I haven't had to wear issue boots since I was in the training system. I figured those days were long gone but now I'm hearing rumours of issue boots being enforced.
I long ago figured out my foot issues and lower leg issues and have managed them. Part of managing them is not wearing heavy, clumsy, inflexible issue boots. I can just imagine the hoops I'd have to jump through, and time I'd have to waste (which I don't have) getting a chit. Would I have to present a problem? (ie. go back to hurting myself). :
In the training system and early in my career I suffered through some pretty brutal foot and lower leg issues. I got on with the job but why would the army force me back into that? Do they really think I wanted to spend literally thousands of dollars on my own boots for the feck of it?
Where does this "issue boots only" policy originate from anyway? How high up the chain? Do you enforce issue only black boots? Why would that change for these new brown ones? Why would enforcement only be implemented for the "first while" after they are issued?
The army can keep making stupid decisions, and it can keep going downhill (and it is), and more and more good people will be leaving.