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I'm a DS and I see the hunger in a Soldiers eyes to be like his DS. What made your Drill Sergeant separate himself from the others?
Basic Training
Mentorship
Leadership
Drill Sergeant
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 189
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SSG (Join to see) Well it has been a long time ago since I was in Basic Training 1975 and the one I remember the most was SGT Briggs (Yes just a Buck Sergeant) with a CIB. He was the lowest ranking DI on the post I believe, but he was very good and tough. I had the chance to ask him why he was only a Buck Sergeant after BCT was over and he said that he had punched out an Officer on his last tour in Vietnam and it had followed him to this post (Fort Lost in the Woods, MO) and to this assignment. That's all I can remember, the rest was just a blur at the age of 17 and went very fast over a 13-week period!
This is a great question Lawrence. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with my RP Connections for their input?
1SG Franklin Burks Sgt Rusty Dillon SFC (Join to see) PVT Kimberly Anderson SGT (Join to see) SCPO (Join to see) PFC Carmen A Garcia SrA Kadie Stoller MSgt Mark Bucher Cpl Craig Marton SPC Ron Cre Cpl Brian Johnston PO3 (Join to see)
GySgt David Weihausen SGT Michael Peterson SSG James Willis PO2 Clayton Smith Sgt Larry Hayes SSgt Ginger Benzel-Dryden
This is a great question Lawrence. I hope you don't mind me sharing it with my RP Connections for their input?
1SG Franklin Burks Sgt Rusty Dillon SFC (Join to see) PVT Kimberly Anderson SGT (Join to see) SCPO (Join to see) PFC Carmen A Garcia SrA Kadie Stoller MSgt Mark Bucher Cpl Craig Marton SPC Ron Cre Cpl Brian Johnston PO3 (Join to see)
GySgt David Weihausen SGT Michael Peterson SSG James Willis PO2 Clayton Smith Sgt Larry Hayes SSgt Ginger Benzel-Dryden
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SSG Elbert Thomas
Don't remember any names, but on Oct 1969, at Fort lost in the woods, MO, all of the Drill SGT's were on their last cycle before going home. They "said" that they took it easy on us, lol.
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SSG Elbert Thomas
I forgot to add, that I was the only one that wasn't going for Combat Arms or Combat Engineers. I was sent to Air Defense School at Ft Bliss. They (The Drill Sgts) thought it was because my older Brother was in Vietnam already.
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1LT (Join to see)
Basic training June 1980, Ft. Leonardwood Missouri, SSG. Trump and SSG Read, both Vietnam combat veterans. On day one they told us, we will never forget their names, 45 years later I still remember them.
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SSG (Join to see), I may surprise you with this response. I went to BCT from 11NOV69 to 16JAN70. I was assigned to first platoon of D-3-1 at Fort Jackson (Tank Hill), SC.
The drill sergeant of 1st platoon was SFC Richard DesLauriers. He was a kind and comparatively quiet man, atypical of many BCT drill sergeants. Don't get me wrong. If he needed to drop the hammer, he dropped the hammer!
However, he was in the business of mentoring before the Army even formalized the process and was most worthy of emulation. Extraordinary NCO.
I've tried to find him many times through various media to no avail, in order that I might thank the man for being the extraordinary NCO that he was to me and the other basic trainees.
The drill sergeant of 1st platoon was SFC Richard DesLauriers. He was a kind and comparatively quiet man, atypical of many BCT drill sergeants. Don't get me wrong. If he needed to drop the hammer, he dropped the hammer!
However, he was in the business of mentoring before the Army even formalized the process and was most worthy of emulation. Extraordinary NCO.
I've tried to find him many times through various media to no avail, in order that I might thank the man for being the extraordinary NCO that he was to me and the other basic trainees.
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A1C Shelbey Hinkelmann
My Dad was in basic training at Ft Jackson in 1942 preparing for war. He was in the 77th Infantry Division. They trained to go to the desert of Africa, then trained for the swamps of the South Pacific. If you've seen Hacksaw Ridge, that was my Dad's infantry division. He was wounded in that battle and always told me that Private Desmond Doss got him off that 'escarpment', the name the veterans of that battle called that ridge. Amazing to see that fort is still being used for basic training today!
