The Department of Defense is engaging in yet another war — this time, against binge drinking. And it’s called in reinforcements to wage a propaganda campaign to win the hearts and minds of the population, its own servicemembers.

DoD called on the expertise of the U.S. government’s favorite public relations firm, Fleishman-Hillard, to create a Web site, www.thatguy.com. The site, which is currently up but appears unfinished and has the occasional technical problem remaining, “uses online and offline communication with the goal of reducing excessive drinking among young servicemen,” according to a statement on the site.

“The campaign encourages young enlisted personnel to reject binge drinking because it detracts from the things they care about: family, friends, dating, sex, money, and reputation. The campaign uses humor to deliver a serious message and provides viral tools so you can be part of the effort to eradicate That Guy.”

“That Guy,” says Marine SSgt. Edward Heyward, is “the one who always seems to be doing something stupid, and you wonder how Darwin’s Theory hasn’t removed him from this planet yet.” It’s a fact that getting drunk makes you stupid.

The site focuses more on the interpersonal aspects of binge drinking, rather than the aspects specific to deployed military personnel, and is well suited to a general audience. Consider this joke, found on the site: “You might be that guy … If the cool porcelain of the toilet rim actually feels good pressed against your face.” Another joke from the site, also seen in a Google ad: “Are you That Guy? Do you wake up with drawings on your face?”

“I suppose there’s nothing wrong in principle with trying to get U.S. enlistees [to] abstain if the government honestly believes it’ll make them better soldiers,” writes Radley Balko of Reason. “But there’s something oddly amusing about a government-funded website — especially from this administration — warning that alcohol consumption will hinder a serviceman’s chances at ‘scoring with chicks.’”

The Defense Department is spending $13 million on Healthy Choices for Life, a series of TRICARE-managed pilot programs aimed at encouraging servicemembers to lose weight, quit smoking and drink in moderation.

Lose weight?!

So far there’s been little public mention of the new Web site, though Fleishman-Hillard is running ads on Google using selected jokes from its jokes collection.

Fleishman-Hillard has also managed public relations campaigns for the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

P.S. If you’re the mailing list subscriber from Fleishman-Hillard and are no longer getting your mail, it’s because it was being returned and so I had to drop your address. Feel free to re-subscribe once you work out the problems with your e-mail.