I’m given to understand that officers in modern warfare often have to carry a rifle they’ll never use, in order not to be seen as a priority target by eg enemy snipers.
Today’s invention is therefore an imitation rifle which is super lightweight and which can be carried, on a strap, by officers just to help them avoid being singled out.
This could be hollow, in order to hold securely any lightweight, loose items that an officer needed to carry.
It would be marked so that anyone close by could see it was fake and not attempt to use it for self defence.