Posted on Dec 15, 2013
Why do our regs and manuals have letters & numbers? Stop the madness!
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What is the point of the letters and numbers? Why AR 670-1? Why not just "Uniform Regulation?"
Why FM 22-100 as opposed to "Leadership Manual"
Why are the numbers constantly changing?
Boards would be so much easier as well. CSM- "What regulation covers the uniform wear?" Soldier- "CSM the Uniform Regulation does."
Im sure there's a reason somewhere, but it's 1am right now and it's really bugging me.
Maybe someone knows and can inform me so that I can go to sleep.
Edited 11 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 4
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Actually, it is pretty simple. Well, some of it is at least. AR (Army Regulation) and then the numbers actually correspond to specific types of regulations. If you google the Army Publications list, you can see how they are broken down by function and section. Its kind of like the Dewey Decimal System in libraries. All of the pubs have numbers for easy reference AND names so people have some idea what's in them.
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SGT Javier Silva
I would've said this much shorter explanation but I work for the government, so the longer version was used. Haha.
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SSG Robert Burns
Wouldn't it be easier to reference a name rather than a number? Would it be easier to reference your soldiers by their name or social?
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MAJ Bryan Zeski
No, I don't think it would be easier to reference a publication by the name. Imagine a library where everything was in alphabetical order by title. That's no big deal, right? Figure out the book you want and go get it. But what if you don't know what specific book you want, but you know the general category? Or maybe you know of A book and you want to find others in the general category. With the number system, all of the books with the same "theme" are in the same general place so when you find the WWII section, you don't just have ONE book on WWII, you have ALL the WWII books! Its the same idea with the publications and ARs - keeping the same type of book in the same area of numbers so people can find them.
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We all know the Army has specific systems and purposes for everything (or for most we'd hope they do). I believe the numbers are tailored towards each field such as: Maintenance Manuals or Regulations are 750 series like FM 750-1, 750-3, etc.. ADP for training 7-0, 7-1..
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SSG Robert Burns
See this is a good example. I have no idea what you are talking about when you say FM 750-1. I had to google it. So I understand why we have the series, I just don't understand the need for it. Just call it what it is.
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MSG (Join to see)
I agree, it does seem pointless to have a number system when it has a name. I think Major Zeski called it best when he compared it to the Dewey Decimal system. I totally see your logic in this matter as well, I would remember FM's or AR's better when we reference "Commanders Maintenance Handbook" as opposed to FM 750-1. The name narrows down the need and purpose, I guess the number categorizes it to track as a "set" or "specific area" or Dewey Decimal System. Kind of like going to Barnes and Noble and looking for a specific title, instead of narrowing it down to genre like Fiction or Drama.
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SSG Burns,
The reason each regulation has a letter and number on it is to identify that regulation specifically. What would you do to identify separate uniform manuals and/or regulations? If you take a look at some of the regulations today, there are some regulations that set a standard, while a field manual introduces ideas on how to accomplish the standards set by the regulation. In order to do so, you have identify each one by letters and numbers. Also, it is a shorter identification of that regulation. When multiple conversations throughout the day, would you prefer to say "AR 670-1", "670-1" or "the Uniform Regulation"? Or "FM 22-100", "22-100", or "Leadership Manual"? It also helps you to memorize such regulations. It is also identified as follows in some correspondence: AR 670-1, Ch 2, Para 2(a)(1). Services hardly identify the formal title of a regulation in correspondence. If they do, it is done once, then the short title is then used regularly.
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SSG Robert Burns
I don't think it's necessarily shorter and convenient. Honestly I'd much rather say "Hey their high speed lieutenant. You are in violations of the Uniform Regulation!" as opposed to AR 670-1 to which he may say....what's that? Technically AR 670-1 has more syllables than Uniform Regulation. ;-)
I don't think it helps me remember it at all. No more than remembering a book by it's dewy decimal number in the library as opposed to simply the books title.
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SGT Javier Silva
That's true; however, you still don't address the titles that are repeating or similar. How about titles that have the same acronym? The military uses letters and numbers for a specific reason really only known to them. We don't have to know what the reason is, we just have to know that there is one. While in a board, do you address a regulation by the formal or short title?
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