Formal doesn’t necessarily formal as in black tie. Military dress uniforms can be equivalent to black tie, if they are worn in the evening, or they can be more like a suit and tie. I’ve seen men in bars in a suit and tie. Would you consider that to be inappropriate?
There are also the service, or everyday, uniforms I mentioned. In the Navy, these are basically slacks and shirts (for men, sometimes skirts for women). The civilian equivalent would be business casual. Any of these uniforms are authorized to be worn in public at any time, unless the wearing of the uniform has been forbidden for some reason. The default is that they can be worn anywhere. Including bars.
…which makes me suspect that various commanders have written policy letters (which are binding as orders unless unlawful) forbidding drinking in uniform.
When I was an officer, we were told that drinking in uniform was not presenting a professional image. I don’t believe that there’s a law or UCMJ section about it, but every officer I know had heard the same thing, more or less. Given the above, it seems like the commander’s policy would be the closest thing to a written rule on the issue. When I’d get together with some other junior officers and discuss the “rules” over a pint, we generally settled on the following guidelines as appropriate:
Don’t drink in uniform in public,
…unless it’s a ceremony of some sort where alcohol is being served (graduation, wedding, retirement lunch for a coworker, etc.),
…or you’re sticking to one social beer after work (Fridays only),
…and don’t get sloppy drunk, you ass.
This means that if you’re traveling on orders and in uniform, you don’t drink on the flight. You don’t stop in the airport bar and have a drink on your layover, either. No drinking with lunch on a workday, even if you’re having fajitas and a margarita would be perfect. Stopping by the bar on the way home to hang out with the gang is okay, but keep it to one (or two) social beers, and never get to a point where you’re not okay to drive. If you know that you’re going out from work and there’s going to be serious drinking, bring a change of clothes.
All of these rules were sort of understood by the officers I worked with, but the enlisted troops generally stuck to them as well. I’m not sure if the “higher standard” to which officers are supposed to hold ourselves applies to this bizarre niche of etiquette. As mentioned above, the US military uniforms are appropriate in any social setting – but when wearing the uniform, a stricter set of behavioral mores apply. We have to comply with Federal and local laws, the UCMJ, and any unit- or service-level policies that exist.
If the OP’s example was just out alone trolling for chicks and getting a buzz on, then he was wrong as far as I’m concerned, whether or not he was commissioned.
In the British Army, wearing combat 95s (our BDU) in pubs/clubs/other drinking establishments is expressly forbidden, except at recognised events (sport, or after rememberence day etc…).
I’d be an idiot to wear C95 in a bar, and I’d look an idiot.
I assumed the rules were the same in the US military, it just makes sense.
First, since I, sailor, was on temporary duty to an Air Force school in Denver I didn’t bring all my clothes, just uniforms and one change of casual civies.
Second, I do not go to the theater in casual wear. To be or not to be dressed formally when going to see Hamlet - there is no question.
Third, wearing crakerjacks to see Hamlet is not a faux pas.
Fourth, so I wanted a drink after the play. I shouldn’t have to change first.
Fifth, that’s about how much I drank in free drinks.
That may have been your experience, but I was never told anything like that when I was in the Army. The first time I got an off-base pass in boot camp, I put on my class A’s and headed downtown to drink a few beers, along with hundreds of other soldiers. We were not allowed to wear civilian clothes until after graduation. I was also required to wear my uniform during official travel. The only lectures that we received were about drunk driving, what establishments were off limits, venereal disease and not acting like an idiot in public. Not once did anyone say that we were not allowed to drink while in uniform in public.