Junior softball player and West Point Cadet Leila Hurst is a genius, leading the charge in the war against unkempt beds.

“Every morning until noon, cadets are in what’s called AMI (AM inspection),” wrote former Cadet Andrew Hutchinson. “When you’re in AMI, your door has to be propped open 90 degrees, your room has to be clean, and your bed perfectly made with hospital corners in the comforter. And there’s no sleeping allowed.”

It’s not so easy to get up at the crack of dawn every day and make your bed to perfection. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up and thought my sheets and blankets would be cozier if I added hospital corners. But then again, I’m not a 219-year-old military institution.

To fit these standards, Hurst revealed that she and fellow cadets have a secret for ensuring they’re always prepared for AMI. Let’s just say it’s a little unorthodox.

The process, which Hurst showed on TikTok, involves the standard hospital corners, held in place by boot-bands and an epic amount of duct tape.

The trick is meant to last for an entire semester. In the end, the underside of the bed essentially looks like a MacGyver-designed corset.

“We don’t actually sleep in our sheets,” Hurst noted.

And how could you? Sliding into that mess would be worse than putting on a straightjacket.

Observation Post is the Military Times one-stop shop for all things off-duty. Stories may reflect author observations.

Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.

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