Assigned Equipment

[DangerousThing]

Assigned equipment is just what somebody needs to do their job, though this may be defined by bureaucrats in the organization rather than the people who do their job.

"I'm sorry, but according to your job description, you don't *need* a blaster rifle. After all, your job description doesn't include fighting zombie space pirates." -- Unnamed bureaucrat who shortly had his brain eaten; he was still able to do his job and it was months later that this was noticed.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Assigned equipment is just what somebody needs to do their job, though this may be defined by bureaucrats in the organization rather than the people who do their job.

"I'm sorry, but according to your job description, you don't *need* a blaster rifle. After all, your job description doesn't include fighting zombie space pirates." -- Unnamed bureaucrat who shortly had his brain eaten; he was still able to do his job and it was months later that this was noticed.

'Bureaucrats did it' is a pretty fitting excuse for a lot of weird or annoying things (or annoying lack thereof) in a military or other government organization, like why there are no seat-restraints on the starship Enterprise in most incarnations (apart from a couple of the movies, IIRC), or guardrails on a lot of structures in Star Wars.