What are the dumbest rules in the military?
Dumb rules and regulations are one of the most enduring traditions in the military.
By Kyle Gunn | Published Feb 3, 2022 1:47 PM
Gen. Douglas MacArthur is credited with saying that “rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind.” That may strike some as ironic given that he was the 13th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, an organization built on rules and regulations. Then again, he was fired by President Truman after ordering allied troops to attack across the 38th Parallel into North Korea during the Korean War, disobeying the Commander in Chiefs’ orders and possibly prolonging the war.
Douglas MacArthur broke a pretty important rule in the military and one that most would agree isn’t dumb. But for every rule like “don’t disobey a direct order from the Commander in Chief,” there are dozens more that probably shouldn’t even be rules, much less regulations. Some examples include saluting blue stickers on cars, or not being able to wear issued gear because some sergeant major decided to use “commander’s discretion” as a bludgeon to destroy anything resembling common sense.
What are the dumbest rules in the military?
For service members, there are many clothing combinations of gloves, jackets and sweaters available for the colder winter months. Due to weather conditions, it can be easy to wear unauthorized items or authorized uniform items incorrectly. It is every service member’s responsibility to educate themselves on authorized items of clothing and the combination in which they are allowed to be worn. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Airman Areca T. Wilson/Released)
And that’s the thing about military rules: Some are actually, you know, rules, meaning they are regulations that are laid out in a manual that you can refer back to. Others are rules in the way that pirates have them — they’re more like guidelines — and as such, they’re completely open to interpretation by whoever is chewing you out for some perceived slight.
https://taskandpurpose.com/mandatory-fun/dumb-military-rules-regulations/
