Joel Hefley: “I believe this action is micromanagement at its worst and makes Congress the fashion police. For those of us who have…”

“I believe this action is micromanagement at its worst and makes Congress the fashion police. For those of us who have strong ties to the military community, this entire episode has been a whirlwind of emotions. Like most of my constituents, I too felt the issuance of a black beret, the modern-day symbol of excellence in the United States Armed Forces, to all soldiers was ill-advised. As I have related to senior Army officials and my constituents, this action is analogous to issuing a letter jacket to all high school seniors regardless of whether they played ball or not. This problem has been worked out, however, by allowing the Rangers to wear a different color beret to distinguish their unique contribution. Even though I believe the Army is spending too much money on berets, $30 million and climbing, and even though I have problems with where they are made, particularly in China, although that contract has been canceled, I believe Congress does not have the time or the charter to meddle with what the Army does or does not wear. If we can trust the chief of staff of the Army to command our young Americans in wartime, certainly we can trust him to determine what kind of uniform they will wear.”