Regarding the April 23 letter “An AR 670-1 burning fest?”: There is nothing that annoys me more than stupid policies enforced because they exist. Sure, a T-shirt untucked looks unprofessional and, reasonably applied, the regulation makes sense. But some of the “violations” pointed out the letter are ridiculous.

Sunglasses on the head or hanging on your collar? What is wrong with that in a war zone? It is so uncomfortable to put them in a pocket where you are squeezed into these small tables in the dining facility. It’s a practical method of disposing of them comfortably while you are inside, but God forbid we be out of regulation while we are not standing on the parade field.

And sleeves rolled up a bit in the heat? Nothing annoyed me more than some young specialist telling me I had to take my sunglasses off my head heading into the DFAC in Iraq. I am sure it annoyed her too, but she feared the first sergeant or sergeant major who may have felt they would cease to become viable should they stop correcting people.

Noncommissioned officers are about more than just maintaining regulations. Lighten up a bit. Look at the Israeli army! The women can wear high-heeled strappy sandals with their uniforms as long as the sandals are black. They can modify their uniforms to become more form-fitting to the latest fashion and wear their hair down. And Israel has one of the finest armies in the world.

We talk about Comprehensive Soldier Fitness. Well, you can remove some stress from me by laying off the stupid rules a bit.

Peggy HeathermanHeidelberg, Germany

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