BAN SMOKING? Published March 23, 2007 By Capt. R.B. Brown Via e-mail -- I never really thought of smoking negatively affecting force readiness as stated in your article "Smoking Up in the Military" (November/December 2006 Torch, page 14). However, if smoking really decreases readiness by "impairing night vision, weakening the immune system and lengthening healing time," then maybe it's time for the military to eliminate smoking in a wartime environment. How can you justify allowing something that decreases wartime readiness? How is it any different than maintaining a certain fitness standard to optimize readiness? I know the military will probably never go to that extreme, but it does beg the question: Why not?