Marines are now allowed to ship booze with household goods, like other military branches

By.Karen Jowers

Marines are now able to ship their alcoholic beverages with their household goods, reversing a longtime policy.

Previously, Marines were only authorized to ship alcoholic beverages when they moved it themselves through a personally procured move. The Marine Corps policy differed from other branches of service, where military members have long been able to ship their libations.

The change was announced in a Marine Corps administrative message Thursday.

As with other military members, the ability to ship alcohol may vary depending on international customs or state-specific import laws.

In the past, there were instances when alcohol was shipped in containers and either spoiled due to the high temperatures during shipping, or there was damage caused by broken glass containers and spilled liquids, said Capt. Joseph Butterfield, a spokesman for Marine Corps headquarters.

“These types of issues contributed to the previous policy of not allowing alcoholic beverages to be shipped with the [household goods],” Butterfield said.Continue Reading