Should NCOs inspect barracks during the weekend?

Sgt Charles Welling - As a retired Soldier and proud to have been one I have to say I agree with you Sgt but don't paint the entire Army with such a broad brush. It's changed since my time in service but there are plenty of hardcorps troops out there who know what the real deal is. As a contractor now I work Part Time for the Marine Corps at 39 Palms and I can dig the chiding and good natured rivalry, but lets not get mean spirited. We all bleed red.

That argument is as old as the adage...."If the Army wanted you to have a family, it would issue you one!" The fact is that the Commander can impose inspections on family quarters and if he believes a Soldier isn't performing satisfactorily, he can revoke the privilege of living off post or in quarters and put the soldier in the barracks. An arcane measure but it is (or at least was) authorized. You live in the barracks, you take what comes with it. If it seems unfair well so is life and warfare. they say a "bitching soldier is a happy soldier" so if occasional or daily inspections are the major problem, life must be going well. All things are temporary. You can wait out your time and ETS, or find a mate and earn the privilege of living off post or on quarters, or just drive on. Its the Army/military...its SUPPOSED to suck sometimes.

CW2 Donald Loughrey - I paint the Army as it presents itself to me. The Army has had fine men and women in it yet something fundamental has changed because I do see silly, seemingly liberal inspired nonsense on this site from USA personnel. Additionally, it was the nonsense I saw in the Army while in Army uniform that made me seek a lateral transfer from Army to US Marines, I got it, lived it and saw in undeniable terms...………….. the Marine Corps is special and does not tolerate bullshit. THAT is the bothersome element of what I see here, how on earth can a military function with so much distracting crap? The simple answer is...………… it can't, it is a break down in order, discipline and respect not to mention it costs money, money the military has to beg for from politicians of all things. MAYBE that is a foundational reason the USA has undertaken a study to assess why the Marine Corps dramatically out performs it day in and day out. Not meaning to be harshly critical, meaning to express what I know and feel.

Fair enough. We all have our beliefs. I did 22 years in the Army and spent time in all types of units. I saw typical Army BS that occurs and I've heard that its the same BS that all Services experience from time to time. Glad the Marines gave you what you couldn't find in the Army. We can agree to disagree. Have a good Thanksgiving.

I never did what I would call an inspection on the weekends and off duty times. But I would walk through the common areas once and a while. I know from my time of being a young soldier living in the barracks some times things happen and action needs to be taken sooner than later. I once walked into the barracks and had several soldiers confront me because about 8 of 10 washers were broken. We contact the Supply Sergeant and got a repairman in by Saturday afternoon which allowed them to get things done without having to go down town.

SFC Don Ward - MY wife pullled 24 hour CQ duty at Kelber as a SGT in 4th Trans GP HHC and checked all floors regularly in 1981. The stairs were a bit of a challenge as she was eight months pregnant, but duty was duty.

You can't possibly be a CSM. What you're saying makes sense and in all my years in the service I've only seen one CSM that was sensible.

Never had in my first hitch in the USAF. 1ST Sgt NEVER inspected on weekends. Inspection were on Friday..maybe once a quarter. We are talking late 60s and early 70s here and I was stationed in England. Daily barracks checks were regarded as over the top. The guys worked in different specialties and different shifts. Disturbing sleeping troops was simply not on for the 1st Sgt. At any given time and day anything between 100 to 200 guys were on their sleep cycles (barracks held 300). In the 20 years I was in Navy we had 1 barracks inspection. I served most of my Navy time with the Marines aas a corpsman. I was ready for the first inspection...inspecting MC Sgt Maj said what the hell are you doing Doc? I told him why and he said you ARE supposed to inspect barracks for sanitation...were their any problems? I SAID No and he said then get out of my sight Doc never stood another barracks inspection either Sgt Maj was VERY explicit and my Chief told me the same thing when he found out what had happened.

The original thread was about USAEUR. I was stationed in Downs Barracks
(Germany) when Single Soldier Initiative (SSI) was instituted by GEN Saint. Basically there was this plan to not allow NCOs into the soldiers Barracks. They went as far as kicking me out when i made SGT. I moved into a closet in the NCO barracks! So It Seems this return of inspecting the troop barracks on weekends must be a result of the SSI not working out as a good method for troop quarters cleanliness/maintenance and Order. Later in my career as an NCO I think being able to check in, casually on the troops over the weekend just showed that the leadership gave a damn about them and their health/welfare.

Either that or there's someone in the Chain of Command who let power go to their head. Happens a lot. Some mid range O gets a hair up their ass and suddenly there's a regulation making the Enlisted personnel's life miserable. Usually the people higher up the Chain have no idea what's going on.

PO1 Jim Spencer - it's the army what do you expect

Safety and security. make sure watchstanders are doing their job, no unauthorized persons in unauthorized areas, no unsafe conditions (fire/electrical /other hazards). A general walkthru to make sure it isn’t allowed to become a pigsty.