Posted on Jun 3, 2018
In the Marine Corps are there such things as Junior Drill Instructors or Assistant Drill Instructors?
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Or after passing Drill Instructor School are all graduates full-fledged Drill Instructors?
Posted in these groups: 
0911: Drill Instructor
Marines
0911: Drill Instructor Marines
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 6
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(Traditionally), PISC had Senior Drill Instructors (SDIs), black belt, as the NCOIC of each platoon. Their rank could range from Sgt to Gunny, depending on the total DIs in the company. Each SDI had 2, occasionally 3, Assistant Drill Instructors (ADIs), green pistol belt with waist plate). Usually the “4th hat” was a recent graduate of DI School.
San Diego staffed recruit platoons the same, but called the NCOIC position Platoon Commander and the others Junior Drill Instructors (JDIs). Of course recruits NEVER used the assistant or junior terms. It is DI, SDI, or Plt Cmdr.
This may be out of date and both coasts may use the same terms now. I noticed in recent pics that MCRD SD stopped using “thumper straps” on their campaign hats (meant only for officers) and now use the single enlisted ‘foul weather strap’. Never could figure why they did it differently in the first place, but local tradition can get entrenched.
BTW, every grad of DI School is a full DI, the rest is seniority and duty billet title.
San Diego staffed recruit platoons the same, but called the NCOIC position Platoon Commander and the others Junior Drill Instructors (JDIs). Of course recruits NEVER used the assistant or junior terms. It is DI, SDI, or Plt Cmdr.
This may be out of date and both coasts may use the same terms now. I noticed in recent pics that MCRD SD stopped using “thumper straps” on their campaign hats (meant only for officers) and now use the single enlisted ‘foul weather strap’. Never could figure why they did it differently in the first place, but local tradition can get entrenched.
BTW, every grad of DI School is a full DI, the rest is seniority and duty billet title.
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MSgt Gerald Orvis
When I was a DI at San Diego in the late 70s, we all used "thumper straps" for our campaign covers. We had to buy them, but everybody used them. We knew the PI DIs didn't use them. Once, I left my thumper strap off and used only the single "foul weather strap," a la Parris Island (the way it was originally supposed to be worn since 1912). It drew immediate and somewhat unfavorable attention, so I switched back. It's still on my Stetson "Smokey." Of course, all DIs had hat frames to keep the hat brim straight when not being used, and we all had "unauthorized chemical additives" to spray on the issue wool felt cap brims to keep them from curling up or down - mine was Unscented Miss Breck. Of course, the reason I went out and spent a ton of money ($75 in 1977) for a genuine Stetson campaign hat was that the beaver fur felt from which it was made never allowed the brim to curl up or down - it stayed perfectly straight, rain or shine. And Stetsons were also exempt from the campaign hat "break in" performed by the other DIs on a new DI's cover - just to see what kind of fellow he was. MSgt Cater, I presume you are familiar with that.
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Cpl Mark McMiller
At MCRD, San Diego, 1980, Platoon 3060, we had Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Green and Drill Instructors Staff Sergeant Hernandez and Sergeant Chambers.
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MSgt George Cater
Somehow I lucked out on not having my campaign hat mangled as a new Hat. I did see many a new join get their utility cover destroyed during “E-too Qual” while in the Fleet. As soon as I got to MTU at Quantico (1978), I went to the Marine Shop and picked up a Stetson for $99. Wore it daily for 3 years, plus a couple of summers after. Sold it on eBay to a collector in Germany for about $150 after I retired. My prize now is my nutria quality Stetson from 1960 that once belonged to a team officer before my time. It weighs about 3 ounces and doesn’t need constant blocking to stay flat.
MSgt Gerald Orvis
MSgt Gerald Orvis
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When I was on the drill field at MCRD San Diego back in the late '70s, the most senior drill instructor of a recruit platoon was called the Senior Drill Instructor, and his assistants were called Drill Instructors. Usually (but not always) there were two assistant DIs to a platoon. Each DI had a role: One DI was the "hammer" (hard-ass disciplinarian), one was the "teacher" (who taught a lot of the ad hoc classes and who could be a hard-ass disciplinarian when necessary) and the SDI was the "Daddy" who could play it any number of ways with his recruits. Once a Marine graduated from DI School, he started out as an assistant Drill Instructor and gradually (and if he was good enough) worked his way up to Senior Drill Instructor (with the black garrison belt), or maybe Series Gunnery Sergeant on the Series Commander's staff. A few even made it up to Battalion Drill Master (especially if they had prior tours as a DI). There was no guarantee that a first-time DI would make SDI in a two year tour on the drill field - it all depended on merit and time served as a DI.
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David Hunt We had three Drill Instructors. A Staff Sergeant who was the Platoon Commander, a Staff Sergeant Drill Instructor, and a Corporal Drill Instructor. All Drill Instructors have passed DI School. What is your interest?
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/marine-corps-drill-instructor-duty-3332753
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/marine-corps-drill-instructor-duty-3332753
Profile of Marine Corps Drill Instructor Duty
Drill Instructor Duty is considered one of the most honored and valuable positions a Marine can hold and is absolutely vital to the process of development.
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Cpl Lloyd Dubois
Yes they can. Thats why they are called drill instructors in the Marine Corps, not drill sergeants.
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