How do you feel discipline has changed since the removal of drill sergeants from AITs?

The discipline did not change because they removed Drill's; the discipline changed because of TR 350-6

Yes restate them, they help to make a boy into a man!

I think it depends on the AIT. I went to the SAIC in Fort Huachuca and there was not a drill sergeant in sight.

To me, AIT was a much better place than basic because of a lack of drill sergeants. I kept my discipline, was a good private, kept everything I was taught and drilled in my head. but god am I glad AIT was nothing like basic. I was not in while DS' were at AIT stations but I feel my NCOs at AIT were fully capable of what they were assigned to do. from a recruits POV. the ones with the discipline problems in AIT were the same ones in basic. I don't think it has anything to do with the specific NCOs or DS'. but its on a personal level with the soldiers going thru their IET. we had a bunch of shit happen in both areas of training and both places had the same fuck ups who all ended up getting chaptered. I still respected my DS' and PSGs respectively.

This is something that I find very intriguing, but I've come to the conclusion that sometimes we confuse "lack of discipline" as "not following my orders when I say it."

I mean, if you really think about it, there has been a huge push for critical thinking within primary and secondary education these days. That being said, should we be surprised that we now have soldiers that won't just do things when they're told? They want to know the reasoning, and to be honest, a lot of NCOs don't know or don't care.

So, I'm not sure whether Soldiers are lacking discipline, or that, they're just a smarter bunch who wants to know why we're doing things the way we are.

I don't think it's necessary. I was in AIT for about 4.5 months, in the beginning I actually WISHED we had DS's there but once I loosened up a bit I came to love the atmosphere & PLT SGTs. We all respected our NCO's but I will say that the discipline level dropped going from BCT to AIT. That's also on the individual soldiers to be able to uphold their own level of professionalism & discipline.

OK Boys and Girls Welcome to the Special Army where everyone is a winner!!! Yay!! OK, one person got their E-2 rank now lets all pin them on at the same time, everyone is a winner. PV2 Snuffy is home sick let's all make him feel special. OK here is an AAM to pin on all your uniforms so they all look the same.
>>>>Me....tick, tick, tick, tick, tick..BOOM!!!

Drop and do push ups until you puke and I get tired or you puking. Roll over and do the dying cockroach until your hands and arms fall of then pick them up with your teeth. Prove to me that you have what it takes to earn the right to wear the uniform, if you can not I will show you the door. Now do the duck walk around the PT field followed by the crab walk and then alligator walk.

I started in the Marine Corps so we had none after boot camp because we had enough discipline (so they said) we didn't need them.

Well, Drills were removed in 2007. I've been hearing that new Soldiers lacked discipline since the 90's and I'm still hearing it now. Apparently it didn't make much of a difference...