Drill Sergeants: The Mental Game
“Keep your fears to yourself,
but share your courage with others.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson
Surviving basic training is much more a mental challenge than a physical one. This chapter will teach you how Drill Sergeants view recruits and what you can do to win their respect and the respect of your fellow recruits. For the purposes of this book, the term Drill Sergeant will be used to describe your training instructor. The term Drill Sergeant will vary depending on which branch of the military you are joining.
What to Expect
Drill Sergeants are among the finest members of the military. Anyone who has been through basic training and served out their commitment to the United States military will tell you this. They receive extensive training to learn how to test and improve your physical and mental toughness. Drill Sergeants can be both physically and mentally intimidating. It is good to know this going in, so you know what to expect and how to act (and interact) with them. The below chart outlines the proper term you will use to refer to your training instructor (or as I like to call them, your screaming commander):
Note: This book covers all branches. For the sake of consistency, the term Drill Sergeants will be used to describe that mean person with the crazy looking hat who yells at you. However, they aren’t called Drill Sergeants in every branch.
| Branch | Term |
| Army | Drill Sergeants |
| Air Force | Military Training Instructors (MTIs or TIs) |
| Navy | Recruit Division Commanders (RDCs) |
| Marines | Drill Instructors |
| Coast Guard | Company Commanders |
To see a video explanation of this subject, please go to UltimateBasicTraining.com/howto and watch the video entitled: What to Call Your Drill Sergeant
For the first time in your life you will need to ask permission to go to the bathroom, to talk, to eat, etc. Your personality, as you know it, will be lost and you will be expected to think and act like everyone else. The logical question everyone asks is why does the military do this? This is not done to scare you. Rather, it is intended to prepare you. I cannot stress enough the importance of mental toughness. So swallow your pride and ego and pay close attention to the orders you receive.
A Drill Sergeant has one mission in life: to convert you from a civilian to a productive member of the military.
Drill Sergeants can be easily identified by their campaign hats. The hat to the left (Figure 1) is for male instructors; the hat below (Figure 2) is for female instructors.
Drill Sergeants have extensive experience dealing with recruits, and are trained to make your life as hellish as possible. Never (and I repeat) never say “Sorry, sir!” or “Thank you, sir!” to a Drill Sergeant. Ninety percent of what you should (and will) say is “Drill Sergeant, yes Drill Sergeant!” and “Drill Sergeant, no Drill Sergeant!”
Harsh criticism (i.e., calling you names, screaming, and so forth) is common for Drill Sergeants. They want to see if you can take a shot to your ego. The worst thing you can do mentally is to take criticism from a Drill Sergeant personally. Remember, it is never personal. Know all the while that they cannot physically harm you in any way.
The mission of a Drill Sergeant is to convert you from a civilian to a productive member of the military. It is their job to break you down and build you up. You have joined the best military in the world. Your transition from civilian to military personnel will be taught in a disciplined and rigorous manner. Superior training equals superior personnel.
Did You Know?
Becoming a Drill Sergeant is not easy.
Each Drill Sergeant who trains a recruit has already completed a stressful and rigorous course.
How to Gain Respect from Other Recruits and your Drill Sergeants
At the beginning of basic training, you will notice there are two types of recruits: the bosses and the workers.
The bosses are the “go get ‘em,” “gung-ho,” “listen to what I say,” recruits. The bosses love to shout orders at other recruits. They think they know what to do all the time—maybe because their family has a proud military history, or because they had a friend who just finished basic training. Regardless of their reason for trying to act like a leader, most of them get themselves into trouble. The other recruits don’t listen to them because they don’t respect the bosses. Leaders are followed because they are respected (or in some cases feared). Drill Sergeants love to degrade and embarrass hotshot recruits.
The other type of recruit, the worker, is more passive than the boss. These recruits follow what anyone says. They appear to be intimidated by Drill Sergeants and they are easily persuaded. The workers will be the quiet type, waiting for someone, anyone, to tell them what to do and where to be. These recruits often get into trouble because Drill Sergeants can smell fear. And guess what? Fear isn’t allowed in the military—the U.S. military, anyway. So a Drill Sergeant thinks he must pay special attention to any recruit who displays even a whiff of fear.
I know what you are thinking. If a Drill Sergeant goes after bosses and workers, how can a recruit be successful at basic training without being a favorite target for Drill Sergeants?
First of all, you will get singled out in basic training. Like death and taxes, it’s going to happen. However, there are many ways you can minimize special attention from Drill Sergeants. The answer to minimizing special attention from Drill Sergeants is to find the middle ground between a boss and a worker.
Leaders are followed because they are respected.
Finding the Middle Ground
Small Talk. The first thing I recommend after you get assigned to a platoon is to engage in small talk with everyone. Have a conversation with each individual in your platoon. How do you do that? Simply approach them, so they know you made the effort to initiate a conversation. Remember, these other recruits don’t know you. So leave at home any shyness or reservation you had in the past about meeting new people. You will be with approximately 30 recruits from all around the country who are in the same situation you are. You can talk to them about where they are from, how many siblings they have, what sports they play, and anything else that comes to mind. During that conversation, be sure to include at least one compliment about them or their hometown. This small talk will make them feel good about themselves, and most of them will like and begin to respect you.
However, a word of warning is in order! If you are a male complimenting a part of a female’s body (or vice versa), they could take the compliment in a manner you did not intend. You do not know how sensitive or politically correct the person next to you is going to be, so be aware of the words you use.
Understanding your Drill Sergeant. Now that most of your platoon members respect your personality and friendliness, the next step is to get positive attention from your Drill Sergeants. The best thing you can do is understand the job of a Drill Sergeant. Why would your Drill Sergeant become a Drill Sergeant? Think about this question for a moment.
Put this book down for fifteen seconds and ask yourself that question: Why would your Drill Sergeant become a Drill Sergeant?
Why would this individual undergo an intensive training school comprised of ridicule and tough physical fitness standards just to teach a bunch of new recruits? The answer is simple: pride. Pride for one’s country and personal pride.
They have been selected to train new recruits to be a part of the toughest, most revered military in the history of the world. You can benefit from this pride. When a Drill Sergeant introduces himself (or herself) to the platoon, he will likely ask every member of the platoon why he/she joined the military. You will be amazed at how many improper responses you will hear.
“Why did you join the military?” shouts the Drill Sergeant.
“I joined for the college money!” someone will answer.
“I needed a job, Drill Sergeant!” is another common response you will hear.
Never, ever, respond that way—even if it is true! There are far better answers that will position you in a better light with your Drill Sergeant. I am not telling you to provide a false answer, or to lie, but how to simply answer the question better.
“Why did you join the military?” asked the Drill Sergeant.
This is your answer: “I joined because I love my country, sir!” or “I want to be a soldier in the U.S. Military, Drill Sergeant!”
These responses demonstrate pride—the same pride a Drill Sergeant has burning inside his soul. When you give your response, your Drill Sergeant will immediately have a connection with you. She or he will never let you see that connection, but it will be there.
Gain Respect
To gain respect from your Drill Sergeant, you must do the following three things:
(1) You must be attentive. Pay attention to your body posture and listen to every word of the instructions;
(2) Keep your head up and back straight in class;
(3) Be confident with your answers and respond loudly and correctly to a Drill Sergeant. Speaking softly does not emphasize a person’s strength, confidence, or pride.