A very old friend of mine recently shared this. It would have taken place around 1985.
The first week of Basic the drill sergeant asked if we had any questions. We had one kid who raised his hand.
KID: WHAT IF YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?
DS: WHAT?
KID: I DIDN’T WANT TO JOIN THE ARMY, BUT MY DAD MADE ME.
Our DS pulled him out of the formation and had him stand in the rear. When we got back to the barracks, DS called him into the office. All was quiet for a minute, and then we all flinched as the DS dropped the bomb on this poor kid. He yelled and berated him for five minutes straight and didn’t hold anything back.
About four weeks later, I pulled security with the kid while the rest of the platoon had rifle training. He had scored forty out of forty on BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) and I got thirty-nine, so the two of us got guard duty. A DS drove out to bring us lunch and check on us. He hopped out of the car and asked, “You guys been sleeping?”
US: NO, DRILL SERGEANT!
DS: WHY NOT? THERE ARE TWO OF YOU. TAKE TURNS.
Later that afternoon, I asked the guy about his chat with the DS that first week. I told him that I was impressed with his perfect score on the range and pointed out that he seemed to be doing okay even though he didn’t want to be there. He told me I couldn’t tell anyone, but here is what the DS said to him: (QUIETLY, WITH THE DOOR CLOSED.) “SON, I KNOW THIS IS A BIT TOUGH ON YOU, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. IF YOU START TO FEEL TOO OVERWHELMED, YOU COME AND SEE ME, QUIETLY, NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ELSE, AND I’LL WORK WITH YOU. MEANWHILE, I HAVE THIRTY-FOUR OTHER MEN OUT THERE WHO NEED TO HEAR THIS, SO JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX AND IGNORE ME FOR A MINUTE…” Then the tirade began.
Twenty-five years later I still remember that DS fondly. He got the best out of us, without being a jerk.
The first week of Basic the drill sergeant asked if we had any questions. We had one kid who raised his hand.
KID: WHAT IF YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?
DS: WHAT?
KID: I DIDN’T WANT TO JOIN THE ARMY, BUT MY DAD MADE ME.
Our DS pulled him out of the formation and had him stand in the rear. When we got back to the barracks, DS called him into the office. All was quiet for a minute, and then we all flinched as the DS dropped the bomb on this poor kid. He yelled and berated him for five minutes straight and didn’t hold anything back.
About four weeks later, I pulled security with the kid while the rest of the platoon had rifle training. He had scored forty out of forty on BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) and I got thirty-nine, so the two of us got guard duty. A DS drove out to bring us lunch and check on us. He hopped out of the car and asked, “You guys been sleeping?”
US: NO, DRILL SERGEANT!
DS: WHY NOT? THERE ARE TWO OF YOU. TAKE TURNS.
Later that afternoon, I asked the guy about his chat with the DS that first week. I told him that I was impressed with his perfect score on the range and pointed out that he seemed to be doing okay even though he didn’t want to be there. He told me I couldn’t tell anyone, but here is what the DS said to him: (QUIETLY, WITH THE DOOR CLOSED.) “SON, I KNOW THIS IS A BIT TOUGH ON YOU, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. IF YOU START TO FEEL TOO OVERWHELMED, YOU COME AND SEE ME, QUIETLY, NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ELSE, AND I’LL WORK WITH YOU. MEANWHILE, I HAVE THIRTY-FOUR OTHER MEN OUT THERE WHO NEED TO HEAR THIS, SO JUST SIT BACK AND RELAX AND IGNORE ME FOR A MINUTE…” Then the tirade began.
Twenty-five years later I still remember that DS fondly. He got the best out of us, without being a jerk.
