What was your most memorable experience as a Drill Sergeant?

2014-03-15T15:28:40-04:00

There are many things anyone who has ever been a Drill Sergeant could say bad about being a drill sergeant...early mornings, late night, NO days off...ect.  That said, there are tons of things I think are great as well.  I really liked watching my soldiers turn from civilian to soldier.  I loved watching how the Army Values slowly started taking ahold of their lives.  What are some of your most memorable experience?  

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Mar 15 at 2014 3:31 PM

2014-03-15T15:31:51-04:00

"Drill SGT, my recruiter said...."

Let me talk to your recruiter son

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Feb 19 at 2015 4:55 AM

2015-02-19T04:55:36-05:00

It was during range week. We were stopped for lunch which had been trucked out (A's). I was leaning on one of the permanent field tables at the end of the chow line watching the privates go by with their full trays. Soon some of my privates started coming by. "Hey Private", coming to attention with his tray, "Yes, Drill Sergeant". "You can eat with me today". With this his eyes got real big. He knew Privates never ate with their DS. I looked at him, "Just set your tray down and eat right here" as he was across the table from me. He very carefully sat his tray down and began to eat, slowly, carefully. Soon another DS came up, "Hey Dawson, what's up?", "Oh, I just watchin one of my Privates eat his lunch.", "Mind if I watch?", "No problem." So this other DS and I are watching this private eat. His eyes are very big, he is careful not to drop anything. Soon and couple more DS come up, "Hey what's going on?", one asked me. "I'm watchin this Private eat his lunch.", I replied. "Can we watch?", Sure I replied. So now there was 4 DS lined up across from this Private watching him eat his lunch. His eyes are shifting between the steely eyed looks he's getting. "Private, if we was at war, and I was hungry, would you share your food with me", I asked? "Yes Drill Sergeant," was his fast reply. "Fine Private, eat, just eat, but don't swallow" were my instructions. Soon he had developed chipmunk cheeks. "Stop" Now I looked his right in the eyes and extended my open hand, palm up. "I want mine now" His eyes got real big. In his muffled reply he managed to say, "Just take it from my tray". "Private you know I can't take food from your tray, but I want my half now." His pleading eyes looked for help from the other DS, but he found none. Finally he dropped this wad of chewed up stuff in my hand. I looked at it, "Oh, you got the beef, great!" I then popped it in my mouth and it was gone. I thought this kid was going to die. After he ran to the woods, upchucked his lunch, he came back grabbed his tray and departed. Soon we could hear this story being repeated. I thought the other three DSs were going to die of laughter. I soon earned a reputation in my platoon and the company. My platoon was honor platoon of that cycle.

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 12:16 PM

2016-05-23T12:16:18-04:00

Not getting court-martialed.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made May 23 at 2016 1:32 PM

2016-05-23T13:32:36-04:00

Can't wait to hear some stories from these Drill Sergeants: CW3 Dylan E. Raymond, PHR, SFC Chad Sowash, SFC Josh Billingsley.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 3:12 PM

2016-05-23T15:12:35-04:00

I was on CQ cruising on my phone at about 0230 and I decided to look up the company Facebook page. I saw one of the trouble makers mother replying to one of the posts. She is proud blah blah blah. I continue to scan and study her information. Soon I had an idea and studied another one of my soldiers info. The next day I seen the trouble maker walking with his tray of food. I asked how is mother was doing. I mentioned her by name. I asked if he was gonna write her a birthday letter since her bday was a week away. I continued on about how she loved pit bulls and was a great person for the rescues she does. His eyes were almost all the way out of his head. He didn't know whether to be scared or upset that I knew so much about his mother. What topped it off was when the other Soldier walked by and I started asking him why there was a hand rail in the middle of the steps to his house and not the side. If they were on the side it would prevent people from falling onto the rose bushes that his mother workes so hard to keep. I said a few more things and quietly whispered to them that i knew they were coming before there recruiter did. Till this day I don't think they understand the amount of information a person can get from Facebook.

