prodded the inspecting sergeant to inspect even closer, he popped off the protective plate from the light switch and pointed out it was dirty inside,
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/-) !!!
He also taught me the trick which I adopted of inspecting the toilets by wiping a finger under the rim and licking it to verify that the unseen portion was pristine.
Of course it was a different finger but it was impressive to the young troops, and made a valid point, look deeper, find the hard-to-see parts, see the details, and think about what you are doing, complete the entire task, close isn’t good enough.
Posting this I remember how much young men have to learn about attention to detail and how the Army used to focus their minds on the little things, cleaning the floor with toothbrushes, hand waxing barracks floors, daily buffing of the floors, gig-lines, Drill-Dergeants that can see what the typical 18 year old thinks is unseeable in his rifle, or gear, or in lining up his socks.
When civilians mock all this and marching, and order, I ask them to imagine leaving a box of hand grenades and loaded M-16s in the barracks of typical teenagers as an illustration of why all that drill is needed to make the troops aware of detail and responsibility, to make their young male minds think, and to see things clearly.