Troops strike back at reflector belts

Today, Wired.com ran an article which highlighted a new group on Facebook entitled "I Hate Reflector Belts", which has amassed nearly 4,000 fans so far from nearly every branch of the Armed Forces.

For those of you who don't know, reflector belts are worn by US personnel on bases all over the world at night--even in combat environments--in order to ensure that large trucks do not run over the camouflage-clad troops.

It is the ultimate in nanny-state-ism.

It's prompted quite a bit of parody and satire, to include the infamous PowerPoint presentation, "Reflector Belts Throughout History", which deduces that Confederate General Stonewall Jackson might not have been shot by his own troops had he been wearing a reflector belt. I've posted extensively on the reflector belt, noting the various colors and styles of reflector belts--to include pink belts for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I was going to make the point that reflector belts are not worn during combat missions, until I realized that one time, I removed my body armor and flight gear, and realized that I still had my reflector belt on, due to the fact that I pre-flighted the Black Hawk during the early morning darkness. Great.

So here's to the reflector belt and amusing reflector belt stories. I'm sure you all have them...

(If anyone knows how to rotate video, I'd greatly appreciate it)