'Personal Maintenance Time' Commonly Considered Break Time
Netizens Debate... Frequent Inspections Allowed by Directive
"During personal maintenance time, the battalion commander opens the barracks door wide without knocking and just walks in?is this appropriate?"
Recently, a post expressing dissatisfaction with a unit commander frequently entering and leaving the barracks has sparked a growing debate.
On the 9th, a post presumed to be written by an active-duty soldier appeared on the Facebook page ‘Gundaesup - Military Bamboo Forest,’ stating, "If it happened once or twice, I could overlook it, but it keeps happening." Currently, the post has over 200 comments, and heated discussions continue on other online communities as well.
The post seems to criticize whether it is acceptable for the battalion commander to abruptly visit during soldiers' rest time and disturb their break. In the military, personal maintenance time refers to the period after duty hours or on weekends and holidays allocated for soldiers to clean and maintain their personal firearms and combat gear or do laundry. The battalion commander, based on Army standards, leads about 400 soldiers and is usually a lieutenant colonel.
However, personal maintenance time is commonly regarded as ‘rest time’ for both officers and enlisted personnel. Since 2019, cellphone use has also been permitted during personal maintenance time, specifically ‘after weekday duties’ (6 PM to 9 PM) and from 8:30 AM to 9 PM on days off.
"More complaints as things get easier" vs "Knocking before entering is common courtesy"
Netizens who saw the post reacted sharply with comments like, “Knock knock, the battalion commander is here on official business,” “The military is running well these days,” and “Complaints increase as things get more comfortable.” A comment from someone appearing to be an active-duty soldier said, “It’s frustrating that we’re supposed to be comrades.”
On the other hand, some argued that “As times change, soldiers’ lifestyles should be respected.” They wrote, “The military overall lacks basic human rights concepts and has a coercive mindset,” “Honestly, knocking before entering is common courtesy,” and “Is it right for a workplace superior to enter your living quarters at will?” defending the original poster.
However, according to the Ministry of National Defense’s unit management regulations, unit commanders or military officers designated by the commander, as well as duty personnel, may conduct frequent inspections to ensure compliance with regulations, assess training levels, check the condition of weapons, equipment, supplies, and provisions, and verify the understanding and execution of orders and instructions.
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