the commander. And this ROE measure had various forerunners, such as the advisory cards sometimes issued to NCO on the critical information to be given to a soldier under arrest - things which had to be done correctly under pressure to ensure a fair system. But the pocket card idea quickly got out of control. Within months every bone-headed staff officer who thought his small part of the bureaucracy was important wanted his pocket card carried by all and sundry also. In no time at all there were pocket-sized cards covering environmental protection, media interviews, radio voice procedure, defensive electronic warfare measures, weapon cards, etc. And all this while many military publications underwent reformatting to inch-thick "pocket-sized" editions. Though how many of these half-pound blocks of paper a soldier, NCO or officer was expected to carry was never established. I was working as a staff officer during these years, watching with amazement as pocket cards and publications flourished. To my mind some were an excellent method of reinforcing training - like the ROE cards. Others seemed to be an attempt by the staff to ensure the commander's ass was covered - "Of course he knew what he was supposed to do, he had the pocket card." - "He must have been briefed on the right procedures, he was issued the pocket card." - "All personnel will carry subject card ..." Perhaps we need a new pocket card for commanders - "Seeking and Accepting Responsibility at all Levels" Anyway, "How to