Historically, the military have been guilty of overdoing the vino collapso on a regular basis. Someone mentioned the days of RAFG, and my memories of Gutersloh are extremely hazy at times.
What amuses me, and throws water on the 'were all alcoholics camp' fire, is the fact that over the last 10 years, the civvy's are drinking more, and the military are drinking less.
Consider the amount of time we are spending in 'Dry areas' and the pressures of modern military life. I would say that in my part of the world, there are more duties, secondary duties, and night flying, with far less people to shoulder the burden.
Messes are a shadow of their former selves, as more and more people saddle themselves with mortgages and live off base. And although I can't back this up, the kids joining today seem much older and wiser than when I joined.
so, is alcohol a problem in today's military? Yes, but probably nowhere near as much as it was during the tax free RAFG years.