Who was your Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor in Basic Training?

SSG Robert Shipman & SFC Percy Yates, BCT 1980 Ft. Knox, KY, C Co., 1st BAT, 3rd Platoon - SSG Shipman actually impacted my military development more negatively than positively initially. Inspite of having caught a full pneumonia in both lungs, he insisted I was faking it, and came to sick call/the hospital every day to cuss out the MD's who were treating me and had diagnosed the pneumonia. He promised me every day that if it was the last thing he ever did, he would keep "slackers like me" out of "his Army". Inspite of his attempts to intimidate me into doing the "duffle bag drag" and giving up, I went back into training after recovery, and proceeded to have a very rewarding career where I felt very appreciated by my CO's and fellow troops alike, and I'm not blowing my own horn, but my career record speaks for itself, and if anything positive came out of my interaction with him, it's that I was all that more determined to not let him discourage me. SFC Yates kind of balanced it all with his fatherly way and his example of extreme professionalism, and he let his humanity show through now & again. Didn't yell half as much as SSG Shipman.

SFC Pedro, a big Samoan that had my respect immediately and I was no small guy.

SSG Brenda Merritt, She was a bad ass and I didn't recognize her but she used to work for my father, CW3 Hunsinger in 3rd Army HQ. She didn't reveal it until graduation day when she told me to tell my Dad she said Hi.

Sgt Garrison, Short man, slight of build, big attitude and in the end a pretty damn cool guy. He found my contraband Walk-man and Def Lepard tape in my pillow case one day apparently. Didn't bust me on it but let me know he knew about it when he had CQ and asked to borrow the tape. I thought it was gone but he discreetly brought it back in the morning nd told me a better place to hide my contraband items!

SFC Jack Tripp. His marksmanship instruction was amazing. Still fire in the high 30s and the things he told me to do back then still fly through my mind when I go to qualify. Still feel bad about the time he had a weekend off and we all lost our minds while he was gone. The smoking sessions lasted about a week after he returned.

I put him in a body bag in Vietnam five years later

7-27-77 A41 Drill Sergeant Bowington. A Vietnam Vet. And Ranger. Told us if anyone stills something for you. Go still it back from someone else. Had us go gas the other platoons. And when asked about it. We all denied it. I wouldn't even tell now. But sure he's Retired by now. And the statue of limitations should be up.

12B OSUT (C Co, 1st Platoon, can't remember the Brigade) Ft Leonard Wood MO, July 1992:
CPT B. Scott Hand - Short, squat guy, with a bald/shaved head. Could run endlessly for hours.
1SG LaCain - Terrifying, built like a brick wall. Huge hockey fan. Was French-Canadian I believe.
SFC Rodriguez - Wry in build and wit. Spoke with a heavy Spanish accent that he'd play up, not for comic effect but to confuse you and then smoke you for failing to understand him. Taught us how to make a ghile suit.
SSG Saunders (Sanders?) - 101 Airborne. Trained us hard, tolerated no BS, and really gave the impression that he didn't want you in the Army. Everyday was a battle with him to prove yourself.
SGT Huber - Coldest mo'fo I've ever met. Sharp blue eyes. Scary ability to focus and attention to detail. We called him Satan when he wasn't around. He once sat in a stall in the latrine pretending to be a private talking shit about the Drill Sergeants and asking about the best places to hide contraband. Followed up with the most brutal smoke session ever. I have never picked so many cherries in my life.

I credit these men with helping to shape who I am today. My successes are due in large part to the standards they held me to, and for showing me I could over come and adapt anything life would send my way. Oh, and that the RE factor of C4 is 1.34.

My drill sergeant was SFC Lerma at Fort Polk in 1970

CSM Michael J. Uhlig I have a better question, how many have found their Drill Sergeant here on Rally Point? I did with 1SG (Join to see) I even found the Supply SGT for my BCT SGT (Join to see).

My friend CSM Michael J. Uhlig in November 1974 at BCT in Fort Leonard Wood my Drill Sergeant was SSG Robert Ford. To make matters worse [for me], Gerald Ford was POTUS. SSG Ford reminded me periodically that I was an insult to the Ford family, etc. He was a great trainer who enjoyed ribbing me.
Image: SSG Robert Ford
FYI MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SGT Charlie Lee SMSgt Dr. G. A. Thomas 1SG Dan Capri SGT (Join to see) COL Charles Williams Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS SGT (Join to see) 1SG Michael Blount CSM William DeWolf PO1 John Miller CMSgt (Join to see) SPC Americo Garcia LTC Stephen C. LTC Bink Romanick LTJG Robert M. CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 SGT Carl Blas SSG Edward Tilton

SGT Adams. He was a 44-year-old E5 who had made E7 several times, but had a habit of getting drunk on payday and getting into a fight, winding up in jail, and being busted back to E5. A damn fine soldier, though.