Best Drill Instructor/Drill Sergeant stories

during basic training there was a lot of pt and our senior drill instructor liked to participate in pt with his troops, literally. while double timing up heartbreak hill in fort knox ky this di jumped on a recruits back and along with a 70 lb pack rode up the hill on this trainees back. it was amazing!

True exchange between me and my drill instructor in San Diego boot camp, May 1966:

Would you sleep with my wife, maggot?
Sir, no sir.
What’s a matter, maggot, ain’t she good enough for you?
Sir, yes sir.
Oh, so you would sleep with my wife, huh maggot?
Sir, no sir.
Can’t make up your mind, can you, maggot? Get down and give me 50.
Sir, yes sir. Private Maggot requests permission to get down, give you 50, sir.
Move maggot, move.
Sir, yes sir, Private Maggot moving sir.

This is a Company Commander story from NRTC Great Lakes. The summer of 1967 I was in Great Lakes for boot camp. Halfway through basic I developed appendicitis and had to have an emergency appendectomy and spent a week in the hospital. This same week was 'service week'. The Company Commander felt that since I missed service week I was some sort of malingerer and my penalty was not being able to attend boot camp graduation. I had to stay behind and clean the barracks.

i WAS STATION AT LACKLAND AFB 1952 the Sgt appointed one of us to act as a in between us and him This guy would inform us if we wanted liberty we would have to make a donation to the Sgt for cigars This happened several times We of course did not know we could have turned him in. He was a drunk so he needed it for booze

My story starts with morning formation right after breakfast, Ft Jackson 1980. I am talking old school barracks on stilts. We were all lined up in formation with one Drill instructor as the other was going through the building inspection. All of a sudden the windows on the 2nd floor flew open and laundry bags blankets boots anything that was smaller than a foot locker came flying in from overhead. I didn't think a man that small could get so angry. Then with the classic you have 5 min to get MY &$%$%# barracks in shape and 3 are already gone. you saw nothing but A&E looking for matches to shoes and boots. Worst part was the inside looked worse than what came flying out the window. Needless to say that would not happen again!!!

I was in boot camp (back in 59) in Ft. Benning, and our drill sergeant was 6' slim, mean but honest. Many a night we washed the floors with brushes on hand and knees. Just because one guy or more would mess up. we all paid for it. We were on Sand Hill. I believe worst place there. Sand got into every thing. I finally had enough and figured I was bad enough. While everybody was in bed we went out back. MISTAKE. I was a child. He didn't leave any marks on me. He was good. But I had his respect. Never told any one about it. Being a scout was best job. Out front at all times.

Best story for me was Ft. Jackson, S.C. July, 1975, 'tank hill' hot as hell ! Our drill sergeant... SFC Bryant was determined to keep our platoon the 'Honor' platoon EVERY training cycle. well, we had a Barracks inspection and he didn't like what he saw up on the second floor of our WW2 era Barracks... He proceeded to throw foot lockers out the windows (at least he opened the windows first). when he was done, the ground was littered with busted up lockers and we all stood at attention in disbelief !!
oh... we made honor Platoon :)

My drill sergeant one morning while we were standing in formation noticed that I had missed a spot of my beard when I shaved the night before. He got out his pocket knife and proceeded to dry shave me. I didn't move a muscle. :-)

The day we did bayonet training the drill instructor gathered the group together and said "Just remember this, if you're close enough to stick'em, you've been close enough shoot'em for a long time!!

When I joined the the Navy my three older brothers (Navy & Coast Guard - WW2 and Korea) warned me "If it moves Salute It, if it doesn't move - move it, if you can't move it, paint it!". When we finished getting our gear, the Master Chief asked who would volunteer to go to a dance! Everybody but me raised their hands. Chief told me to step aside & remain at attention! I followed his instructions and the rest of the recruits went into the drill hall. Chief asked me why I didn't volunteer and I said it was against my religion! He told me to store my gear in my locker, but first I had to observe my follow recruits. They were all doing a slow shuffle on steel wool pads, polishing the Drill Hall Floor!!