Walking on the grass - big deal! or what's the big deal?

If they made sidewalks where people walk, we wouldn't have a problem. Since we PT on all the grass anyways, I don't see a problem with it.

Doing the little things right, every time. It breeds a sense of Vigilance. Vigilance is even more important than Discipline.

Is walking through the grass a big deal? No. However it's not the ACT, it's the ATTITUDE that matters. Why are you walking through the grass. Is it expedience? Or laziness? (they are different).

"Other".

People tend to walk on the grass in pretty much the same patterns and end up wearing paths. It's a shortcut-- a shorter, simpler path towards a goal. If we allow people to walk on that path, yes, the grass will be worn down. It won't look attractive and mud & dirt will be tracked in, and so on. But the better solution in my opinion is to just allow a gravel, sand, or stepping stone path exist there-- or better yet, no damn grass since it is a waste of time, effort, water, and money. Gravel, stone, or sand. Quit wasting money on greenskeeping.

We should worry about real threats, like hands in pockets and PT belt shortages or something equally horrifying.

One college installed NO sidewalks first year. THEN they installed sidewalks where the students had worn paths.

The military runs on discipline. Once you start taking short cuts where does it end. Your people will start to question all the rules. If you can't follow the easy ones how can you follow the hard ones.

It is funny that you asked this question CSM Michael J. Uhlig. When I attended the SMC, this topic actually came up when they were telling us the future of Sergeants Major. We were told that they Army wants relative Sergeants Major that are important to the mission instead of just yelling about the grass all day. Personally, I could care less about the grass. That being said, the Army keeps stationing me in deserts where I never see grass anyways. I seem to be around rocks all the time. :)

CSM Michael J. Uhlig
I was once walking through some grass on base Naval Air Station North Island and some Chief from my ship yelled at me for it.
The funny part was, I was walking through a path that had been worn down to bare earth from so many people walking over it and there were no signs saying "Keep Off Grass."
I said "Chief, look at the path I'm walking across..."
Chief: "Well if people stopped walking on it, it would grow back!!!"
Me: "Roger that Chief..." (I didn't feel like getting into an argument that I would lose based solely on rank)

When I was a brand new SGT, I was lucky enough to be made barracks sergeant. I proudly reamed the ass of a new private for walking on the grass while the 1SG watched from a distance. He then called me over and said to let them walk where they wanted to.
If they didn't walk there enough to make a path, then who cares.
If they walked somewhere enough to make a trail, the barracks sergeant needed to coordinate a new sidewalk with DPW.

I put other: I have a hard time correcting Soldiers for walking on the grass around certain areas like the CPs after they spent all morning doing formation in the grass, PT in the grass etc... So the answer is depends. Around the DIV/BDE/BN HQs area the answer would be don't walk on the grass; but around the areas we normally do PT or units hold formation - Barracks etc... the answer would be no issues. Although I still can't bring myself to do it and just by observation most of the Soldier won't either.

The "sailors and dogs keep off the grass" signs were ubitquitous (sp.) in San Diego when I was there. Never understood why that was so in a 'Navy' town -- certainly never saw anything like that in any other part of the world.