Urgent action is needed to tackle "hazardous" levels of alcohol consumption among the armed forces, MPs have warned.
The Commons Defence Committee said excessive drinking is the "norm" across all three services -leading to domestic abuse, violence and mental health issues.
It called on the Ministry of Defence to develop a "comprehensive strategy" to reduce misuse and challenge the prevalent binge drinking culture - including a review of alcohol pricing and availability on military bases.
"Hazardous levels of alcohol consumption are the norm in the armed forces, regardless of service or gender," the committee said.
"Urgent action is needed to reduce the harm caused by the abuse of alcohol to armed forces personnel and their families.
"Too many members of the armed forces appear to believe that alcohol is integral to group cohesion."
The committee acknowledged the MoD had recognised the seriousness of the issue but said the measures it had taken had so far had no "noticeable impact" on drinking levels - with damaging consequences for personnel and their families.
While overall criminal offending rates among military personnel were lower than for the general population, the rate for violent incidents was "substantially higher" - and often linked to alcohol abuse following deployment on combat operations.
The committee also pointed to the fact that while the incidence of mental health problems among service personnel was comparable to the general population, those who had been deployed in combat roles suffered twice the usual rate of post-traumatic stress.
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