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Proceed ... with caution

Sen. Jim Webb suggests that letting troops have an occasional beer in the war zones might mitigate the stress they face there.

The Virginia Democrat may be right.

But before you stand up and yell “Get that man a beer!” it’s worth taking a moment to think this through.

No one wants to deprive troops of a cold beer after a hard day’s work.

Indeed, this war is the first in American history to be alcohol-free. (That is, if you don’t count a few select places where some troops were allowed two beers while watching the Super Bowl.)

Beer was readily available at base camps in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. But this time, host-nation sensitivities, along with concerns about U.S. troops causing embarrassing off-duty incidents, led military leaders to put alcohol off limits in combat areas.

The trouble is that alcohol doesn’t just help people relax. Too much alcohol consumed too fast reduces inhibitions, slows reaction time and impairs judgment. Those don’t mix well with loaded weapons and heavy vehicles.

Not surprisingly, alcohol is a significant contributing factor in many, if not most, disciplinary problems facing the military — everything from fighting to sexual assaults.

Gen. Ray Odierno had the right idea when he broke out the beer for the Super Bowl. First, he chose a special occasion; then he ordered a strict two-beer limit on everyone.

That could be a model for a broader policy that makes beer a little more available to deployed troops.

But not a lot more available.

A little beer is a wonderful thing, but a lot of beer is almost always a recipe for trouble.