The Nation - News from June 2, 1985

Military bases in states where the minimum drinking age is 21 went dry for soldiers and sailors younger than the legal definition of adulthood. Those affected by the regulation are the nearly 400,000 men and women in uniform between the ages of 18 and 21. The law will apply even in states such as Florida, which permit servicemen under 21 to drink on bases, although the civilian population must be at least 21. However, in states where the legal drinking age is lower than 21, “it would be silly to prohibit drinking on base when you can drive off base to get drunk,” a Pentagon spokesman said.