Soldiers in Poland are barred from karaoke, strip clubs and disturbing wildlife

Soldiers serving under V Corps in Europe are directed to not visit bars, strip clubs, night clubs as a whole as well as karaoke or hookah lounges, the formation’s leadership said this month. 

The Army’s V Corps announced the expanded rules earlier in November, as part of an update to orders covering a sweeping range of prohibitions for soldiers. The directives, which also include rules against buying electronic cigarettes from unauthorized vendors and orders not to disturb wildlife, were done to preserve “good order, discipline, and the safety of our personnel,” a V Corps spokesperson told Task & Purpose.

The new order, issued Nov. 5 and effective immediately, replaces an existing version issued August 2024. It was signed by Lt. Gen. Thomas Feltey, who took over command of V Corps this fall. The order applies to soldiers under V Corps, not just in Poland but those assigned to 15 other European nations.

Feltey’s order notes that “common sense and good judgment” should be used when evaluating if an establishment is considered off limits. If they aren’t sure, soldiers have a “duty” to get clarity from their leaders. The order takes the time to differentiate each type of establishment.

“I expect all individuals to be disciplined and professional on and off duty, ready to assure our Allies and Partners, deter our adversaries, to build and maintain readiness, and to continuously strive to uphold the Army Values,” Feltey wrote. “A careful balance must be achieved in order to accomplish our mission while also maintaining morale within our ranks.”

V Corps, headquartered in Fort Knox but forward deployed to Camp Kościuszko, Poland, is one of the Army’s main forces in Europe and works closely with NATO partners. 

Several parts of the order are focused on the consumption of alcohol. The 2024 rules stipulated that soldiers on orders for more than 30 days were barred from drinking for the first 96 hours in the European Command area of responsibility. That is not in the new version. The 2026 update does specifically bar troops from drinking within eight hours of assuming duty, operating any vehicle (including rentals), possess or drink on an installation or forward operating site and not drink to the point of being drunk.

According to a spokesperson for V Corps, the move is not a “reaction to a single spike in misconduct, but rather a deliberate and proactive alignment of force standards.” 

“As a forward-deployed warfighting headquarters, we must ensure our force is disciplined and combat-ready. Minimizing alcohol and safety related risks prevents friction and keeps our units optimized to ‘Fight Tonight.’”

The new order also adds a prohibition against “approaching, handling, feeding, capturing, adopting, harassing, disturbing, or otherwise interfering with wildlife” in the area. It is not clear what prompted that to be added to the general order.

Additionally, soldiers are not allowed to be off the installation or forward operating site between 10 p.m.-5 a.m. local time without a battle buddy. Soldiers are also barred from purchasing e-cigarettes, vape juice or “similar devices” from non-authorized vendors (as opposed to U.S. military or allied forces’ exchanges). 

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