Best Drill Instructor/Drill Sergeant stories

In boot camp, Fort Dix NJ, Poppa Company, October 1964
Addressing the entire company, the DI announced the training plans for the next day.
Trainee: What will be the uniform of the day?
Di: If you don't know the uniform of day, you can fall out with wall-lockers at port-arms!

July 1954.....Paris Island.

Returned from sand March early evening. Stood in formation waiting for mail call. As your name was called you ran to stand at attention in front of the DI and receive the piece of mail. You then requested permission to return to the ranks.
Unfortunately for me, the envelope contained a lipstick print on the back of the envelope. After a thorough dressing down from the DI, I was told to stand in front of the platoon and lick the lipstick from the envelope. Mail call was finished but I wasn't.(very hard on the tongue) After the DI was satisfied the envelope met his expectations, I was dismissed to go in the quonsit hut. The girl received a nasty letter from me demanding she never kiss the envelopes again. She didn't.....I never received another letter from her.

I had Basic Training at Ft. Bliss, TX in 1966. Our Drill Sergeant had just graduated from Drill Sergeant School, and I was in his first group to train. I remember his name, Sergeant McMorris, and we called him Sergeant Mac. What I liked about him was that he was never mean, never swore, and never mistreated any of us recruits. He was strict, but in a respectable, friendly manner. He was there to teach us, not bully us. And we responded well to that. We liked him very much. He was almost like our dad, who we wanted to please. We learned never to drop our rifles. If we did, it was a long run, and you had to say out loud: "I dropped my best friend." Good times.

I enlisted in 1980 fort Jackson. There were a lot of strong minded kids in the 3rd herd. There was one guy who probably grew up somewhere in the Midwest. This guy could do 100 sit ups and 100 pushups in no time flat. Later on the whole battalion had pass and review. The same guy which like everyone else was standing at parade rest. He was told by our drill Sgt to move a little left or right. He didn't listen or here the command by the drill. The drill proceeded to push privates aside to get to this guy. Drill Sgt picked him up by his l b e and placed the hardheaded guy in the proper space. The hardheaded prvt picked up the drill Sgt and threw him down. Then afterwards marched the hardheaded guy to C c f. The whole platoon talked about it until graduation.

Well, Company Commander story. At Great Lakes, Ill. 1977 I failed the rifle range not hitting one target. I was given intensive training for it. The next day, my unit voted me as honor man of Company 230. I was chosen to carry the colors (color guard) at graduation.

I am a 68 year old retired (20 year 34th Army Aviation Veteran). When I was in Basic Training, October 1969-March 1970. I was in my last week of Basic training at Ft. Bliss, Tx. I was in great shape Ranked 11th out of 256 other young recruits. My Drill Sergeant was named Humphries! What a guy! He was a Staff Sergeant! In the 7ths week of basic, I was carrying a full field pack and my trusty M-14, Yes, we were the last group to go onto NAM without even handling a M-16. I use to be a High Jumper in High School and tried to jump a wood cross beam on the Infiltration Course. Well, my back pack came loose and midway through the jump, I hit the bar (Balls first). even today I still have a Vericose Seal in my Left Testicle, Thanks VA! The First Sergeant came running over and said KREJCI get your ass up or Ill recycle your little ASS! Well, my Humphries did not take that likely, I was his best trainee and a 2nd Platoon Sergeant. He stuck up for me all the way! Wish I could find that guy in ElPaso, Texas...

Back in 97, in BCT, our DI never filed us into mess the same way. At the head of the line we had to sound off with our last four for accountability, etc. One particular dinner, we were filed in such a way that myself and another recruit with the same last four of our SSN were in line one behind the other. They thought we were being funny, and we almost missed chow before they checked our dog tags. So many pushups and flutter kicks.

How about pvt why can't you.hit that 200 meter target? For Christ sakes put on my glasses. Got glasses that day. Qualified as expert. Met him again at fort bliss. I was SSG. Him too

At Dix one of the DI's got hammered on his birthday and his buddies dropped him off at our barracks. He pulled the fire alarm and started screaming that he was going to kick our asses. Not really knowing what to do I came up with a plan to get him inside before the MP's or fire showed. I went out and confronted him while a couple other guys came up from behind and tossed a blanket over him. We got his squared away in one of the mop sink closets just shortly before the MP's arrived with the NCOIC. Even the company commander showed up. MP's were asking all sorts of question and everyone played dumb. I began making crazy faces at the NCOIC and he came over at asked what the hell is really going on. I took him to the closet to show him hank the tank and he took it from there.

The next morning the CO was not pleased as he knew something was not right and smoked the entire company as he thought it was one of us. While that day sucked after that basic got a lot more enjoyable for all - the group that saved the DI's ass got a pass on a day we had a long ruck.

Indoor mail call had me on line across from 3rd platoon D.I. office. Drill Sgt. Pierce made it a point to be at his desk right before we started. After sound off, "29, last man on line Drill Sergeant ", mail call started and Drill Sergeant Pierce would ask "what you looking at private?" As everyone here knows, there is no correct answer you can give. I wound up doing push ups every time - but guess what, I went from barely clearing reception push up test to crushing the final. Guess he knew what I needed work on.