The decline of military officers’ clubs has been ongoing for several years.  As noted in Christian Fighter Pilot is not an Oxymoron,

Over the past few years, the popularity of [officers’ clubs] has waned, probably because the military culture has changed.  One commander attempted to correlate membership at the O’Club with membership at a country club, which only seemed to emphasize the generational gap between his peer group and ours.  Being part of a country club was prestigious to him and his colleagues; to the younger group, it was the equivalent of a retirement community.

Now, USA Today notes that military officers’ clubs are “nearing extinction;” it attributes part of the cause to the “deglamourization” of alcohol, which was once the primary draw of the social clubs.  In addition, several years ago, military clubs also combined their membership card with a credit card in an attempt to collect their monthly dues.  As membership now required a credit check and a credit line (as well as automated dues on that account), some military members shunned the clubs.

As noted in the prior book and the USA Today article, the reason for the clubs gradual demise is actually far simpler.  With regard to morale facilities, the military tries to give its members what they want.  There simply isn’t a demand for paying dues to be part of an on-base dining facility and bar.  Instead, greater emphasis on supporting families is bringing in cafes, coffee shops, and dog baths.