A drill instructor is a non-commissioned and non-combatant member of the armed forces who trains new recruits. The role has different definitions worldwide, but in the US, it is associated with an authoritarian figure who oversees every moment of a recruit’s training. Marine Corps officers hold the title of drill instructor, while other branches use different designations. The training to become a drill instructor is intense, and instructors commit to three years of service. They are decorated with the punching instructor ribbon and wear a field hat.
A drill instructor is a member of the armed forces who has been granted non-commissioned and non-combatant status with the aim of reserving their duties for matters closer to home, such as raiding new recruits. However, the term has different regulatory definitions depending on the country represented and even between branches of its armed forces. For example, in many parts of the world, a drilling instructor is appropriately appointed, as the officer’s only job is to instruct drilling commands. In the US, on the other hand, a drill instructor often conjures up an image of an authoritarian figure who strikes fear in the hearts of those about to enter military life. To make this larger-than-life person seem even more imposing, a drill instructor in the U.S. Armed Forces oversees almost every moment of a new recruit’s watch during the entire time they are in basic training, 24 hours a day. a day, seven days a week.
There are other distinctions for instructors made in the United States. For one thing, the title of drilling instructor is held exclusively by Marine Corps officers. In other branches of the US military, other designations are used, including drill sergeant in the Army and company commander in the Navy. So if you’re reading this because you’re about to join the Marine Corps, try never to refer to your instructor as sergeant and start and end every expression from your lips to the instructor with “Yes, sir” or “Yes, madam”. Deviate from these basic rules and you will likely go through many toothbrushes before basic training is over.
As you’d expect, it takes a lot of stamina and a great level of physical fitness to be a Marine instructor. The training alone is thought to be some of the most intense of any training in any branch of the US military. The training, conducted at the Officer Candidates School (OCS), typically consists of 15 to 16 hours a day, starting in the early hours of the morning. After training is completed, the drill instructor is assigned to a recruit training battalion and is expected to commit to three years of service. While becoming a training instructor is strictly a volunteer effort, it is considered a highly honorable mission and many instructors receive awards and accolades for their tour of the training camp.
While it is generally not difficult to pick a drill instructor out of a crowd at a glance, it is interesting to note that there are certain “badges of honor” that further distinguish them from other military officers. For example, each instructor is decorated with the punching instructor ribbon. Training instructors also sport what is known as a field hat, inspired by the Stetson-type hats worn by Army officers during World War I. Also known as a “lemon squeezer”, and reminiscent of the hat worn by Smokey the Bear, this hat style is also a traditional attire for Boy Scouts. However, due to their general demeanor, a drill instructor is unlikely to be mistaken for either.
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