Should NCOs inspect barracks during the weekend?

The first & second line leaders should know there troops enough to tackle this issue. For some, yes, daily inspections could be over kill. For others, it may not be enough. There's discipline, cleanliness, livelihood issues that all barracks dwellers face. Some are independent, some have never been outside of mommy's home before. It comes down to NCOs knowing their troops and developing them into adults. But when patterns develop, that's when command policies are put in place.

For me, some folks get checked regularly. Some less often. There's always the 'surprise' inspections too. I do my best to give ample personal space - sometimes it's just necessary to police up the masses though.

The only reason I disliked barracks inspections was because of the ultra-intrusive nature and nit-pickyness of the inspectors. I could understand checking the overall condition of the common use areas, but to raise hell with a locked barracks room over a bed not made, an open closet, trash in a trashcan, an item displayed on a wall... that was just pure bullshit that led to more than a few of us getting married just to get out of the barracks or paying out of pocket to live in a cheap place off post.

When talking to my fellow junior enlisted, i noticed one of the most common things listed when they say they aren’t going to reenlist is that living in the dorms/barracks sucks. I personally only lived in the dorms for 7 months before getting married, but I can’t imagine living there for years like some of these other junior enlisted do. The primary reason the dorms/barracks suck is not because it’s small and nothing works (although those are problems too). The main reason people don’t like living there is because of the inspections. Inspections that are too frequent and/or unannounced lower junior enlisted morale, make them feel distrusted by leadership, disrupt their lives, and give them the sense that they have no privacy. I understand why inspections are necessary, but perhaps if you want more troops to stay in the military long enough to rank up past E4, inspections should be less frequent and always announced in advance unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Is there a rule where they have to give a heads up before checking rooms? Cause this moring it’s about 6 don’t head down to pt till 6:15 for formation, I hear knocking so I answer and it’s my chief and my smoke just showing up unannounced. So clearly not knowing they were coming my room was a little messy, a pair of shorts on the ground, sinks is a little dirty etc. so now I get scolded for it but how is it fair if I’m married I get a 24 hour notice for a inspection but single soldiers don’t receive the same curiosity’s

I think weekends is going a little to far. They went in the military not sent to prison. They all know even the boot E-1s that the place has to be ready by 0800 Monday morning. The barracks DNCO while doing his or her rounds knows enough to keep things in a clean manner, and tell the people to clean the place up.

I don’t think there should EVER be room inspections, unless your going to go inspect family house and housing off base. Unless there is a clear indication of trash or abuse or whatever — I have always been disgusted that single military members are treated like children. Set out the rules and if they break the rules, handle accordingly — until then, leave them the hell alone. Ps. My brother was a 32 yo SINGLE soldier living in the barracks (because he didn’t get married just to not have to live in the barracks) and was treated to room inspections as well. It’s crap.

I was stationed in Germany at the time when Gen. Shali instituted his single soldier initiative. We no longer had barracks inspections and health and welfare walk throughs were announced in advance. We basically had the same quality of life as married soldiers in quarters had. We could even turn in out military bedding, furniture, etc into supply and purchase our own. We even had kitchens installed in the barracks. This was in the early 1990s. What has happened since to lose the benefit?

Nowadays the barracks walk through consist of checking if SMs secure their doors. You always take the staff duty and the CQ with you on this. If you find an unsecure room, do not enter, and announce yourself outside the room. I explain to SM that securing the doors reduces theft and assaults of varying degrees.

I can walk through the barracks. I will knock on some doors. If they are there inside their rooms, maybe they will answer their doors. If they are not home, that's okay too. I am not doing this by myself though nor am I doing it every single day. As leaders we should know how the problem SMs are. I am not going to hound someone unless they need it.

Absolutely not.