My tour in MPA was in late '93 and yes there was an extreme drinking culture in force. This is looking back with today's head on, so extreme would be a good word to use. At the time though it was the norm so was not seen as being extreme. Although it has to be said I stuck to the Messes and didn't venture down to the Death Star, I believe that risk was dependant on the resident battallion of the time. I also did a full tour of RAF(U) Goose Bay in the late '80s and that drinking culture put MPA in the shade. I did visit one of the Radar sites for the evening, may have been Byron, and it was much the same there as MPA. With today's head on I'm not saying that it was right, either MPA or Goose, but it was the norm. For all the holyer than thou's, think back to the latter part of the last century and recall Fri beer calls and then driving home. Ridiculous behaviour but I think most of us from that era were guilty of it at one time or another. Times like attitudes change, imagine lighting up in the middle of a restaurant these days, or even on the flight deck ... it USED to happen, maybe the world has improved, maybe it hasn't. My only thought on this particular incident is "Why bring it up now and not at the time?"
Last edited by Top Bunk Tester; 2nd Aug 2017 at 17:07.