Posted on Jun 5, 2015
Who was your Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor in Basic Training?
140K
995
421
159
159
0
Do you remember your Drill Sergeant, if not by name, could you describe his/her impact on training you, the mannerisms, the pet peeves, the swagger?
The impact of direct leadership during your earliest days in service help form the type of service member you will be throughout your career. That direct leadership changes very little as you progress. The more senior you become in service, the more distance you have between you and your immediate leadership however, that direct leader has a huge impact in shaping (mentoring) you. So, who was that Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor and how that leadership impacted your career?
The impact of direct leadership during your earliest days in service help form the type of service member you will be throughout your career. That direct leadership changes very little as you progress. The more senior you become in service, the more distance you have between you and your immediate leadership however, that direct leader has a huge impact in shaping (mentoring) you. So, who was that Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor and how that leadership impacted your career?
Mentorship
Drill Sergeant
Basic Training
Training Soldiers
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 335
0
0
0
I have a BCT Book but it's in storage. I can only remember DS Minter at Ft. Benning, G.A.
Looking back, it was the best experience and wakeup call in my life.
My DSs weren't the only one's who changed me. I'm so unlike who I used to be.
LDRSHIP is still central to my life.
My work ethic improved SO much sometimes I feel it is a curse.
Looking back, it was the best experience and wakeup call in my life.
My DSs weren't the only one's who changed me. I'm so unlike who I used to be.
LDRSHIP is still central to my life.
My work ethic improved SO much sometimes I feel it is a curse.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
My Drill Sergeants in B/5/2 Fort Leonard Wood, MO in 1977 wrre SSG Douglas Wiggins (1st CAV combat and unit patches) and SGT Bennie Nelson. Two if the finest NCOs I ever met in my over 47 years. They both taught me more about leadership, military bearing and how to be a man. I was the Senior Squad Leader (Plt Ldr) for my platoon and we took nearly every award available, from individual awards, most “Super Jocks” (PT Studs) and collectively, Honor Platoon twice during the cycle. Fantastic Drills, NCOs, Soldiers and men.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
DSs Michael Clark, Jahran Little, Darren Sweatt, and Delores Aycock. They kept me laughing all the way through BCT. They appreciated me bringing my family's legacy of military service to Basic. I didn't get in trouble and did what I could to support the leaders that THEY picked & keeping the trainees in my battery in line. They didn't need to teach me much. They also appreciated the fact that I could fight. I had more martial arts training and fight experience than they did and it came in handy one night at a boxing smoker on Fort Sill.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
BMC Santos and PO1 Florida. The latter was a slender Filipino guy who routinely humiliated us in rifle drill carrying that lead weighted Garand in the web of his hand and it wouldn't budge as he walked around. Chief Santos had us doing flutter kicks then called Down and left the compartment. We're catching our breath when the 1MC comes on with an announcement followed by Chief Santos "UP!" Both helped a lot of us (myself especially) that the group succeeds or fails together. It inspired group focus as well as (back then) 'encouraging' each other to pull their weight.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Yikes! The first one was insane. Seriously. Keep in mind we had “dorm guards.” A few nights in, a lock of one recruit’s hair was chopped off. Somebody stood over a sleeping gurl with scissors. Our personal items hsd all been examined, and we had no sharp objects. My panties were rummaged through while we were in class. Only the TI could have sharp object, access and intimidate dorm guards into silence. I was relieved to get set back two weeks.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
B-8-2, Fort Jackson SC, August 1970. SSG Berry was my Drill Sergeant. He was a Vietnam infantryman, and I'm sure he overlapped that experience into his style as a DS. Berry was a good guy--not stupidly harsh, but he did push us, and gave us grief when we didn't perform. He thoroughly chewed me once for screwing up--scared hell out of me. I actually went to him later and asked him to just do whatever he was going to do and get it over with. He let me sweat, and then forgot it. Good lesson.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
SSG Wardel Payne Fort Gordon Ga. E 2 1. He was tough, but not overly so. I was having trouble with the rifle movements on day. He asked me "Why did I join the Army:? I circled my right index finger around my right ear and said coo! coo!. He had a good laugh., and said you're all right Banket!
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Can't forget those DI's. SSG BRADSHAW, SSG TEETS, SSG DONAHUE . All were Airborne 12b and I think they enjoyed pinning our castles on our lapels at graduation. They had warned us if they were pinning them on us they were drawing blood. I still laugh about it as they tried inconspicuously!
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
At Fort Jackson my platoon senior drill was SFC Roger Deibien he was tuff and waid no more than 120 pounds. second was SSG Ralph Hauser from Texas, the Sgt E5 Robert Artrup he was a tough cookie. He used to be a senior NCO but had a run in with some officer and was reduced to E5. This was all back in the 70's and I still remember them well even the sound of their voices still.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google