The Army These Days

[Pete]

Inspections in small units aren't only of barracks or facilities; they are also done before patrols and operations. In around 1980 my Field Artillery battery had reaction force duty for a highly secure local facility. Our First Sergeant had to get after the junior NCOs to straighten out their guys' web gear and so forth. When there were practice deployments at the secure site guys' canteens would be falling off their pistol belts, the LBE would be twisted or improperly adjusted, etc. Inspections have been part of Western military organizations since at least the 1600s so in line units I wouldn't recommend doing away with them yet.

[Fuchs]

It's fine as long as the leadership personnel (including junior NCOs) doesn't forget what all such stuff is good for and what it's meant for. Things spin out of control and become useless if not harmful once they lose sight of the purpose.
There's also nothing wrong with explaining the true purpose to the troops, even to recruits imo:

The purpose is to generate a general discipline that is the basis for quick reactions to orders, preparedness and battle discipline. A disciplined force is a force in which all soldiers maintain basic standards (such as keeping your weapon cleaned, water instead of beer in your canteen and the like) without permanent micromanagement by leadership personnel (which becomes quickly exhausted when challenged, even without such micromanagement).



Lose sight of this and you can drift into the 'spit and polish' school quickly, even become harmful to your service (as were the infamous late 19th century Royal Navy officers who cared much about shining boots and total removal of coal dust, but didn't exercise gunnery even once per year).

Keep it in mind, use your brain and it'll be fine. The exact details (which rules will be set or not) aren't that important.

[Pete]

Fuchs, I agree with you. Jawohl, alles klar.

Hauptmann Eisen