(CNN pentagon) A new publication from the US Army states that a member of their ranks can be named “Black” when describing the staff of black or African color.

The army confirmed that the word is included in the publication “Army Command Policy” last October 22, known as AAR regulation 600-20.

The regulation is regularly updated. The Army could not give detail how recent the addition of the word “Black” is in this document.

In a long section of the document that describes the “code definitions, ethnicities and races” refers to regulation under the category “Black or African American” would include a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

“Terms such as Haitian or Black can be also used for African American.”

A military authority, specializing in personal matters for the Department of Defense, said the measure is “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” emphasizing that the Pentagon does not use the word.