The Military and fraternizing

They are allowed to salute each other; nothing further than that.

Air Force here...

Officers (managers) are discouraged from hanging out with enlisted (technicians) because it can cause too many issues when it’s time to perform a mission. First of all, it opens the door for favoritism, which can destroy unit cohesion. If you’re friends with someone you can’t help but to advocate just a little harder on their behalf. Secondly, if discipline is necessary, you might be hesitant to appropriately punish a friend for an infraction.

Additionally, the officer community on any installation is pretty small. So even if an enlisted person isn’t in an officer’s chain of command, there could easily be undue influence.

All of that said, fraternization is discouraged, but it isn’t strictly enforced unless someone wants to fuck up an officer’s career. My sister was enlisted and when we were stationed at the same base, I would hang out with her and her friends. I’ve also had several enlisted friends over the years...especially once I joined the Air National Guard, since fraternization isn’t as strictly enforced.

When it comes to fraternization, the officer is ALWAYS in the wrong, even if the enlisted person encourages the relationship. In my experience, gay men have nothing on straight female officers when it comes to violating fraternization rules. Most military officers don’t want a woman who’s considered too assertive or tomboyish. As a result, a lot of young female officers end up dating enlisted guys who are around their age. I know of 5 off the top of my head who married enlisted men (and they were never punished for it either).

I have a job that requires me to go on military bases every so often.

I've always been surprise how sexually aggressive women and gay men are, (I assume the straight men are too, but they don't come on to me).

I guess it's because the pool is so small on these bases that every time there's someone new around, everyone goes after them.

R3, you're not imagining things.

I can't count how many times I've seen women and gay men compete for the attention of someone not in the military who happens to be visiting.

Most of the women are dykes, but if you want to believe they're all into you, go ahead and believe that

Based on your research for which academic publication?

What do gays on bases do? Are there places to meet up? Grindr?

Do militaries live in separate apartments or do they have to have roommates?

Someone I work with used to be in the Army years ago. He had an affair with a male officer who became obsessed with him. When he tried to break off the affair, the officer threatened to turn him in as gay (This was during DADT).

He was stuck with this man he absolutely hated (and who tried to prevent his being transferred anywhere) until he decided to leave the military