Posted on Jun 5, 2015
Who was your Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor in Basic Training?
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Do you remember your Drill Sergeant, if not by name, could you describe his/her impact on training you, the mannerisms, the pet peeves, the swagger?
The impact of direct leadership during your earliest days in service help form the type of service member you will be throughout your career. That direct leadership changes very little as you progress. The more senior you become in service, the more distance you have between you and your immediate leadership however, that direct leader has a huge impact in shaping (mentoring) you. So, who was that Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor and how that leadership impacted your career?
The impact of direct leadership during your earliest days in service help form the type of service member you will be throughout your career. That direct leadership changes very little as you progress. The more senior you become in service, the more distance you have between you and your immediate leadership however, that direct leader has a huge impact in shaping (mentoring) you. So, who was that Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor and how that leadership impacted your career?
Mentorship
Drill Sergeant
Basic Training
Training Soldiers
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 315
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SFC Flynn, he told us Privates do you see this blue chord I have to wear on my hat? They make me where this distinction because I killed a private last cycle
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LTC George Morgan
In the Royal Army a Drill Sergeant is quite different, our DS's taught Drill and Ceremony. In my days as a Sgt., I completed my drill course under the auspices of the Grenadier Guard's, to whom the Drill Manual is second only to the Bible! At their Trg., Depot, the Drill Square is a sacrosanct arena, never to be casually crossed, under peril of being drilled to death!
For myself, the Drill Course was 12 weeks, wherein we we were drilled in every ceremonial the Army performs, Military Funeral, to Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I well recall one intrepid Sgt., who obviously suffered from an ID 10 T disorder, for he screwed up right royally! Allow me to inform you of this entire ceremony:
At exactly 2153, the Chief Yeoman Warder, dressed in Tudor watchcoat and bonnet, and carrying a candle lantern, leaves the Byward Tower and falls in with the Escort to the Keys, a military escort made up of armed members of the Tower of London Guard. The Warder passes his lantern to a soldier, and marches with his escort to the outer gate. The sentries on duty Present Arm's as the Queen’s Keys pass.
The Warder first locks the outer gate and then the gates of the Middle and Byward Towers. The Warder and escort march down Water Lane, until they reach the Bloody Tower archway where a sentry challenges the party to identify themselves:
Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?" Chief Warder: "The keys".
Sentry: "Whose keys?" Chief Warder: "Queen Elizabeth's keys".
Sentry: "Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's well".
The Warder and escort march down to the foot of Broadwalk Steps where the main Tower Guard is drawn up to meet them. The party halts, and the officer in charge gives the command to present arms. The Chief Warder steps forward, doffs his bonnet, and proclaims:
Chief Warder: "God preserve Queen Elizabeth". Guard: "Amen!"
On the answering “Amen” the clock of the Waterloo Barracks strikes 2200, and the Last Post is sounded, marking the end of the ceremony.
The Guard is dismissed, and the Chief Warder takes the keys to the Queen's House for safekeeping overnight. This ceremony has been paraded every evening since the 14th Century without pause even throughout WWII.
Now then: Said Sgt. Idiot was practicing the Sentry Challenge. Feeling even more stupid than normal this was his Challenge:
Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?" Chief Warder: "The keys".
Sentry Idiot: "Whose bloody keys?" Chief Warder: Two men fall in, march this man to the Guard Room!
You do NOT blaspheme the Drill Manual, then or now. It cost Prisoner Idiot, reduction in rank to Cpl., thirty days loss of pay, and extra duties. Extra duties being: Train all day and mount guard all night. Further, although married, he was confined to Barracks. This occurred in 1974. It was a vastly different Army then!
For myself, the Drill Course was 12 weeks, wherein we we were drilled in every ceremonial the Army performs, Military Funeral, to Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I well recall one intrepid Sgt., who obviously suffered from an ID 10 T disorder, for he screwed up right royally! Allow me to inform you of this entire ceremony:
At exactly 2153, the Chief Yeoman Warder, dressed in Tudor watchcoat and bonnet, and carrying a candle lantern, leaves the Byward Tower and falls in with the Escort to the Keys, a military escort made up of armed members of the Tower of London Guard. The Warder passes his lantern to a soldier, and marches with his escort to the outer gate. The sentries on duty Present Arm's as the Queen’s Keys pass.
The Warder first locks the outer gate and then the gates of the Middle and Byward Towers. The Warder and escort march down Water Lane, until they reach the Bloody Tower archway where a sentry challenges the party to identify themselves:
Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?" Chief Warder: "The keys".
Sentry: "Whose keys?" Chief Warder: "Queen Elizabeth's keys".
Sentry: "Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's well".
The Warder and escort march down to the foot of Broadwalk Steps where the main Tower Guard is drawn up to meet them. The party halts, and the officer in charge gives the command to present arms. The Chief Warder steps forward, doffs his bonnet, and proclaims:
Chief Warder: "God preserve Queen Elizabeth". Guard: "Amen!"
On the answering “Amen” the clock of the Waterloo Barracks strikes 2200, and the Last Post is sounded, marking the end of the ceremony.
The Guard is dismissed, and the Chief Warder takes the keys to the Queen's House for safekeeping overnight. This ceremony has been paraded every evening since the 14th Century without pause even throughout WWII.
