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

SHC George Karahos, Company 668, Great Lakes, IL. Formed 10 November 1966. I am directly to the Chief's left

The impact CHief Kaharos made on me was immediate and long-lasting. He picked the Company Petty Officers from looking at forms we filled out and a short interview. This taught me to be brief and fast in my decisions and trust my gut in making them. Gather information and then make a decision, never second guess myself. Once he picked us, he trained us in what was expected and then let us do our jobs. He did not micromanage any of us, however, one person was replaced after only a few days. He called the rest of us in after the replacement and explained why.

One time I made a decision that was wrong. it was based on my desires not the best interests of the company. The Chief corrected me in private and assigned me EMI. Once the EMI was completed, I was back in his full confidence. See the lessons there?

During the next 30 years of my career, I often relied on the lessons learned in Basic. That included the proper handling of a rifle that I learned in my 40 hours of EMI. I taught firearms handling to the Sea Cadets.

Although I Don't Recall Their Names Off Hand,
I got Really Pissed At The Assistant T.I & Went After Him.
Fortunately, For ME; Two Other Trainees Grabbed Me & Held Me Back.
3 Years Pass & I'm Stepping Off The Plane To My Final Duty Assignment, In South Korea.
Who's Standing Out There Waiting To Pick Up A New Troop Coming In?
YUP, The Assistant T.I. From Basic.
Almost Simultaneously We Spotted Each Other & Just Cracked Up.
We Talked For Awhile & I Asked Him: "How Could You Remember Me,
With All The Other Whom You Were Training All Those Years"?
To Which He Replied "I Was Only A T.I. For Two Years
And You Were The Only One Dumb Enough To Come After Me"....LOL.

I remember a Sergeant White, kind of a chunky SFC. I was always amazed that he was able to keep up with all us young Trainees in Basic. I was one of the Rear Road Guards. When I was assigned that position my instructions were to scream as loud as possible if any vehicle ran me over! We also had two other Drill Sergeants that I remember SGT Feuker and SSG Davis. They did a lot to help everyone get through. ;-)

My boot camp Company Commander was a Chief Petty Officer with four gold hash marks. I was caught by a Navy Lieutenant smoking a cigarette while guarding a clothesline on mid watch. The chief called me into his office and chewed me out. He told me they may take away his gold hash marks because of me. I felt really bad.

SFC Clarence Baptiste

never forget them. SSGT Gorden and SGT Tucker

Sir, your outlook will have an impact on those who did not have someone throughout some of those years we’re it would have had an impact on them, myself for an example, had some what of a Family Unit and my mom did her best with three kids as I was the oldest. My dad Served in the Air Force, his dad in the Army and his Step Dad in the Marines, my dad grew up under his step dad and he was a mean son of a blank. My child, I remember my dad always working and when laid off he was working side jobs or on cars in the garage. I was held more accountable for things that were not my fault, I was involved with church activities, played sports and also never around the house till the street lights game on. I was a volunteer in a nursing home, I took Tae Kwon Do, I did activities with the Salvation Army, all this just to avoid being at home because my dad was always drinking as well, so I looked to others to fill that role I guess or just learned from those that I become to know, as well as learning and watching on how all the coaches I have had in my years of growing up. My dad was their but absent as he did not come to any of my games. Did I hate him? yes, but I loved him. If I was not shown any love, caring and how to forgive than I cannot say how I would have been nor were I would be.
Before my Decision in joining the Army, my sister was a member at a gym and became friends with Body Builders that participated in Competitions, my Friend talked me into joining and in which I had to lose some weight and get back in shape. My Sister introduced me to three guys and one of them was in the Marines and earned the Title Mr. Indiana in a Competition, these guys helped me get to we’re I needed to be. Within a few months of OSUT at Fort Knox, I received a medical discharge. My Drill Sergeants, DS Hoffman, DS French, and the last one I can remember in which, he lead to the medical discharge, was, DS Dossite (?) unsure how to spell his last name. There were a few others but cannot recall. DS Hoffman never cursed, even when, in your face yelling but for the most part, the Drill’s, respected us meaning that when we were doing drills, PT they were just drill sergeants, before lights out and while on fire watch, they were humble and spoke to us on a respected level and as to joke around as well. That changed after getting Drill Sergeant Dosittie assigned to the Company after his graduation, meaning more intense PT and Drills.
A year after being Discharged, while employed with the Dept of Corrections, One of the guys that helped me join the Army became employed at the Facility i was at. He quickly climb the ranks, at first I didn’t like how he was when he became a sergeant, so I promoted up as to not wanting to work under him. He than promoted to Lt. and once in this position his demeanor changed. I still did not like his Character in how he went about situations and was not seeing as to why he was that way. Few years later he promoted to Captain, at this stage of his career and with me still observing things, due to a Traumatic Brain Injury, my views began to change from what I remembered and knew of him. It was at that time, I actually saw that he was leading but not as an example, I saw the example part when he became a Captain. I also had learned and observed different things from different Supervisors at the Facility, and learned that Leading Teaching and than holding one accountable for their actions based on the situation and information given or have become to know, it’s what one does with that information in how it will be dealt with and if it was handled respectfully than the person in which received it would follow you. There is also a down side that you cannot allow yourself to get caught up in as well, this one is to easy to do and one may not see that they are being this way because they don’t see themselves like that because he thinks he his still leading and teaching, but what I have observed throughout my Careers is that each one has a favorite/s and or treats one favorable than others. This i feel is due to manipulation by someone who plays off the Supervisors interest and uses it as a means to think they maybe gaining the upper hand over other fellow employees. This I have seen and have seen three different Supervisors that I have learned from while at the Prison, develop clicks, and if you were not a part of any clicks, meaning you hung out with certain individuals and only told things to one particular Supervisor, than you were on your own, but was still respected amongst others and Supervisors but discipline was followed through with unlike if it was someone that was favored by a Supervisor more because that Supervisor wanted that individual to go to him with issues or other stuff. Some Supervisors know what they are doing and some get lost or caught up with the individual of who is gaslighting them. I call this “special privileges for special people” because they have good lip service/now how to talk/interact with the supervisor they like.
To sum up your question, I wish I could have remembered a DI that played a important part that would have helped impact my Time in the Military as to help shape me into the person I am today. Firm Fair and Consistency will have a Great Impact on an individual who carries this but also teach individuals, without resorting to the first steps of discipline, than that person will become a Great Mentor, Leader, Supervisor. Let’s not to forget, that one needs to have an idea or have been shown the foundations that will later help them grow to become that Leader. What I mean about foundation is, learning respect, caring, love, and knowing how to forgive someone. If one does not have someone to look up to and learn from, than joins the Military, I can assume that there would be a 50% chance that you will have a few individuals that will, become better as a person due to how that drill instructor conducted himself.

I hope that this was what you have asked and apologize for taking the long way around the tracks to get to the station, as this is part of my Disability and Hope that all can understand what I am saying.

Thank You
Shane Conner

DS Ogan and DS Hall

SSG Fielder. He was a straight up jackass.

SR Drill SFC Nesmith and SSG Gronsberg FT Jackson 1995 Delta 2/39 Inf co