Posted on Apr 8, 2018
COL Charles Williams
15.1K
217
61
30
30
0
Do you remember your Drill Sergeant or Drill Instructor?

It has been over 38 years since I stumbled into Fort McClelland, AL for Military Police OSUT, searching for the right path...

Last Friday, we had Drill Sergeants from Fort Leonard, MO come by our school to inspect our Cadets in advance of U.S. Army Cadet Command Drill Nationals. It was great training, as inspection is an event at Nationals. The kids were so so stressed out, it made me think back to my days with Drill Sergeant Jefson (front left). I told the Drill Sergeants and the Cadets how I still can vividly remember going from Replacement to D-11 and thinking this Army thing was pretty cool... That is, until the buses pulled up in front of D-11 and the Drill Sergeants got on the bus. Then, I thought, "Man I made a really bad decision."

Things have changed, but Drill Sergeants and Drill Instructors still have a lasting impact on our military and all of us. If you were a Drill Sergeant or Drill Instructor I salute you and I thank you!!!!
83a81338
8a89ccff
9c3d4137
Edited 6 y ago
Avatar feed
Responses: 28
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
20
20
0
Edited 6 y ago
56ba8b3d
COL Charles Williams THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONORABLE/FAITHFUL SERVICE:

roger that,.........well here it goes:

Dec 1989 - Mar 1990
Basic Trainee
C 3-22 FA, Basic Combat Training | Fort Sill, OK

Recruit: Conducted Basic Combat Training- getting a kick in the whole rear end.
A CIVILAN becomes a SOLDIER. Who knew 25 years and 3 days later, I would go to 6 combat deployments, serve in some of the finest units the United States Army could bestow on a Soldier. Most Ironically, Becoming a DRILL SERGEANT IN DECEMBER 2005 and serving at Sandhill, Fort Benning GA; with C/2-47 IN "Charlie Rock, Panther Battalion". I owe it all to my Drill Sergeants and a lot more gratitude. Thanks for training me to fight, win and survive and what the word BATTLE BUDDY MEANS. Yea, didn't know then, but boyee did they watch my 6 and cover me while I moved (the U.S. Soldier).

1ST PLT--MAD-DOGS

SENIOR DRILL SERGEANT JONES
DRILL SERGEANT PULU
DRILL SERGEANT WILLIAMS

SSG Jon Hill TSgt Joe C. SFC William Farrell PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SGT (Join to see) SPC Margaret Higgins SGT David A. 'Cowboy' GrothCW5 Jack Cardwell]] COL Mikel J. Burroughs ] CPL Dave Hoover A1C Ian Williams SFC Shirley Whitfield SPC Jovani Daviu SGT (Join to see) MAJ Ken Landgren LTC Stephen F.
(20)
Comment
(0)
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
6 y
COL Charles Williams - roger that, I know what you mean, I can still see Soldiers I have trained give me that 1000 yard stare from space....... when they recognize me.
(3)
Reply
(0)
COL Charles Williams
(0)
Reply
(0)
COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
6 y
SFC Shirley Whitfield - Wow!
(0)
Reply
(0)
COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
6 y
SFC Shirley Whitfield - cool. Thanks for sharing.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Stephen F.
15
15
0
Edited 6 y ago
(15)
Comment
(0)
COL Charles Williams
COL Charles Williams
6 y
LTC Stephen F. Believe it or not, those building (the Tins) are still here.
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Stephen C.
11
11
0
2955af6
SFC Richard DesLauriers was my BCT Drill Sergeant, COL Charles Williams. He was platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon of D-3-1 at Fort Jackson (Tank Hill), SC. BCT began 11NOV69 and ended 16JAN70. He was a comparatively quiet man and was in the business of mentoring before the Army formalized the process. Extraordinary non-commissioned officer. Extraordinary man.
(11)
Comment
(0)
SGT Jim Arnold
SGT Jim Arnold
6 y
LTC Stephen C. HA I was in B-3-1 13 years later but still @ Ft. Jackson
(2)
Reply
(0)
COL Charles Williams
(1)
Reply
(0)
LTC Stephen C.
LTC Stephen C.
6 y
Sgt (Join to see), you mentioned in your comment that you had a Junior DI that was a corporal and that he was a pushover. For us, it was the opposite. We had a corporal who reported to SFC DesLaurriers, but lived in the barracks with us. Whenever, DesLauriers left, life turned into living hell. Were it not for SFC DesLauriers being around as much as he was, the corporal might have killed us!
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close