Soldiers, surrender your nail clips!

This originally came to my attention via the Louisiana Democrat Yahoo group. The writer said he found it in Air Finance News magazine. I can corroborate the story by way of Marina Hyde for The Guardian UK:

Once again, it is left to the Americans to demonstrate that their fabled struggle to get to grips with irony is no bar to an intelligent engagement with security procedures for air travellers. US troops deploying to Iraq from Savannah, Georgia, are required to surrender any of those personal accoutrements that could be used as weapons before boarding their chartered airliner, according to a report from the Air Finance Journal picked up by the Wall Street Journal. On a recent flight soldiers of a national guard unit, the 48th Brigade Combat Team, were advised by their CO that they could hang on to their assault rifles, combat shotguns, pistols, bayonets and body armour. Unfortunately, though, they would need to give up any nail scissors, pocket knives or cigarette lighters at the gate. Thoughtful work.