Alcohol abuse is more prevalent than drug abuse among military personnel and impairs the effectiveness and efficiency of military performance more than illegal drug use does. The Department of Defense (DOD) is aware that it has severe alcohol problems but it is not doing enough to correct them. DOD has placed much more emphasis on its drug control program. Yet, despite the larger resources being made available to it, the drug control program has problems. A responsive information system is needed. DOD needs to gauge the size of its alcohol problem, recognize problems affecting the operation of both the alcohol and the drug control programs, and direct the services on actions needed to improve their respective programs.