Fine to call black soldiers ‘Negroes’ according to new US Army document

CONTROVERSY has erupted over a newly published US Army regulation which states that 'black or African American” personnel can be called 'Negro”.

The Army confirmed the language is contained in the October 22 'Army Command Policy,” known as regulation AR 600-20, CNN reported.

The regulation is periodically updated but the Army could not say how recently the word was added to the document.

The regulation states under the category 'Black or African American” that terms such as 'Haitian” or 'Negro” can be used in addition to 'Black” or 'African American”, according to CNN.

The Army, along with the rest of the military, collects extensive demographic data on the makeup of the military force for issues such as equal opportunity and ensuring discrimination does not take place.

One Army official familiar with the document told CNN it was possible the word was added so when forms are filled out, a black or African American person could 'self report” and choose to identify themselves as a Negro.

But a military officer specialising in personnel issues for the Defense Department called that 'the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” noting the Pentagon does not use the word in any of its extensive collection of demographic data, CNN said.