I was under the impression that with an AR you can open it up and clean it from the breech like I do on bolt guns
That's about it...
What other routine maintenance other than barrel cleaning do they need.
Once upon a time, long long ago in a land far far away, I had an RTO whose idea of cleaning/preventative maintenance on his M16A1 was to open the ejection port cover and squirt some LSA onto the bolt, work the bolt with the charging handle a few times and call it good enough. I told him that the first time his rifle malfunctioned I would Court Marshall him. Never did charge the boy... and this was someone whose idea of fire discipline was full mags on full automatic as fast as you can run them through!
God love you Wesley, wherever you are!
For a man of your experience, just field strip it and clean it as seems right and prudent to you.