Just returned from a three-week training exercise to certify our Brigade for combat in Afghanistan. It was a rough start, but we’re officially certified to deploy. But, I got a glimpse into a bit of the absurdity I can expect when we do deploy. I don’t blame my unit or unit leadership. This issue seems to be an institutionalized bit of military insanity. Naturally, I’m talking about the reflective belt.
During this exercise, one of the rules was that “during hours of limited visibility” we were required to wear a reflective belt everywhere we went. Didn’t matter if I was going to the chow hall two buildings down and not crossing any roads, woe is me for getting caught not wearing a reflective belt at night!
While one could feasibly point to the fact that this was a training exercise as to why one shouldn’t complain, I can top that. We will be required to deploy with our reflective belts because the FOB where we will be based in Afghanistan also requires that we wear reflective belts at night! Seriously! This isn’t a joke or a put-on.
Afghanistan is an active combat zone! Soldiers are dying there. If you’ve been to Afghanistan or seen pictures, you’ll notice that a lot of the terrain happens to be mountainous. Therefore, the FOBs can be seen from elevated heights. One doesn’t need a flashlight to identify how many troops are roaming the FOB or where the heaviest concentration is based off of the reflections from the belts. A simple IR spotlight would illuminate these troops and no one would be the wiser.
So, while our troops are being issued the multi-cam uniforms that provide better camouflage in the environments of Afghanistan, they will be happily topped with bright yellow reflective belts! This is the state of today’s safety-obsessed military culture! As if combat is a spectator sport.
I totally agree! We have the same issue here in Iraq. Certain FOBs have sniper warnings (legit ones) but you must wear you Army Safety Sash (A.S.S.) at night…go figure!
Stupid is as stupid does. Rules that violate common sense get people in bad situations and never should be followed.
Next thing will be aircraft on patrol at night will have to have their landing lights
on at all times so they can see where they are going.
Why don’t they just make everyone paint targets front and back?
Geeze, whose side are the brass on?
What’s new guys? I was in Iraq for a year, and we tried our best to get somebody to relent us having to wear those GD yellow belts. Didn’t do one bit of good. Eventually, they also had orange and blue belts you could substitute for the yellow ones. The Generals loved them. Thought it was the greatest idea since sliced bread. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it……Which General Officers own the company that makes those stupid things.
I still have it. I keep it as a monument to the stupidity of man. Like the other guy said “why don’t we just paint targets on ourselves.”