MilitarySpot.com

Serving the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard

Camp Lejeune Claims
| VA Loans
Follow MilitarySpot:
 
  • Home
  • Enlist
    • Join The Army
    • Join The Navy
    • Join The Air Force
    • Join The Marines
    • Join The Coast Guard
    • Join The National Guard
    • ASVAB
    • Army Physical Fitness Test
    • Military Draft
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
  • Career
    • Join the Military
    • Jobs for Military and Civilians
    • Career Center
    • Prior Service Army Enlistment
    • Criminal Justice
  • Education
    • Online Schools
    • Spouse Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • Military Schools
    • Criminal Justice
  • Benefits
    • Army Benefits
    • Navy Benefits
    • Air Force Benefits
    • Marine Corps Benefits
    • National Guard Benefits
    • Coast Guard Benefits
    • Veteran Benefits
    • Basic Pay Rates
    • Allowances
    • Special & Incentive Pay
    • Military Spouse Education Benefits
    • VA Education Benefits
    • GI Bill
  • News
    • Headline News
  • Finance
    • Debt Relief
    • Military Pay Rates
    • Military Personal Loans
    • VA Loans
    • Military Star Card
    • Military MyPay
  • Spouses
    • School Finder
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • PCS, DITY, & Moving
    • Pay Rates
    • MyCAA
    • Education Benefits
  • Community
    • Military Games
    • Military Reunions
    • Classifieds
    • Photo Gallery
    • Buddy Finder
    • MilitarySpot Pinups
    • Military Bases
  • Resources
    • Military Alphabet
    • Military Reunions
    • Military Acronyms
    • Currency Converter
    • Military Tools
    • Ranks
    • Military Time
    • Military Tactics
    • Military Discounts
    • Military Games
    • Military Videos
    • Photo Gallery
    • Infographics
    • How To
  • Travel

How to Deal with Drill Sergeants

The Top 5 Ways to Deal with Drill Sergeants
by Michael Volkin

Drill sergeants will undoubtedly treat you like you have never been treated before. They clearly don’t want to be your friend, they don’t want to make you feel warm and fuzzy and they certainly don’t want you to feel like you’re at home. There are however, ways to deal with drill sergeants that won’t drive you crazy. If you’re about to leave for boot camp, use the 5 tips below to deal with your drill sergeant more effectively.

The top 5 ways to deal with drill sergeants:

5) Don’t try to be a leader or a follower
Drill sergeants are always looking for recruits who try to act like leaders. You might think the military wants leaders, but they don’t. They want to train leaders. In other words, they want to make you a leader, not find recruits that are already leaders. So why does the military prefer it this way? The military has a specific and organized way of doing just about everything and leaders try to change the routine. Don’t boss around other recruits or suggest an improved way of doing a task which your drill sergeant didn’t approve. Sometimes drill sergeants have the recruits do a task that is deliberately inefficient, just to find out who the leaders are.

Also, becoming a follower will not work to your advantage. Do not follow what a recruit says just because s/he makes sense. Always follow what your drill sergeant says. If you show signs of being weak, your drill sergeant will capitalize on that and make you uncomfortable whenever a chance arises.

4) Stay under the radar
Too many recruits get to basic training and treat the process as if it is high school. The drill sergeants should not be thought of like teachers. In high school, many students try to impress the teachers and get on their good side. In basic training, the best thing for you to do is go without being noticed. If you are treated by your drill sergeants as a “go-to man” you are asking for trouble. By staying under the radar, you will avoid being a pushover and avoid special attention from drill sergeants.

3) Forget your manners
In the civilian world, it’s polite to say “thank you” and “sorry”. In the military, it’s better to leave your manners at home. Drill sergeants do not like manners or friends; they are trying to make a soldier out of you. Soldiers are tough and fearless; they aren’t supposed to exclaim “thank you drill sergeant” or “sorry drill sergeant”.

2) Respond with confidence1) Remember the mental game
Remember, drill sergeants don’t personally hate you. They have a very short time to turn you from civilian to soldier. The process needs to jar you mentally. If your drill sergeant calls you dumb, ugly, and stupid, etc., don’t think twice about the comment. They are testing you to see if you are fit to be a soldier. Drill sergeants are always testing you, even when you think they are not. In my books, the Ultimate Basic Training Series (UltimateBasicTraining.com), I tell the readers repeatedly to remember basic training is a mental game. The recruits who fail overwhelmingly do so because they can’t handle the mental stress, not the physical stress.

SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, available in both paperback and e-book format at www.ultimatebasictrainingguidebook.com

Comments

Filed Under: Resources

  • News
  • Enlist
  • Education
  • Career
  • Finance

Space Command Partners with Guard for Space Cooperation

AUGUST 8, 2022 – U.S. Army Brigadier General Jesse Morehouse, U.S. Space Command’s deputy director for policy, plans and strategy, and members of the National Guard Bureau will visit multiple National Guard locations in the next two months to discuss the importance of partners and allies, security cooperation, and the value the National Guard’s State […]

Army Develops Future Soldier Preparatory Course

JULY 27, 2022 – In response to the most challenging recruiting environment since the start of the all-volunteer force in 1973, the Army is implementing an innovative new program to prepare recruits who are en-route to initial military training to meet or exceed our rigorous standards. The Future Soldier Preparatory Course pilot program, which is […]

Top 5 University Scholarships for Military in the UK

JUNE 20, 2022 – The cost of a college education can be daunting and unaffordable for many university students in the UK. For the students who have set their hearts on joining the military, there are several scholarships available for them.  These scholarships help military students overcome the financial challenges of attending college. A University […]

Career Counselors Match Army, Soldier Needs

JULY 12, 2022 — In many ways, the military is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces must be present and fit together correctly to form the full picture of America’s profession of arms. To assist in retaining the right talent in the right place at the right time, the Army relies on […]

Military Consumer Month Focuses on Financial Literacy

JULY 29, 2022 – With inflation soaring in the U.S. and elsewhere, many among the military community, including reservists and veterans, are struggling to make financial ends meet and are in need of a good battle plan to beat their budget foes. Anyone in such a predicament would do well to employ the Department of […]

Recent Posts

  • Space Command Partners with Guard for Space Cooperation
  • Hill AFB Captures First Air Force EOD National Title
  • Military Working Dogs Provide Vital Security
  • Training Squad Provides Combat Ready MQ-9 Reaper Aircrew
  • Rangers Reunite Across the World
MAINMENU




SITESEARCH
Can't find something? Try using our site search to dig through our entire site.



Still having trouble? Try the Advanced Search to refine your searches.
NEWSLETTERSUBSCRIBE
Sign Up To Receive Information, Updates and Special Officers from MilitarySpot.com.



Don't miss an issue! Jump in the Newsletter Archives to catch up on previous issues.
FOLLOWMILITARY SPOT

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & StumbleUpon and more. Keep up with MilitarySpot.com news & updates. We also have an RSS Feed.

Advertise | About | Contact | Feedback | Unsubscribe | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
 
Copyright 2004-2022 Sun Key Publishing. All Rights Reserved.



 
This is not the official recruiting website of the U.S. Military. The site you are on is run by Sun Key Publishing, a private company, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with the U.S. Military.