By Robert Johnson
Managing editor
One of the toughest jobs in the Army has got to be that of the drill sergeant. A drill sergeant’s day-in, day-out demands far outweigh the requirements of most other jobs I have ever seen in the Army and the impact they make on young Soldiers’ lives often extends beyond the few weeks of basic training.
Having never been one, I do have great respect for drill sergeants, although I have to admit that when I trained at the Benning School for Boys (Fort Benning, Ga.) way back when, I thought that everyone that wore a campaign hat was personally out to get me. Thanks to many drill sergeants, I discovered during my initial training that I was incapable of standing, walking, sitting or eating the right way. My ability to make a bed was always suspect and the skill set necessary to fold underwear escaped me. My drill sergeants highlighted the fact that the gene necessary to know right from left while marching had indeed skipped my generation. Needless to say, my experience with basic training was not altogether a happy affair.
And I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Some of the best advice I ever got in my formative years came from my drill sergeants. Some of my drill sergeants just tormented me and faded from my memories, but others instilled in me a sense of pride, confidence and a desire to excel at things I attempted. My drill sergeants’ good advice has stayed with me throughout my military service and into my post-Army career. Some of the better advice gems I received are:
Be prepared to wait. A dusty range late in the day and no cattle car in sight reinforced this statement to me. The Army is notorious for the “hurry up and wait” attitude, but guess what, so is the rest of the world. If you don’t believe me, try flying around the country. You’ll race to the airport to spend time waiting for your flight. Whether it’s waiting for a plane or a meal to be served — be patient.
Do it right the first time. I was taught this while learning to roll socks. I strongly believe in this advice, I just don’t happen to practice it all the time. How many times have you tried a shortcut, only to find that it’s not the best solution?
Take what you want, but eat what you get. This is a standard mess hall line (now called Dining Facilities … although there wasn’t much “dining” going on back then), but you can apply it to just about every form of greed out there.
Don’t be late; don’t be last. Many a good Soldier in my basic company were shipped off to an unpleasant detail for merely being the last person to make formation. I quickly learned that it is better to be punctual, or even early, than late, and never be the last person — especially when someone is cutting pieces of Army birthday cake.
Face your fears. Standing on the top of a Slide for Life is not the place most of us envision as life changing. It was for me. I learned right then and there that most of our fears are unfounded; the problems we face have been faced by someone before us and your ability to overcome fear of the unknown is the best way to find a rational solution.
To drill sergeants everywhere, I thank you for one tough demanding job and want to remind you that each of you have had a profound impact on the Soldiers you trained — whether it was yesterday or 37 years ago.
One of the toughest jobs in the Army has got to be that of the drill sergeant. A drill sergeant’s day-in, day-out demands far outweigh the requirements of most other jobs I have ever seen in the Army and the impact they make on young Soldiers’ lives often extends beyond the few weeks of basic training.
Johnson
Having never been one, I do have great respect for drill sergeants, although I have to admit that when I trained at the Benning School for Boys (Fort Benning, Ga.) way back when, I thought that everyone that wore a campaign hat was personally out to get me. Thanks to many drill sergeants, I discovered during my initial training that I was incapable of standing, walking, sitting or eating the right way. My ability to make a bed was always suspect and the skill set necessary to fold underwear escaped me. My drill sergeants highlighted the fact that the gene necessary to know right from left while marching had indeed skipped my generation. Needless to say, my experience with basic training was not altogether a happy affair.
And I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Some of the best advice I ever got in my formative years came from my drill sergeants. Some of my drill sergeants just tormented me and faded from my memories, but others instilled in me a sense of pride, confidence and a desire to excel at things I attempted. My drill sergeants’ good advice has stayed with me throughout my military service and into my post-Army career. Some of the better advice gems I received are:
Be prepared to wait. A dusty range late in the day and no cattle car in sight reinforced this statement to me. The Army is notorious for the “hurry up and wait” attitude, but guess what, so is the rest of the world. If you don’t believe me, try flying around the country. You’ll race to the airport to spend time waiting for your flight. Whether it’s waiting for a plane or a meal to be served — be patient.
Do it right the first time. I was taught this while learning to roll socks. I strongly believe in this advice, I just don’t happen to practice it all the time. How many times have you tried a shortcut, only to find that it’s not the best solution?
Take what you want, but eat what you get. This is a standard mess hall line (now called Dining Facilities … although there wasn’t much “dining” going on back then), but you can apply it to just about every form of greed out there.
Don’t be late; don’t be last. Many a good Soldier in my basic company were shipped off to an unpleasant detail for merely being the last person to make formation. I quickly learned that it is better to be punctual, or even early, than late, and never be the last person — especially when someone is cutting pieces of Army birthday cake.
Face your fears. Standing on the top of a Slide for Life is not the place most of us envision as life changing. It was for me. I learned right then and there that most of our fears are unfounded; the problems we face have been faced by someone before us and your ability to overcome fear of the unknown is the best way to find a rational solution.
To drill sergeants everywhere, I thank you for one tough demanding job and want to remind you that each of you have had a profound impact on the Soldiers you trained — whether it was yesterday or 37 years ago.