Inspection Incident

[Neil Albaugh]

I suspect we all have stories about things that happened during an inspection. Here is mine-

 

When I was attending the US Army Signal School in Ft Monmouth, NJ, an inspection was announced that would take place in a few days. This would include the barracks as well as personnel so it was vital that the barracks needed to be scrubbed clean in preparation. To prepare, the latrine was polished, waxed and shined well into the late evening a day ahead of the inspection and a Sgt sealed the door with tape and a sign "Do not use". Our company then had to use an adjacent company's latrine.

 

In the morning an inspection team of officers arrived and began to check things over very carefully. Finally, they walked down the hallway to the latrine where the tape had been removed only minutes before. The Sgt was confident that their prior preparation would impress the team. In walked the officers and they surveyed the impeccably clean latrine, from the toilet seats all upturned to precisely the same angles, to the polished chrome bathroom fixtures, to the waxed and polished white floor tiles. Only one thing marred this display. 

 

Right in the center of the pristine floor lay a large turd. The inspection team did an about face and quickly left the building. Apparently during the night someone had sneaked into the latrine, pinched a loaf, and left unobserved. I never heard anything about what happened or if anyone was punished for this but I am relatively certain that there were some interesting tales told that evening at the Officers' Club.

 

 

[kfields]

Neil, that's a great story!

It jogged my memory about some of the things I was a part of as a lowly enlisted infantryman stationed in Germany. 

We lived in updated pre-WW2 German barracks, about 4 to a room. Inspections were hugely important and all the stops were pulled out to make sure we were ready. Rooms cleaned, common areas cleaned, personal lockers in perfect order, field gear & rifle layed out on our bunks in a perfect preordained order. Everything in its place. Unfortunately sometimes items came up missing. The secret workaround was when the inspectors ducked into a room, a buddy from a previously inspected room would slip the missing item into the room where it was needed so the inspection would go on without a hitch. We got pretty good at it!

I think about all the issues surrounding COVID when it seemed like that was all that was discussed 5 years ago. In about 1977-ish, the swine flu epidemic was raging all about. At morning roll call one day, they announced that we were all being marched to the dispensary to have our swine flu shot. No discussion, no chance to opt out, it was expected.

[Neil Albaugh]

2 hours ago, kfields said:

Neil, that's a great story!

It jogged my memory about some of the things I was a part of as a lowly enlisted infantryman stationed in Germany. 

We lived in updated pre-WW2 German barracks, about 4 to a room. Inspections were hugely important and all the stops were pulled out to make sure we were ready. Rooms cleaned, common areas cleaned, personal lockers in perfect order, field gear & rifle layed out on our bunks in a perfect preordained order. Everything in its place. Unfortunately sometimes items came up missing. The secret workaround was when the inspectors ducked into a room, a buddy from a previously inspected room would slip the missing item into the room where it was needed so the inspection would go on without a hitch. We got pretty good at it!

I think about all the issues surrounding COVID when it seemed like that was all that was discussed 5 years ago. In about 1977-ish, the swine flu epidemic was raging all about. At morning roll call one day, they announced that we were all being marched to the dispensary to have our swine flu shot. No discussion, no chance to opt out, it was expected.

Thanks, our missile shop had been a WWI German Cavalry horse barn. Germany was good duty in those days.

[12thengr]

Our whole Kaserne, (Anderson Barracks) was a former Wermacht facility. Refurbished barracks and I suppose additional buildings. Still in existence from what I gather, but abandoned for years.

[268th C.A.]

Thats funny stuff, nothing to do with inspections, but I remember the latrine graffiti at FIG or Fort Indiantown Gap, written on the wall it said, Last night as I lay in my bunk, I ask God what I am doing here at FIG, God replied, Where? 

 

 

 

[GAZOO]

+++