# What does the Army do to keep its soldiers sexually satisfyed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274 "2004-06-20T05:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/21 "2004-06-20T16:44:11Z")
To reiterate everything thats been said, there is plenty of time. Also keep in mind that just because Master B might not be something you talk about with your friends, when your in the field everyone knows that everyone is doing it and nobody really cares. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/22 "2004-06-20T17:36:40Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > I didn’t read Brokaw’s book _The Greatest Generation_ but I’ll bet there’s one small detail he didn’t mention. > > Many, if not most, Army personnel in WWII were married. The Army bought hundreds of millions of anti-venereal prophylactic kits. Many, many, many, many, many of them were used. Wasn’t there even a saying or something-“You’re over-sexed and over there”, or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/23 "2004-06-20T18:07:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Wasn’t there even a saying or something-“You’re over-sexed and over there”, or something like that? The British joke about US soldiers there was, approximately - Over paid, over sexed and over here. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/24 "2004-06-20T18:29:30Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > **Berkut** , this is the single greatest comment I have ever read at the SDMB. 😃 > > I’m putting you on **harmless’** [list](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=262025). A title to be proud of. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/25 "2004-06-20T18:37:40Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Wasn’t there even a saying or something-“You’re over-sexed and over there”, or something like that? To expand a little on my previous answer. The whole thing was: “There are only three things wrong with the Americans. They are over paid, over sexed and over here.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/26 "2004-06-20T19:14:30Z")
> [@](#): > > To expand a little on my previous answer. The whole thing was: “There are only three things wrong with the Americans. They are over paid, over sexed and over here.” And the Americans answer was the British were underpaid, undersexed and under Eisenhower. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/27 "2004-06-20T19:21:35Z")
> [@](#): > > According to all the TV shows I’ve seen about the army, private time is scarce, but what private time there is, is it enough for the soldiers to sexually satisfy themselves? (Assume both men in the field and/or men on their home base) To answer the OP the Army discourages any contact between troops very strongly. At home base its no big deal you have plenty of time to visit the outside world and meet others of the opposite sex. On deployment it can get tricky. Brothels are off limits do to the health problems ( and may not be abvailable anyway. Adultery and fraternization are punishable and prosecuted. Of course some find their way around it but it often causes discipline problems. However the days of open bathrooms like they have in Full Metal Jacket are gone for the most part. There is always some privacy available. I never heard of anyone being punished for assaulting themselves 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/28 "2004-06-20T19:21:40Z")
> [@Logitech](#): > > **What does the Army do to keep its soldiers sexually satisfyed?** To answer this OP, the Army officially does **nothing!** (I guess they assume their soldiers are old enough to take care of this on their own.) Unofficially, the Army (and other services) just turn a blind eye to things that they know are happening (like masturbating under the covers in the barracks, in the showers, soldiers getting together in motel rooms when on leave, sailors visiting brothels when in port, etc.). They know they probably couldn’t stop it completely anyway (your body gives stronger orders than any commander), and really, why should they bother? In fact, the services do provide some services to prevent problems from this. They give out a whole lot of condoms to servicemen going on leave. Sailors are gathered for lectures before they arrive in port, and sometimes even given lists of which brothels are known to be unhealthy (“off-limits”). The services provide a lot of VD treatment to infected people, and this is medical treatment, it does not show up as a disciplinary infraction on their record. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/29 "2004-06-20T19:51:02Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Those who don’t…just…manage. Finding one partner is tough enough. Wouldn’t finding two be even more difficult? Haj ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/30 "2004-06-20T21:14:41Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Visit the [Crosby Arboretum](http://msstate.edu/dept/crec/camain.html) naturally! Dang. I go looking for some porn, and you give me an actual arboretum. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Matt\_Barry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@Matt\_Barry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matt_Barry)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/31 "2004-06-21T01:36:17Z")
