Speaking of Stupid ...

These stupid rules gotta go, GIs tell 2-star - Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

In my last article, I presented the co-existant possibilities of U.S. Army and "stupid".

It's interesting to note that a Major General (two stars) recently asked his command "What is the stupidest rule or policy you have seen in the Army?”

Talk about throwing red meat to lions -- several pertinent comments were returned.

Among these:

• The M9 pistol. With all of the outstanding handguns on the market, the Army still issues this piece of junk.

Uh, yeah. I was fortunate in that my tour of duty occurred during the Viet Nam war, and we had the benefit of being issued the 1911 for officers, artillarymen, and infantry grenadiers. There was no "M9 pistol alternative available at the time, and I am pleased to have avoided this sacrifice to political correctness.

The M9 was accepted in U.S. Military inventory in an attempt to achieve a parity with United Nations "Standard" issue. If we were in a U.N. military situation, or so the logic goes, we could share ammunition with other UN or NATO countries.

Originally, the 1911 in .45ACP caliber was adopted during the Moro Wars in the Philippines because the 'current issue' handgun the .38 special, was found to be insufficient to stop the Moro "Amok" fanatics before they could penetrate American lines and kill American soldiers. The .45 ACP, however, was determined to have a greater 'stopping power' and therefore to be more effective in saving the lives of the American soldiers. Although the .45 ACP was not available for issue to American troops during this period, the lesson learned in The Philippines was an important influence on the next choice of issue handguns.

Somehow, the U.S. Army lost track of this important imperative. This may have been, in part due to political influences.

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The next "Stupid Rule" was:

Beret backlash, uniform unrest

Worthless as headgear. Offers no protection from rain or sun. Bring back the cap.

— Sam Verbeck

We spent millions on berets at a time when we did not have money for spare parts for vehicles or ammo for ranges.

— Rob

The beret is an absolutely useless piece of gear. Sure it looks good, but it’s pretty obvious that the ones who made it policy to wear this piece of gear in an everyday work uniform sit in an office and don’t see the light of day.

— Joe Snuffy

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The first use of the modern beret in the U.S. military was in 1943, when a battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry was given maroon berets by their British counterparts for their service in the war.

Later, the Green Beret was give to a similar elite U.S. military group, the Special Forces, during the Vietnam War. (Special Forces were formed in 1952...)

Almost contemporaneously, the Black Beret (in 1979) was awarded to U.S. Army Rangers.

However according to the 75th Rangers ...

On October 17, 2000, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Eric Shinseki, stated in a speech to the AUSA National Convention in Washington, D.C.:

"It is time for the entire Army to accept the challenge of excellence that has so long been a hallmark of our special operations and airborne units. As another step towards achieving the capabilities of the objective force, effective 14 June 2001, the first Army birthday of the new millennium, the Army will don its new headgear. The black beret will become the Army standard. Special operations and airborne units will retain their distinctive berets. But starting next June, the black beret will be symbolic of our commitment to transform this magnificent Army into a new force -- a strategically responsive force for the 21st century."

The Black Beret has been worn exclusively by Army Rangers and has become a powerful symbol of excellence earned only though extreme effort under adverse conditions. General Shinseki's directive was quickly followed with an order that all active duty Rangers serving throughout the United States Army were to remain silent on this issue.

We have seen that the prestigious Black Beret, originally assigned as an earned mark of valor to the Rangers, has been undermined by the Army High Command to exemplify all Army Personnel. While it is not in itself demeaning to allow ALL Army personnel to wear the Black Beret, in essence it is an insult to the original wearers ... the Rangers ... to permit the same expectation of excellence to be accorded to the run-of-the-mill members of the U.S. Army which has been EARNED by the Rangers.

I have been trained by Rangers. Non-Commissioned Officer Infantry School (NCOIC) 1971. I do not pretend to be as accomplished as my trainers, because I am not. But I do admire the proficiency which my trainers have demonstrated.

[I never liked them, but I did admire their demonstrated skills ... which I realized I would never match.]

So when it comes to an evaluation of the universal award of the Black Beret to all members of the U.S. Army, I share the outrage of both The Ranges, and those members of the Standing Army who recognize that they have not earned this honor.

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There are other complaints by the Standing Army against 'Rules' which seem oppressive, nonsensical, or otherwise "stupid". I will not enumerate them here.

But it seems to me that the administrati9ve rules which are anathema to the common soldier are probably nonsensical to the common civilian as well, when they are understood in the context of day0by-day requirements.