Which special duty is harder? Recruiting or Drill duty? Why?

SFC Michael Jackson, MBA — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:45:47 -0500

In my career, I had the honor of being a recruiter and a drill sergeant. Having been both, Recruiting was more difficult in my opinion. I felt they were both challenging. However, recruiting required selling an intangible opportunity that civilians can't feel or touch. Your success or the failure of the "mission", which is the beauty word for quota, was a calculated probability that sometimes worked in your favor sometimes not. A rough example, talk to 100 people/ 30 agree to appoint/ 10-12 actually show/ 2-4 agree to join/ end up with 1-2 after physical/security screening/ etc. Some quit and have enough respect to tell you/ some went to a black hole when it was time to go. When someone flaked on you, it was responsibility to make it up? no excuses. It normally happened a couple of days before the end the month. Despite your best efforts, ultimately couldn't control success or failure. You can increase your probability by talking to more people. I didn't go anywhere without looking for somebody to talk to about the Army.
As a Drill Sergeant, the job was itself was tough. However, you were given the training schedule at the beginning of the training cycle and followed it. You worked a member of the team. Rarely were you solo on a training event that mattered. If someone suffered an injury and washed out, it wasn't on you unless you made a stupid decision that caused the injury.
However, I'm curious how the RP community feels. That's my perspective. What's your view?

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2014 9:55 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:55:52 -0500

SFC Michael Jackson, MBA I will let you know what I think after my USAREC tour!

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2014 10:03 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 22:03:24 -0500

SFC Michael Jackson, MBA, I've never done either job, but I always wanted to be a Drill Sergeant. Never (in a million years) would I want to be a recruiter. Your description of the job and the "mission" (/quota) is exactly how I envisioned it working. God bless recruiters. I've seen the job recruiters have from the outside looking in, and it does not look like fun to me.

I also agree with you about being a Drill Sergeant. It seems like a hard job, time wise, physically, etc., but you're part of a team, and that makes it better. Plus, the trainees are (I would hope) motivated to succeed so you have that going for you.

What's interesting to me about both jobs is that it seems to be very easy to "stray" into trouble areas in these two jobs. "Fudging" on recruiter stats, what applicants write on their paperwork, etc. (I've heard this happens). And on the Drill Sergeant side, abuse (and inappropriate relationships/sexual abuse) of trainees has gotten people into trouble. I know those items - in both fields - are not problems if you're living the Army values. It just seems we hear about those types of abuses more often in those two particular fields.

Response by 1SG Frank Boynton made Dec 15 at 2014 12:32 PM

1SG Frank Boynton — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 12:32:58 -0500

Having been a Drill Sergeant and loathed the job of Recruiting, I'd have to say being a recruiter. What a thankless job. I had friends who were and they absolutely could not stand it. You could meet your quota for 6 straight months and miss by 1 the next month and recruiting command would be all over you like you were a red headed stepchild. The primary reason I volunteered to be a Drill Sergeant is because I dreaded the thought of being selected for recruiting duty. I would not have completed my 20 years had they forced me into that position.

Response by SFC William Adamek made Dec 16 at 2014 11:57 AM

SFC William Adamek — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:57:37 -0500

At least for the Army, at one point Recruiting duty had a suicide rate 3x higher than the rest of the Army and I am pretty sure that the divorce rate is/was even higher (no hard stats on this but saw it).

Personal memories:
1. Having 2 young quality potential recruits in my office doing contract packets for an end of month enlistment and the 1SG calling on the phone and yelling and screaming for me to kick them out of my office and report to him immediately an hour away because I hadnt made mission yet.
2. Throwing my recruiter badge into my 1SG's lap on two occassions out of frustration and anger over horrible leadership
3. Working in the San Francisco Bay area and being required to make 4 hours of phone power (calling prospects from HS and other resource list one call after another) right after the big Earthquake in 1989 with the radio asking everyone to stay off the phones
4. Being spat on twice, cardboard coffins laid out in front of me, people chaining themselves to a tree, being called a baby killer... all on a local college campus during desert storm.
5. Not being allowed to go onto a university campus in Uniform because we would cause a riot.
This in 3 years as a field recruiter and station commander and I Could go on...

Was never a Drill but assume that they can come up with their own stories. I do remember getting complaints from drills on recruits (in general) that we were bringing into the service. My response to them was always... think about the ones that we weeded out and you didnt get!

Response by PFC Tuan Trang made Mar 30 at 2017 6:55 PM

PFC Tuan Trang — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 18:55:57 -0400

Both job is difference, recruiter have a number they need to reach each month or so, drill segeant is always up and about with they recruits.