, agree with your post. I also agree with Mike's comments, except that all service men CAN have a beer when back in the States. They just have to be on base to have a cold one, even at the age of 18.

I was in the Marines, as well. And, I use to smoke. I started smoking during Boot Camp (it was a way to get a break from training). I too believe that if you got'em, smoke'em.

When I was 46, I had a heart-attack and then, I had open-heart surgery (double bypass) a month later. Per all of my doctors' words; 100% of my heart problems are do to cigarette smoking.

I was a hard-headed Marine; nothing could do me harm. But, if I had been educated about the problems that smoking would bring. I could have made a consious choice about whether I should smoke, or not.

Thanks,
Ed McCracken

I agree 100%! My Grandson is now serving in Iraq, with the Army, and I have seen pictures of him smoking there. I know it isn't good for his health - but neither is serving in a war zone. I don't think we should add any more undue stress to our boys who are serving in the Military. As it is, our Military are not only been shot at and driving over IED's, but they are also sacrificing their marriages and families after being deployed overseas... over and over again. My Grandson has a 7 month old baby who he has only seen for two weeks when she was born 3 1/2 months premature.
Our Country should be doing whatever they can to stop deploying our Military over and over into war zones which is much more hazardous to our Military than what smoking could ever be.
PS: My son (my Grandson's Father) has been in the Air Force for 25 years and has served in almost every war zone since that time ... he has never smoked but I know he would agree with me.
Let's honor our Military..and not treat them like children who are not able to make their own decisions... but then expect them to act like men (and women) by defending our Freedon... enough is enough!
Thank you.

I agree with Larry .Our soldiers have enough to contend with without the government saying that they cant smoke but they can go there and get killed while defending our country and our freedom.

Larry, this is a great topic. As a veteran of Afghanistan 2002, an Iraq 2003, and from the dirges of the grunts (101st Airborne) I can tell you that you will have better luck asking a soldier to leave his boots at home instead of his Copenhagen!!! Many soldiers will refrain from smoking to increase clarity of vision, especially at night. But tobacco is an integral part of the ambience, and aura that is the tough freedom defender. My belief is, because it is 100% accepted, normal, and encouraged, it does increase our usage, thus the long term medical concerns that the VA has to deal with. Go down to John Cochran and see how many Nam and Gulf 1 guys have oxygen on. The key portion is “in the next 20 years”. Mr Connors you may not still be around, but I don’t think you’ll be able to smoke anywhere, anyways!! The discussion should be had.

I read about this yesterday afternoon, and my first reaction was ~~ you have GOT to be kidding me!! I concur with your opinion ~ 110%.

We need to allow people to have personal choice nad deal with the consquence whatever that maybe. The government needs to stop policing us and worry about other things. This country was founded on freedom so it should be!

We need to support all miltary personnel deployed, retired, ill, injured, and their families. Our governmnet leaders need to get their heads out of the sand and wake up. We should also have more stories honoring our military instead of telling me a gang banger got killed over a drug deal gone bad.

I am a non-smoker and I support banning smoking in bars and other public arenas. But I dont think the military should impose a smoking ban. The deployed troops see more monstrosities in one day than I ever could in a life time. If smoking helps them cope with that then me as a free civilian can not and will not ask them to give up their tobacco.

When I first started reading your post, I thought now that's about the silliest thing I've heard in a long time, SURELY they wouldn't think about telling a soldier that is facing their own mortality in battle that they are not allowed to smoke. Apparently, they could do just that. As a former smoker (I'm one year and seven months quit), I truly believe it's one of the best things a person can do (quitting smoking that is). I do NOT think that we need more government rules telling us what we can or cannot do though. ESPECIALLY when it comes to those brave men and women that raised their hand and offered to serve.

LARRY I AGREE WITH YOU. THEY HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT OVER THERE. AND THE STRESS OVER THERE IS UNREAL ,AND THEY WANT TO TELL THEM THEY CAN NOT SMOKE. HOW STUPID. AND YOU ARE RIGHT WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR MISGUIDED GOVERMENT THAT IS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW. I SAY LET THEM SMOKE.

The military's policy should be the same as most private industry. If you are going to use tobacco then it will come out of your paycheck in the form of higher health insurance premiums. Since military personnel have their health care costs paid by the government, then those who use tobacco should have a reduction in pay or an increase in taxes. That way tobacco users still have the freedom to kill themselves by using tobacco and the rest of us will not have to pay for their freedom to do so.

Smoking and tobacco usage is already banned in some areas of the Military. We just returned from Family Weekend at Fort Benning GA. The Basic trainies are not allowed to use tobacco products of any type while they are in basic training. Sure not the "Smoke em if you got em" when I was in the Air Force many years ago. Not sure if I agree or disagree with this but my son and his platoon mates were ok with it.

(In my opinion)This is past ridiculous. How far is the government going to go? Like you said, "ducking bullets" compared to...smoke? Maybe the government thought they had already made it illegal to use real bullets, so there's no harm in getting shot at.
Whether or not the righteous non-smokers believe it or not, it does help you calm down. Give our men a break over there, they shouldn't be nit picked because our representatives over here are bored with their latest mistress.

Telling our combat troops they can't smoke but it's okay to dodge bullets to protect our 'other' freedoms is just not acceptable. It's time for our govt to stop trying to "dictate" what we can/cannot do (and that's whether you're in your own home or fighting a war in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or wherever). If that's the only way they can relax, and let's face it, if they're dodging bullets, roadside bombs, etc., they really cannot relax, but it's that's the only way, leave them alone. To die from a bullet,roadside bomb, or stress is still to die. If they can relieve some of the stress by puffing on a smoke I say let them do it. Smoking may be bad for you, but, isn't a shot of lead much worse??? It shows the height of stupidity some of our lawmakers will go.

this is outrageous! I am competely and utterly amazed that ANYONE would join the military these days. trumped up war, extended tours, lousy pay, the unimaginable fight for healthcare and benefits after service, the mounting suicides and now THEY DON'T WANT THEM TO SMOKE!?!?!?

I continue to be ashamed regarding this country's conduct towards it's own troops!

I suggest ALL members who conducted this study go spend a tour in Iraq and ask the troops for their cigs while they're at it.

I have listened with interest your report on not smoking in public places. I totally agree but I wonder why we do not take it a step further. I think we should stop drinking in public places. Why? A drunk gets in a car and wipes out a family and usually walks away from it. A drunk looses his temper picks up a gun and shoots someone. I have never heard of a smoker doing either of these things. Yes second hand smoke is bad but so is drinking and driving so lets close down the bars and band all drinking in public places. I will accept the smoking reasoning if the bar owners will accept the drinking reasoning. I have heard of many more drunk accidents then second hand smoking deaths.