Quote Originally Posted by redwriter View Post
First off, thank you all for your service! I'm a writer working on a character who is a CD in the military, and was wondering about what an inspection is like while on deployment, specifically in Afghanistan. Would you be allowed to have a personal laptop in your living quarters? If so, could somebody check your internet browsing history as part of an inspection? For example, someone discovers that you were on CD sites, even if it was before you were actually deployed. Just wanted to know if this is possible, am trying to be accurate.

Thanks very much!
Room inspections don't really happen as often as most people think, and almost never in a war zone. Not in the Navy, anyway. If you get a room inspection and you're out of AIT (we call it A-school in the navy), it's because someone tipped your command off that there's something illegal going on in there. They'll call it a 'health and welfare' inspection. And no, they absolutely can't check your browsing history during a random inspection. I wouldn't let them touch my computer, and I'd be well within my rights. That's personal property and they can't mess with it without your permission. Not that they would, though. Most inspections focus on "gear adrift" (shit that's not stowed properly), stinking-ass laundry that hasn't been done in months, and drugs/drug paraphernalia.