Is it authorized to smoke in formation?

CPT (Join to see) - "Soldier may move, talk, smoke, or drink unless otherwise directed."
No further work at unit level needed.
"Battalion, Parade REST...No smoking "
or while at POA On the command of parade rest, remain in position, drink water, no smoking....Parade REST"

Or sure, could make it a unit policy, "Tobacco use is forbidden in all unit formations from team to CORPS. Smoking will only be allowed in unit designated smoking areas"
And frankly Id be surprised if most units at the post, Corps, BDE, BN don't already have Tobacco use that reads much simpler and broader then Army Regulation 600–63 reads. Something like " "Tobacco use is forbidden except in designated smoking areas so marked, or explicitly allowed in Army Regulation 600–63 "

MSG (Join to see) - yeah, It was always a joke at Stewart when we got put at rest, we would always mutter smoke um if you got um. LOL

CPT (Join to see) - "CSM's hand and he'll now have to go into his office and compose a policy memo and distribute it downward."
A: CSM's don't make policy commanders do (though of course they are part of the process to create /review new policy), CSM's enforce policy.
B: If that is the route the CSM decided upon, while the SPC was smoking his cigarette, the CSM would take out his GOV Cell phone, call the DIV CSM, relate an issue. The DIV CSM would go speak to an ADCM, or maybe the CG's adjungent and relate the issue. A policy would be written in about 90 seconds, signed, printed and emailed, and a copy handed to the BN CSM before the SPC's cigarette was finished.... The formation would then be informed of the new DIV policy on tobacco use and the reason (soldier) for it.

How has no one stated yet that "smoking" begins with the command "Half Right Face".

SSG Robert Perrotto
Formations are clearly meant to expediently pass along info to a group. Now, I get it, sometimes there are way too many formations LOL.


I can tell you with certainty that were I in a situation where someone was trying to pull some BS and try and game me over something like that (smoking in my formation), I can assure you the entire frigging unit would be displeased....because formations would become both more frequent and much longer. I feel confident that the questionable behavior would cease quite rapidly.
That’s one of those situations where it isn’t wise to screw with the proverbial gorilla in the monkey house. Because the gorilla owns every minute of the 24 hours in a day....and those minutes can be used creatively or productively.
Cheers

CMSgt James Nolan - All you would need to do is direct no smoking. Is that too hard to do? stating that you would enact retribution for someone, who is regulatory right, because you disagree with it, is kind of lame. And even Gorillas have limits, just ask Harambe. This is not a personal attack on you, I am just pointing out that sometimes, folks believe they have some weight on their collar, they get to decide which regs they can ignore because "I am a SGM" - it doesn't and shouldn't work that way.

SSG Robert Perrotto
No you’re missing my point. And you’re missing the analogy. No worries.
I once had a very smart supervisor tell me that if you have to try and justify “why” you want to something by pulling something vague or obscure out of a policy, and forcing an interpretation then you are likely wrong.
In this case, the original question was laughable.
I was fortunate to not have the troops who would try and pull something like that, guess I was lucky to have great folks in my units, who were smart enough to know that just because one might be able to somehow maybe possibly argue a point, it wouldn’t be right and would take more effort than it was worth.

On same token I have been deployed with Army units that would hold 7 formations a day because they could....which could be why this question arose to begin with-who knows.

In any case, cheers.

CMSgt James Nolan - Cheers! have a great day.