The new base commander is making his first inspection
The new base commander is making his first inspection when he sees a soldier guarding a bench by the mess hall. The commander marches over.
"Soldier!" he barks. Why are you guarding this bench?"
The soldier salutes the new base commander. "Sir, I don’t know, sir!" he answers. "The previous commander had ordered the bench to be guarded, so we guard it, sir! Following orders, sir! I think it’s base tradition, sir!"
The base commander goes back to his headquarters and calls up the previous base commander. He asks why he has a soldier guarding this particular bench by the mess hall.
"The previous commander always had a guard at that bench. So I kept that tradition."
The new base commander finds three previous commanders, and they all give him the same answer. Finally, he reaches the original base commander, who is now a 99 year old retired general, a veteran of World War II.
"I’m now the commanding officer of the little base that you originally commanded 72 years ago. I found a men guarding a bench outside of the mess hall. Can you tell me something about this bench?"
"What?" the old general says. "Is the paint still wet??!!"