Old enough to serve your country but too young to buy a drink!

The subject of underage drinking has come up on several threads on TAM and this prompted me to look to see how the laws in the US varied from those in the UK and Europe. I will admit that I was surprised at how restrictive the drinking age laws are in the US (I now know that it varies by state) but it does strike me as wrong that the young (under 21 yoa) Soldiers, Sailors and Airman who serve your country so well are not thought responsible enough to buy themselves a few drinks when they come home on leave. Can anyone explain the reasons for this to me?

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 2629979