Now then: Said Sgt. Idiot was practicing the Sentry Challenge. Feeling even more stupid than normal this was his Challenge:
Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?" Chief Warder: "The keys".
Sentry Idiot: "Whose bloody keys?" Chief Warder: Two men fall in, march this man to the Guard Room!
You do NOT blaspheme the Drill Manual, then or now. It cost Prisoner Idiot, reduction in rank to Cpl., thirty days loss of pay, and extra duties. Extra duties being: Train all day and mount guard all night. Further, although married, he was confined to Barracks. This occurred in 1974. It was a vastly different Army then!
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LTC George Morgan
Sgt James Dare - yea u talk it proper like ow we dus it! So wot u gonna teech. Idiocy?
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I started out with a slick looking E-7 named Gonzalez. Don't remember much about him as he was soon replaced by his no. 2, SSG Allendorf. Allendorf was very short and had an impish face. But you didn't dare let his cuteness fool you. He was in the 1st Cav. Div. in Vietnam in 1966 and was seriously wounded. In the early days of the Vietnam War, they were chintzy on medals (that changed when Maj. Gen. Fred Weyand was commanding the 25th ID in 67 and II Field Force in '68). Allendorf had a CIB, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, KP Badge (NDSM) and Vietnam Thank-You-for-Going (VSM) and Thank-You-for-Coming (VCM) Medals. He was tough as nails and would take the hard cases to the vacant third floor of our barracks for "wall-to-wall" counseling sessions with his tough-as-nails assistant DS, SGT Camacho--a short Guamanian who was in the 199th LIB in Vietnam in 1967-68. He had a CIB, Bronze Star w/V, Purple Heart and ARCOM. They made a heck of a team. This was at Ft. Ord. from 15 Dec. 1969 - late Feb. 1970. The fact we went on a two-week Christmas-New Year's leave made their job that much harder. . . .
Cpl Douglas Wuenschel SGT (Join to see) Sgt Earl Neconie SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres SPC Maurice Evans LTJG Danny Boncich CPL Jimmy Webb CPL A S Capt Rich Buckley 1SG Ken Rossi CPT (Join to see)
Cpl Douglas Wuenschel SGT (Join to see) Sgt Earl Neconie SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres SPC Maurice Evans LTJG Danny Boncich CPL Jimmy Webb CPL A S Capt Rich Buckley 1SG Ken Rossi CPT (Join to see)
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SPC Maurice Evans
I thank you for bragging on my memory about events over 50 years ago. i must confess I remember exactly what he looks like but the name is lost on my hard drive.
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SGT David Schrader
I did my BCT at Fort Ord from October 1971- January 1972
My DS was Sgt.Lane and SDI was SSG Torres.
Sgt. Lane was about 6 foot 6 and SSG Torres was maybe around 5 foot 7.
Reminded me of Mutt and Jeff (even though I would have never told them)
Both of them were Vietnam Veterans and pretty hard assed. In spite of being hard assed, I was very thankful for having them as Drill Sergeants. We learned a lot from them and I carried the training and knowledge that I received from them throughout my military career.
I tried to contact them after several years and to thank them, but have been unsuccessful in doing so.
I was in BCT, H-5-1, Fort Ord, Ca
October 1971 - January 1972.
Thank you Drill Sergeants Lane and Torres.
My DS was Sgt.Lane and SDI was SSG Torres.
Sgt. Lane was about 6 foot 6 and SSG Torres was maybe around 5 foot 7.
Reminded me of Mutt and Jeff (even though I would have never told them)
Both of them were Vietnam Veterans and pretty hard assed. In spite of being hard assed, I was very thankful for having them as Drill Sergeants. We learned a lot from them and I carried the training and knowledge that I received from them throughout my military career.
I tried to contact them after several years and to thank them, but have been unsuccessful in doing so.
I was in BCT, H-5-1, Fort Ord, Ca
October 1971 - January 1972.
Thank you Drill Sergeants Lane and Torres.
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CoC 1-3d BCT Bde Apr- Jun 66 49 years ago
CPT McKenna S. Mahoney , Cdr
1SG Gilette
SSG Bleach, Supply SGT
SSG Emer Brackin 4th Plt, My DS
SFC Pearl O. Mason Sr DS
SFC Dellinger 1st Plt DS
SFC Willie Mason 2d Plt DS
SSG Kane 3d Plt DS
SSG Craddock 5th Plt DS
SGT Berres, SGT Brown, CPL Korndorfer, SFC Turrella
All from memory........you never forget!
SSG Elmer Brackin, a Korean Ve
CPT McKenna S. Mahoney , Cdr
1SG Gilette
SSG Bleach, Supply SGT
SSG Emer Brackin 4th Plt, My DS
SFC Pearl O. Mason Sr DS
SFC Dellinger 1st Plt DS
SFC Willie Mason 2d Plt DS
SSG Kane 3d Plt DS
SSG Craddock 5th Plt DS
SGT Berres, SGT Brown, CPL Korndorfer, SFC Turrella
All from memory........you never forget!
SSG Elmer Brackin, a Korean Ve
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Sgt Dave Herrington
I'm not familiar with how the Army does it so why do you have DS from all those different platoons? I know they need more DS for you officer candidates, but your list seems a bit confusing?
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