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So You Want To Be a Drill Sergeant
The epitome of professionalism, the strike of fear in the hearts of men, the shrieking hellion, the leader of the pack. The infamous Drill Sergeant. While most individuals will never know a Drill Sergeant outside of Major Payne and Full Metal Jacket, most Soldiers will never know a Drill Sergeant outside of Basic Combat Training (BCT). This can lead to a lot of rumors, misinformation, and questions that many are simply too afraid to ask. Not to mention the fact that in the grand scheme of the Army, there really aren’t that many Drill Sergeants floating around, which has led me to writing this post to give you a few things to think about before you embark on you’re the hallowed path of the Drill Sergeant.
The Basics
Before I begin, I would like to mention that I myself am an Army Reservist and have been throughout my nearly 11 year career. This does not make me completely ignorant to Active Duty life. Currently, I am an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Soldier who is, essentially, an Active Duty Soldier assigned to an Army Reserves unit. Not to mention I was embedded in an Active Duty BCT Company alongside Active Duty Drill Sergeants for three years.
There are a couple of different ways for you to become a Drill Sergeant. If you are an Active Duty Soldier, you are usually what is called “DA Selected.” This means the Army needs a Drill Sergeant, and you were selected (voluntold); although it isn’t entirely uncommon for an Active Duty Soldier to volunteer themselves for Drill Sergeant duty. If you are a National Guard Soldier, often the only way for you to become a Drill Sergeant is to be in a Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) unit where you work with “Future Soldiers” who have contracted into the Army via Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and are awaiting shipment to BCT. If you are in the Reserves, like myself, then you must Reschedule Training (RST) with a Drill Sergeant unit, pass their assessment, work alongside your current unit and Drill Sergeant unit to ensure you are properly transferred, and then begin work as a Drill Sergeant Candidate.
