After being underway without a port visit sailors on board ship are given two beers. The beers are normally given to the sailor open so they will be drank right away and not held for a later time. After 45 consecutive days out to sea the Commanding Officer can authorize two beers for each crew member over the age of 21, 18 in some commands.

In those commands that do not pass out open beers some sailors have been know to swap, sell, and give their tickets to other sailors. I seriously doubt anyone has ever "given" away an extra beer. There have been known cases of sailors becoming intoxicated on just the “two” beers they were given.

A beer day is usually held in conjunction with a steel beach picnic on board ships operating at sea. Ships will on load beer for a beer day when departing for a six month deployment, just in case.

When we left for our Med Cruise in December of 91 we did on load beer of a beer day, just incase somebody caused problems that required us to be out longer than 45 days. We never made it 45 days, but it was close.

Before the navy began to strictly regulate beer days I heard stories of non-drinking sailors selling their extra beers for up to $200 each. They were traded for days of duty while in liberty ports or boxes of fruit from the ships stores. Sailors like to drink and will do just about anything to get an extra beer or two.