What’s a Marine Drill Instructor?

Print anything with Printful



The Navy drill instructor is responsible for training new Navy recruits and is seen as one of the most important positions in the Marine Corps. The 13-week recruit training program is considered the toughest in the US military, with an attrition rate of approximately 10%. To become a Navy Drill Instructor, applicants must be between 22 and 37 years of age and have achieved the rank of Sergeant. The focus of Navy drill instructor training is to develop positive leadership skills and physical fitness.

A Navy drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps who is responsible for training new Navy recruits. The Navy drill instructor is seen as one of the most important and honored positions in the Marine Corps because they are the individuals charged with turning civilians into Marines. It is a volunteer position in the Marine Corps, and drill instructors serve in that capacity for three years.

The United States Marine Corps is widely considered to be the toughest and most physically demanding of the US military and its recruit training is also considered the toughest of all recruit training programs. Recruitment Training is a 13-week program designed to push recruits to their mental and physical limits. The attrition rate for recruitment training is approximately 10%, mainly due to injuries or other conditions that prevent recruitment from continuing. Each element of recruiting training is part of a well-choreographed system designed to prepare civilians for their new life as a Marine.

A recruit’s first encounter with a Navy drill instructor is usually right when he arrives at boot camp. As buses arrive, instructors enter buses and yell at recruits to get off the bus and line up with yellow footprints painted on the sidewalk. From this moment until graduation, the Navy Drill Instructor will be front and center in a recruit’s training program and play a vital role in developing the skills, discipline and mindset needed to be a successful Marine.

When the 13-week program concludes, the drilling instructor is honored to pin the Marine Corps emblem to a recruit’s uniform, signifying their transition from recruit to full-fledged Marine. Although many Marines stated that training was the hardest time of their lives and that they did not like the instructor during training; they also recognize that the achievement of becoming a marine would not be possible without their drilling instructors.

To become a Navy Drill Instructor, applicants must be between 22 and 37 years of age and have achieved the rank of Sergeant. In limited situations, a corporal may be eligible for instructor training, but this is generally rare. Candidates must also successfully complete a 12-week Instructor Training program.

Contrary to popular belief, drill instructor training is not necessarily a rerun of boot camp. While still very demanding, an observer might be surprised at the lack of yelling and screaming so commonly associated with recruiting training. The focus of Navy drill instructor training is to help candidates develop the positive leadership skills and physical fitness needed to effectively train new recruits. After training is completed, the Navy’s new drill instructor joins a long line of honorees who have helped thousands become Marines.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content