Response by CW3 Dylan E. Raymond, PHR made May 23 at 2016 3:25 PM

2016-05-23T15:25:57-04:00

I had lots of memorable moments as a Drill Sergeant and like Cameron it was seeing those civilians transition into Soldiers. The 2 that stand out to me is while pushing troops at Ft Leonard wood during range week the Soldiers are not doing any physical training beside the road March. So we are on a road march to one of the other ranges and spread out with our interval. Some Soldiers in my platoon was talking so I go up to them and say you have a lot of energy private here what I need you to do since we are the 3rd Platoon in order. Go up front and ask the platoon Sergeant/1SG what time chow was? So he take off weapon at port arms canteens shaking around.....he runs back to me and he says the 1SG said it's on the training schedule....but its 700am so I ask the private did he tell you in military time or civilian time.......he hesitated and said Uh...uh....by then I caught another Soldier talking so I told to be private #1 battle buddy and go ask the 1SG if its in military time or civilian time. So they hustle back to me sounding off it was military time. By then I said private I have 50 Soldiers that I am taking care off and you want me to keep track of the time chow is.....go in the back and tell SSG Brown what time chow is. The Soldiers then run back up to me and say SSG Brown already know what time chow is....I said okay by then the private are beginning to enjoy it the are getting in some windsprints with equipment on so they will be ready for the PT test. So I said run up front and tell SFC Smith that SSg Brown knows what time chow is.. By then the Drill SGT is catching on and he tell the privates running up and down the line to tell me to be careful there was a sniper in the tree. So I said outstanding PVT.....with some hesitation asked the PVT did he tell you what tree they were in....and then the deer in the headlight look.....you better go ask BYE!!!!! he comes back to me and told me its the big tree on the right.....I told the PVT I already know he called me on the radio go and let SSG Brown know so that his Soldiers will know how and when to react......That was taking care of the Soldiers especially those that was weak in their PT.

The 2nd one was I was walking the floor and took off my BDU top and grabbed a dust mop sweeping down the halls and listening to the chatter in the rooms to see if I heard something that was unusual. The PVT's that saw me I told them they better not open their mouth and ;at at ease Drill SGT on the floor. Anyway I came up to one room that was empty and one of the PVT's locker was unsecured....thats a great day for the Drill SGT's so the PVT's starting marching in the room singing and horse playing so I told them they better not sound off even if Jesus Christ come through the door. So I got inside of the locker sat on the 3 drawer storage and closed myself in......and the funniest....I mean the funniest thing when the private open the locker and a Big Drill SGT jumped out the poor boy turned from Black to white for a few minutes.....mind you I did not have to worrying about Soldiers leaving their wall lockers unsecured the rest of that cycle......everyone was looking over their shoulders to see if Drill SGT Raymond was moving around stealth........Make Ready! Stay Ready! This well defend!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 11:32 PM

2016-05-23T23:32:18-04:00

I had several recruits that were the children of parent I grew up with and graduated High School with.. talk about far out. I had fun messing with them, never letting them know how I knew so much about their life, such as the color of their house for example.

Response by CSM William Payne made May 24 at 2016 8:30 AM

2016-05-24T08:30:53-04:00

Back in the day during the mid eighties, Drill Sergeants were pretty much relegated to being cattle herders and baby sitters.

We were responsible primarily for PT, D&C, barracks maintenance and reinforcement training. But our primary job was to move the trainees from class to class on schedule and then baby sit them once they got there.

Most of the classes back then were conducted be SMEs, either green suitors or contractors.

We were at AT at Fort Benning. One class we took the the Soldiers to had to do about counties that were currently on our hit list.

At the end of the class they brought out a smarmy looking character in a Cuban military uniform that did his best Fidel Castro imitation. In reality he was a former Drill Sergeant of obvious Hispanic descent.

But what he did was talked about how communism was superior to democracy and that WHEN World War III happened, and it was surely going to happen, then we would surely lose because we were so weak.

By the time he had finished his "propaganda" spiel he had the trainees foaming at the mouth. The Drill Sergeants had set up a parameter around the stage and by the end that's all we could do was to keep them from bum rushing the stage and physically assaulting him.

That and chasing down gassed trainees in Death Valley!

Seriously, the satisfaction of turning mush brained civilians into newly minted Soldiers was the best experience of all.

Response by SSG William Jones made May 24 at 2016 12:06 PM

2016-05-24T12:06:38-04:00

Graduation day at drill sergeant school at Fort Knox was a highlight. I received my hat and my pumpkin patch and I was quite proud of it. SSG Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SFC Chad Sowash made May 24 at 2016 12:40 PM

2016-05-24T12:40:18-04:00

Some of the most memorable moments happened during turning blue or on the graduation field. Parents would walk right past their son because their new Infantryman had lost 40lbs and they couldn't recognize them. Or maybe the time when these new Infantrymen would forego having their parents or relatives bestow the blue cord upon them for the very first time and ask me to dawn the Infantry colors on their shoulders. It was the end product of 14 weeks of training, mentorship, and pain which made me proud. This would only be bested by my guys - my now brothers - who would reach our years after graduation and share their personal trials and tribulations. Yes, being BIG DRILL was a hard job, but I have to say it's an amazing journey.

Response by SSG Rich Metzger made May 26 at 2016 8:26 PM

2016-05-26T20:26:06-04:00

Those little charming moments when Joe Trainee (yes, I know that phrase would constitute Trainee Abuse) made me wonder if I'd see sunset. Giving instruction to one guy, and then turning around to look right into the tail end of an armed M-72(sub caliber rocket installed), or when he catches a case of the clumsy-fumbles in the damn grenade pit on "live-throw day". Or when I'm exhausted after not sleeping for about 40 hours, and step forward of a Joe with live ammo and hear his rifle go off. Fortunately, the kid was a good shot, and the rubber "Russian" in the foxhole took the hit. That generated some excitement.