Army Tones Down Drill Sergeants

ABC News ^ | October 10, 2006 | Pauline Jelinek

[Little Pig]

This guy was so well timed, he made metronomes look sloppy. And he didn't just call cadence, he sang it. The other DS's could call too, but nowhere near as much fun to listen to as this guy.

[OnRightOnLeftCoast]

==I can see it now, Platoon meet your new Drill Instructor, Sergeant Smalley!==

Close!

From this?:

To this?:

"OK recruits, gather around. I'm your new drill instructor." [Breaks into a song from his TV show-modified]

It's a beautiful day in this barracks
A beautiful day for a recruit
Would you be mine
Could you be mine

It's a neighborly day in this barracks
A neighborly day for a training session
Would you be mine
Could you be mine

I've always wanted to have a recruit just like you
I've always wanted to live in a barracks with you

So, let's make the most of this boot camp
Since we're together we might as well say
Would you be mine, could you be mine
Won't you be my recruit
Won't you please, won't you please
Please won't you be my recruit

In the future?:

Male latrine?:

[BobS]

"Ironically, not having tough drill sergeants and drill instructors (or training istructors) is regarded as one of the big disappointments of trainee soldiers and Marines.

It's dissapointing when that can get you KILLED.

A basic training instructor's job is to shock you out of your lazy, sloppy civilian habits and teach mental and physical discipline and pay attention to orders.

Also teach you how to work as a unit with the others in your group. And also to teach you how to have the discipline to study hard when you graduate to the advanced technical schools. I ended with 5 tech schools and went to night school while AD for a degree +.

That's all I needed to achieve a BS degree - someone to order my previously lazy ass to pay attention and study hard way back in basic training. I also lost 30 pounds as a bonus and it stayed off!

[JimSEA]

All I can say is that SSG Manolo in the early 60's was able to perceive that neither I nor anyone else in the platoon was all that bright. Therefore he and the other DI's all proceeded to teach us what we needed to know in a manner such that we were unlikely to ever forget. Over the ensuing 40+ years I have forgotten many things but none of there were the lessons SSG Manolo taught.

[BobS]

"So lets be sensitive and treat our warrior wannabes with soft gloves so they won't wash out of boot camp."

I thought the purpose of basic training was to only graduate those that qualify to standards! Sub-standard enlistees will be or cause problems at their duty station.

It's like sending minorities that can't read or write to Harvard for 'diversity'. In this case, though, no one will want to be near unreliable people if the job gets hard.

Rumsfeld better fire some MORE Clinton generals over this quickly. You'll see them on TV soon. I hope.

[BobS]

I joined the AF when I knew Reagan was going to be CIC. I remember my TIs. Training was different from your time. At this time, a HS diploma was needed to join. The jobs were more technical in all fields. It was fun being in Europe while the Soviet Union was imploding the last 3 years out of my six. My TIs taught me discipline and to pay attention.

And guess what? I have an eng. job that I need to wake up for at 4:30 AM like 26 years ago - without the garbage can lids and yelling. But not tomorrow. I had my last wisdom tooth extracted this afternoon.

[ghostmonkey]

http://www.snopes.com/military/stress.htm

Claim: Recruits in basic training are issued "stress cards," which when waved at demanding drill sergeants immediately entitle recruits to gentler treatment.

Status: False.

[Zeroisanumber]

I have a friend in Boot Camp right now, and if it's gotten any easier, he certainly hasn't noticed. He did say that it is the most effective program for making useless people useful that he has ever seen.

[SR 50]

ping

[JimSEA]

I have an eng. job that I need to wake up for at 4:30 AM

LOL Here I am on the West coast -- 4:30 AM -- you guessed it!!!

[RoadTest]

Why does this make me think of the beginning of the collapse of the Roman Empire?

[cbkaty]

The following is a DS opinion of this new program.....I trust him with my life. Sadly. I can't include his ID for obvious reasons.....

I lived this training for 6-weeks this summer.

What has been going on in society with "generation next" has now crossed over into the Army, everybody gets a trophy.

As a Drill Sergeant, I just had to become more creative. Unfortunately, there are officers that are appointed above that are just looking for a reason to take away a Drill Sergeant's hat and take away rank for "trainee abuse".

What I went through back in the mid-eighties that made me a man, would now be considered criminal.

Not only do we treat the trainees like little girl scouts but they cannot train when it gets too hot either.

Luckily we are at war with a "compassionate enemy" that accepts that our troops need a time-out when stressed or too hot and the fighting ceases until both sides are fully rested and ready to continue. If it is still too hot in the desert, they move the battle indoors in the air conditioning until such time they can resume the fighting out in the big sand-box..

How's that for a short rant?

[cbkaty]

Claim: Recruits in basic training are issued "stress cards," which when waved at demanding drill sergeants immediately entitle recruits to gentler treatment. Status: False.

You are so very incorrect....YES recruits can receive a "time out", see my previous post.