{"id":28224,"date":"2021-07-02T14:44:10","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T14:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/02\/memo-exempting-task-force-sinai-leaders-from-alcohol-limit-was-an-error-officials-say\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:39:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:39:30","slug":"memo-exempting-task-force-sinai-leaders-from-alcohol-limit-was-an-error-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2021\/07\/02\/memo-exempting-task-force-sinai-leaders-from-alcohol-limit-was-an-error-officials-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Memo exempting Task Force Sinai leaders from alcohol limit was an \u2018error,\u2019 officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The commander of Task Force Sinai<\/a> has amended newly-instituted alcohol policy memorandums that initially appeared to exempt him and other senior leaders from a ban on alcohol possession and excessive consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first memorandum signed by Task Force Sinai commander Col. David Sentell on Tuesday, and shared by U.S. Army WTF Moments<\/a>, instituted a two-drink limit for all servicemembers assigned to the mission, which supports the Multinational Force and Observers monitoring a four-decade-old peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limits on purchase, possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages are typical for units stationed overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What wasn\u2019t typical, though, was that the memorandum exempted Sentell and five other senior leaders from the restrictions \u2014 including the ban on getting drunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paragraph 4b of the initial memorandum banned soldiers from \u201cconsum[ing] alcohol to the point of intoxication,\u201d but paragraph 5c said that \u201cservicemembers may be exempted by name from restrictions in Paragraph 4b.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An accompanying memorandum then named Sentell and five other leaders as exempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When reached by Army Times, officials said that the exemption was partially in error and Sentell had corrected the policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Task Force Sinai commander recently reviewed the alcohol consumption policy and instituted a two-drink limit for all assigned US personnel, to include the task force\u2019s senior leaders,\u201d said Maj. Jessica Rovero, a spokesperson for 1st Theater Sustainment Command. \u201cThe original memo had an error\u2026 in reference to senior leaders being exempt to the limit. All TF Sinai personnel are required to adhere to the two-drink limit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rovero emphasized that the policy was meant to \u201censure the safety and welfare of our service members.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that senior leaders were exempt from the purchase and possession portions of the ban in order to facilitate \u201cofficial duty events\u201d with service members from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExceptions to this policy can be requested and have been granted in the past for subordinate unit events,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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