¶ … man's realization of his dream of becoming a United States Army Drill Sergeant. The introductory part provides an initial glimpse of how drill sergeants are commonly seen by ordinary people and the stereotype Hollywood movies have made on this important members of the United States Army. Thereafter, the paper takes the reader to how the person became a drill sergeant and the kind of course taken to earn the title as well as have the privilege of wearing the drill sergeant hat and badge. The paper then progresses into the initial assignment after completing the drill sergeant course and concludes with the more responsible posting as a Senior Drill Sergeant in one of the United States Army's training schools.
Personal Experience
Introduction
Most people have seen and are familiar with the United States Army recruiting slogan "Be All You Can Be." For over two decades (from 1980 to 2001), these words rang true not only for those aspiring to be part of the most professional army in the world but also for those already part of the U.S. Army. The reason being is that the army indeed allows a person to be whatever he or she wants provided that person works hard at achieving the goals set to in the military service. Thus, for some people, the dream, hope, aspiration or what he wants to be in the army is to basically be a soldier and serve this great country. Others aspire more and want to go through the ranks and gain positions of authority with the corresponding responsibilities and accountabilities. These positions or career paths in the U.S. Army can be in the form of becoming commissioned and non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Reaching these rank levels serve as the epitome of their careers and a fulfillment of their personal goals of seeing the fruition of their "Be All You Can Be" in the Army. For my part, I have my own Be All You Can Be story while serving in the military. But my story is like any other soldier's story who aspired to reach the pinnacle of military success through sheer hard work, determination, perseverance, fortitude and of course a lot of hopes and prayers to achieved my goals. What I have achieved is without a doubt a personal testimony to the truism of the Army slogan Be All You Can Be -- with a bit of a caveat, that is if you work hard for it!
The Road to Becoming a U.S. Army Drill Sergeant
When I joined the United States Army in June 1992, I knew then that it was a conscious and clear decision that the moment I took my oath as a soldier, it would be my lifelong career and I would endeavor my very best to serve my beloved country. But I had also other aspirations in joining and that was to become a United States Army Drill Sergeant. I don't know but I guess this dream of becoming a Drill Sergeant had its roots when I was younger and I was seeing all those Hollywood-made movies showing fresh and raw recruits being put through the rigors of boot camp by tough and expert drill instructors "screaming, and having an in-your-face (Associated Press, 2006)" attitude. I was fascinated with this kind of military personnel because they have the authority and skills to hone civilians and after several weeks of basic training, mold them into capable soldiers that will fight and defend the nation.
All the Hollywood hype though did not portray what it really means to be a Drill Sergeant. The tough guy facade seen in the movies is but a stereotype and if one will really delve into what it takes to become a Drill Sergeant, there will be an understanding of the criticality of this role in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of each and every soldier coming out of basic training. In order to understand though what it means and how one becomes a United States Army Drill Sergeant, it is important first to know and look at the history of how this exalted and sought after position came into being in the United States Army. "In late 1962, the Secretary of the Army directed the Assistant Secretary to conduct a survey of recruit training in the Army. This survey was conducted over a long period of time and included a wide variety of experienced personnel. The survey demonstrated that the Army training center NCOs were regarded poorly. (U.S. Army Drill Sergeant, 2011)"
The long and short of it is that there was a requirement for a group of highly trained cadre of instructors...
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