 Many military historians have pointed out that Westmoreland became Chief of Staff at the worst time in history with regard to the army.Guiding the army as it transitioned to an all-volunteer force, he issued many directives to try to make Army life better and more palatable for United States youth—e.g., allowing soldiers to wear sideburns and to drink beer in the mess hall.However, many hard-liners scorned these as too liberal.