That said, why isn’t PC culture and risk aversion a factor in Fallon?
I don't think you can lump remote clubs in with all clubs. As others have said, some locations are different than fleet concentration/master bases. Fallon, PMRF, AUTEC, and Atsugi have different atmospheres than bases at home, for exactly the reason that was stated...you just have to stumble to the Q room.
I think it's interesting, Brett, to hear you say the clubs were rocking when you were a JO. I was a JO slightly before you, and I wouldn't say most clubs were rocking. People didn't go to the NASNI or Miramar club when I lived in SD, they went out in town. People didn't go to the PNS club when I was a student, they went out in town. When I went through ASO school, the people that went to the PNS club were the people TAD there. When I was a Mid at Oceana, the club would have some activity in the evening, but nothing crazy (except for the annual party that HeyJoe was always a part of), and that was in the '90's.
The one place that would occasionally be a fun place was K-Bay, but even then, it was cyclical and it was easier to get to than going all the way across the island to Honolulu (or staying in town and hitting up Tropics with all the Lance Criminals).
I know others have said DUIs aren't what killed clubs, but for me, it seemed like it was DWIs that had a big effect. Just the act of having a BAC, even if legal, was a career hurdle. The last major JO O-club closing (which was probably at 2200, BTW) that I remember was met with tickets on all of our cars the following morning when we went to pick them up. Our CO took care of them for us, but it still pissed us off because we did the right thing and it continued to set the zero-defect tone.
That said, I get it. People are dumb, and even dumber when they drink, so they'll make stupid decisions and get into a car when they shouldn't. I don't have an answer to solve the issue, and with funding it's probably too late now anyway, but I can understand when people say a lot of the fun of going to the club has gone away.