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LTC Bruce Arlinghaus
Well, the world and the Army are small. 1SG D, as I knew him, was my first Top when I reported in Germany as a new 2LT.
CSC 1-4 Infantry (Warriors)-AT Platoon Leader for Ron Green and Tex Turner. Did D always kick the waste paper can when he was I'd off?
CSC 1-4 Infantry (Warriors)-AT Platoon Leader for Ron Green and Tex Turner. Did D always kick the waste paper can when he was I'd off?
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LTC Stephen C.
No can kicking from SFC DesLauriers during BCT, LTC Bruce Arlinghaus! Incredible to find someone who served with him!
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When I went through 12 BCT and AIT at Fort Leonard Wood beginning in November 1974, I had the misfortune to have the same last name as the junior platoon drill sergeant SSG (Join to see). SSG Ford made sure that Private Ford knew I was an insult to the family tree from time to time. All-in-all he was a even-keeled Drill Sergeant who trained us professionally and never called for mass corporal-punishment. In those days cut-aways [front leaning rest to parade rest over asphalt] and dying cockroach were two of the more memorable punishments. I still have scars on my chin from when I hit the asphalt and bounced of my chin. Some unfortunate trainees hit their faces and ended up with bloody noses.
When I was assigned to Fort Dix to serve as drill cadet for a training cycle, I remembered the good I learned from my drill sergeants and the special forces training NCOs who trained us at West Point each summer and treated the trainees fairly but firmly as I instructed them in 1978.
In 1985 and 1986 I commanded an infantry training company at Harmony Church, Fort Benning. I did my best to ensure the drill sergeants were professional and were treated as professionals as we worked to train each cycle with them doing the vast majority of the work.
Thanks for mentioning me COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 Charlie Poulton CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC William Farrell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx TSgt Joe C. SGT (Join to see) SGT Robert Hawks SGT Robert George SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Forrest Stewart SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright SPC (Join to see)
When I was assigned to Fort Dix to serve as drill cadet for a training cycle, I remembered the good I learned from my drill sergeants and the special forces training NCOs who trained us at West Point each summer and treated the trainees fairly but firmly as I instructed them in 1978.
In 1985 and 1986 I commanded an infantry training company at Harmony Church, Fort Benning. I did my best to ensure the drill sergeants were professional and were treated as professionals as we worked to train each cycle with them doing the vast majority of the work.
Thanks for mentioning me COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 Charlie Poulton CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC William Farrell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx TSgt Joe C. SGT (Join to see) SGT Robert Hawks SGT Robert George SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Forrest Stewart SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright SPC (Join to see)
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SGM (Join to see)
I had two of the most memorable and remarkable (NCOs) as Drill Sergeants I ever met! And I met many of them through a four-year long project I ran for a "job", as a DoD civilian I had back in the late 90s. Long story, and a long time ago, but I met and interviewed probably 250 Drill Sergeants over that time and had copious amounts of beer with many of them!
Back to my BCT drill sergeants, back in 1972. DS Jackson (a SSG) was our assigned platoon drill sergeant and our senior drill sergeant, who also helped DS Jackson was Senior Drill Sergeant Babbs. They were tough as nails, but fair, and spent a lot of time with us just cleaning weapons and such. They were just special men who really molded us into men from the boys we were when we started. They could also rip you a new anal aperture whenever they thought it was warranted (and they were usually right)!
Back to my BCT drill sergeants, back in 1972. DS Jackson (a SSG) was our assigned platoon drill sergeant and our senior drill sergeant, who also helped DS Jackson was Senior Drill Sergeant Babbs. They were tough as nails, but fair, and spent a lot of time with us just cleaning weapons and such. They were just special men who really molded us into men from the boys we were when we started. They could also rip you a new anal aperture whenever they thought it was warranted (and they were usually right)!
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SGM (Join to see) for letiing us know that you had "two of the most memorable and remarkable (NCOs) as Drill Sergeants [you] ever met!" Thanks for horing your BCT Drill Sergeant SSG Jackson and your Senior Drill Sergeant SFC Babbs.
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CSM John Cartwright
SFC Mike Penning,Fort Knox outstanding Drill Sergeant,motivater,Vietnam veteran,and later great friend.
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