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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?
Drill Sergeant
Mentorship
Leadership
Basic Training
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 96
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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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SPC Phil Norton
FT Dix NJ 1990 terrible Torez SFC. He lived up to his nickname. Used corporal punishment to the limit, and told us that we were going to the desert to die at least every 15 minutes. I was overweight so he would load up my tray at every meal and tell me it had to be gone by the time he finished his coffee. After each meal we would be grass drilled till I puked. What made him awesome, was after final PT test. He looked at my scores and told me to report to the day room after lights out. I figured great extra duty. Instead he had me sit on the couch tossed me the remote and gave me a candy bar. Then proceeded to talk me into going regular army. Said my score was the highest improvement he had ever seen, and that he knew, that I was working out on my own to achieve that. Said I had what it took to make a career in the military. He then said don't tell anyone about this, and shut everything down when you're done. The next day I was smoked as usual, and it was as if it never happened. It taught me a valuable lesson in my military career. Never mix work and play. Knowing this allowed me to be friends with a lot of senior NCOs.
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SFC Donald Lemay
COL Mikel J. Burroughs - My favorite is DS SSG Richardson, Fort Jackson, 1975. He was tough, fair, smart. Did 2 tours in Nam. Kept trying to get me to go infantry because I qualified expert and knew martial arts. I loved the artillery though and used his leadership examples many times.
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SPC Gordon Holman
I too had Sgt Briggs and SFC Lewis
I was in C23 starting in June 1975
by the end of Basic I would have followed these guys into hell
I still have my basic traing class picture
I was in C23 starting in June 1975
by the end of Basic I would have followed these guys into hell
I still have my basic traing class picture
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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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LTC Stephen C.
SGT Jerrold Pesz, I know it’s been forever, but I found my BCT graduation book, so I thought I’d post the photos of all the cadre personnel. I was in D-3-1 at Fort Jackson, SC, 11NOV69-16JAN70. Maybe you recognize some of these guys? Ironically, the corporal I identified as a sadist is not pictured!
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SGT Debra Jahnel
I too was onTank Hill - 1981. Had a run-in w/another platoon's drill that resulted in his publically apologizing to me. Great nephew graduated almost 20yrs later at Ft Jackson, so we went down. Ran into THAT DI in the PX. (He remembered me.)
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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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LTC Stephen F.
SSG Jon Hill - when I was an Infantry training company commander at Fort Benning and later as Chief Test and Evaluation [46 drill sergeants] for the Infantry Army Training Center I supervised and rated a lot of drill sergeants.
A couple of my NCOs who were drill sergeants were investigated by CID. I worked with CID and my cadre to ensure the NCOs were treated professionally. In one case a Drill Sergeant was accused of abuse of a child, it was tough for him [he was not guilty] yet we got through that situation/
I had to administer Article 15 and that required treating everybody as a professional.
When Delta Force came recruiting for my Drill Sergeants who were airborne/ranger/special forces I had to bite the bullet and rearrange schedules in coordination with the Senior Drill so the NCOs could talk with the Delta Force recruiter.
In all cases I endeavored to treat my soldiers including drill sergeants with the respect due as professionals.
I hope this answers your question
A couple of my NCOs who were drill sergeants were investigated by CID. I worked with CID and my cadre to ensure the NCOs were treated professionally. In one case a Drill Sergeant was accused of abuse of a child, it was tough for him [he was not guilty] yet we got through that situation/
I had to administer Article 15 and that required treating everybody as a professional.
When Delta Force came recruiting for my Drill Sergeants who were airborne/ranger/special forces I had to bite the bullet and rearrange schedules in coordination with the Senior Drill so the NCOs could talk with the Delta Force recruiter.
In all cases I endeavored to treat my soldiers including drill sergeants with the respect due as professionals.
I hope this answers your question
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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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