I’ll answer this one with this: When deployed to Kuwait and Iraq (and of course in the middle of no where, so forget a brothel) my friends sent me dozens of porn mags. I kept a select few for myself, and ran the porno libary. I got tired of Marines bugging me for all the porn, so I left in the middle of the hootch. Within 10 minutes all the magizines were gone. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/32 "2004-06-21T03:04:15Z")
> [@bluethree](#): > > This may blow your mind, but there are women in the army. > > Based on my experience living in barracks for six years, I will tell you that the male and female soldiers have sex with each other a lot. In my experience, the Army was basically a giant boffing festival. To describe the male-female liasons that went on would take me four hours and a Powerpoint presentation of the most hideous spaghetti logic. You’re putting men and women between 18 and 25 together, and there’s gonna be humpin’. I wasn’t in uniform for 48 hours before I was handed a few doobs and told to be wary of the `ditch pigs’ (women in the infantry units.) I ended up sleeping with three female soldiers in just over four years of service, and I was an amateur. Is it TECHNICALLY against the rules? Yes, it is. Does anyone care? Unless it causes an actual discipline problem, no. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/33 "2004-06-21T05:15:21Z")
My understanding is that, in the absence of women, the soldiers immediately turn to each other for comfort, and indeed, massive all-male orgies take place. Oh, wait. That “documentary” I was watching might actually have been a porn flick . . . ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/34 "2004-06-21T10:32:29Z")
Bloke in the nursing home I worked in regailed me with tales of how he’d never, never have used a prostitute while he was in the army in WWII. Went on about how filthy they were for some time. Then I got a five minute talk on how it was easier and more efficient to get a lieutenant to service you instead. I only went in to change his bedpan. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/35 "2004-06-21T11:08:04Z")
Old Joke… Soldier on a long tour in the desert goes up to his commanding officer and says “I 'm going nuts, I need sex now or I will crack up”. The officer says “I completely understand. Thats why we keep a camel in the stables there”. The soldier was shocked at first, but thanked the officer and went out. Five minutes later he came back in and said “Thanks, I really needed that”. The offcier looked puzzled and said “how did you get to town and back in that short time?” ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/36 "2004-06-21T14:45:19Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > When their vision has deteriorated past a certain point they get a medical discharge. 😃 Was this an intentional pun… or do I just have a dirty mind? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/37 "2004-06-21T14:54:24Z")
> [@scm1001](#): > > Old Joke… > > Soldier on a long tour in the desert goes up to his commanding officer and says “I 'm going nuts, I need sex now or I will crack up”. The officer says “I completely understand. Thats why we keep a camel in the stables there”. The soldier was shocked at first, but thanked the officer and went out. Five minutes later he came back in and said “Thanks, I really needed that”. The offcier looked puzzled and said “how did you get to town and back in that short time?” Soldier shows up for his first day of duty in the desert. His CO is showing him around the camp, pointing out the barracks, the latrines, the mess tent, etc. The soldier sees a barrel with a hole in the side sitting in the middle of the camp and asks, “What’s that barrel for?” The CO says “Well you can stick your dick in that hole and get yourself a free blow job any day but tuesday.” “Why not tuesday.” “Tuesday’s your day in the barrel.” ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/38 "2004-06-21T19:53:10Z")
Boy, it all seems so complicated…all this time I was under the impression that everyone just brought an extra sock. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/39 "2004-06-21T23:37:48Z")
> [@Matt Barry](#): > > I’ll answer this one with this: When deployed to Kuwait and Iraq (and of course in the middle of no where, so forget a brothel) my friends sent me dozens of porn mags. I kept a select few for myself, and ran the porno libary. I got tired of Marines bugging me for all the porn, so I left in the middle of the hootch. Within 10 minutes all the magizines were gone. Gasp! Marines don’t look at porn. Not do they visit OLTAHFD’s. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274/40 "2004-06-22T02:09:28Z")
> [@Ol'Gaffer](#): > > Boy, it all seems so complicated…all this time I was under the impression that everyone just brought an extra sock. I can’t believe it took this long before the first mention of the “victory sock” 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-army-do-to-keep-its-soldiers-sexually-satisfyed/251274.md?page=3)