Would you rather be a Drill Sergeant or an Executive Assistant to a CSM?

USAICoE CSM assistant for the win

I'd take the Executive Assistant to the CSM position. Respect to the DS route, but she can pursue it after this and also benefit from the additional mentorship, experience, and of course the meet and greets.

I'm curious as to why she was even considering turning down the executive assistant position when she could still do DS right after?

To me, this would be a easy choice, I hate paperwork.
Being a Drill Sergeant, you are the foundation for our future soldiers and leaders, some of your basic trainees will go on and do great things in the military, plus’s it’s fun to play the mind games they do. Lol
There is no one in the military who does not remember their Drill Sergeant even after 20 years of duty.
Who remembers the CSM’s assistant??

Airborne All the way!!

Holy smokes this isn't even a question! Were it me, I'd have jerked the CSM's arm off shaking his/her hand so hard while accepting the position! The way I see it, your NCO will gain VASTLY more experience and opportunity as an aide than they will as a DI. As several others have commented, DI's are a dime-a-dozen but there are precious few EA's to CSMs of that level. The opportunity to build contacts among senior ranking staff alone makes the position MUCH more desirable in my opinion. Since the CSM was a Drill also, I'm quite positive they will have connections among that community and can open doors that would otherwise likely remain closed. Drill positions come and go. EA to a MG level command CSM only happen once (if ever!) in a career.

Drill Sergeant