The United States Army drill instructor is responsible for training new recruits in the basics of army life and the mission of the army. They are responsible for training recruits as combat soldiers and instilling core values. The drill instructor wears a round brown campaign hat and is responsible for teaching recruits all aspects of the drill and ceremonies. The assignment usually lasts two years and is a major milestone in a non-commissioned officer’s career.
A United States Army drill instructor is an experienced soldier, usually a non-commissioned officer, whose job is to train new recruits in the basics of army life and the mission of the army. A person in this position should technically be called a “Sergeant” since only the US Marine Corps uses the title “Drilling Instructor”. Although the title implies the basics of protocols, exercises and ceremonies, such as marching, saluting, executing the manual of weapons and other practices and customs of military life, the army drill instructor is also responsible for training recruits as combat soldiers, to that regardless of their actual job in the army, they will always be ready to defend themselves and their comrades.
Indoctrinating a new recruit to the military lifestyle is a critical task. All military services expect to be able to function as a highly efficient team, responding without delay or questioning orders whose underlying logic or strategic importance often cannot be shared with the team. Recruits must be able to fit into this team. Many of the routines and exercises they perform during their basic training period are designed to break down recruits’ sense of ego and selfishness, replacing them with a sense of obedience, brotherhood, and selflessness. Of all the personnel involved in training the new recruit, the Army Drill Instructor is the most important, often determining a recruit’s success or failure.
Army training instructors generally volunteer for the position, although some are selected by the Army based on their records. They undergo a rigorous training course, covering the same material taught to new recruits and also including material on training and leadership. As a US Navy drill instructor, the Army drill instructor wears the round brown campaign hat, commonly known as the Smokey the Bear hat. Upon graduation from drill instructor school, most new sergeants’ first assignment will be to run companies of recruits who fail the initial physical fitness test and are assigned to the Fitness Training Company, or “Fat Camp.”
New Army recruits are immediately organized into training units for basic training, or boot camp, which consists of a nine-week course in Basic Combat Training (BCT) followed by advanced individual training (AIT) in the military occupation specialty. (MOS) of the recruit. ) Each recruiting platoon, consisting of about 40 recruits, has been assigned a sergeant who will work and live with the platoon full-time during the BCT, and sometimes also in the AIT. The role of the Army Drill Instructor varies during this period. In the initial phase of training, recruits are constantly monitored and corrected, but as training progresses and recruits develop skills and self-confidence, they are given more freedom and are subject to less control and monitoring.
The sergeant commanding the platoon is responsible for overseeing all aspects of recruiting training and monitoring progress with the company commander. Furthermore, it is the drill sergeant who will be responsible for teaching recruits all aspects of the drill and ceremonies such as matters of protocol in the army such as marches, conduct with non-commissioned and commissioned officers, treatment of the flag, uniform, customs and service practices, etc. In addition, the sergeant will train the unit in small unit tactics and lead physical training, usually assisted by additional army drill instructors.
When training in a topic requires a high degree of proficiency, such as certain individual weapons, hand-to-hand combat, or map reading, an instructor specializing in military exercises will normally be assigned to teach these topics. Such skills as marksmanship are normally taught by teams of instructors, with the sergeant commanding the platoon and the marksmanship instructor commanding the marksmanship facility. Finally, recruits are taught the Army’s core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage both in the classroom and in the barracks by the drill sergeant.
An Army Drill Instructor’s assignment is a major milestone in a non-commissioned officer’s career and usually lasts two years. Those who successfully complete this tour can be expected to be assigned positions of significantly greater responsibility and prestige.
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