Drill Instructor - U.S. Armed Forces

U.S. Armed Forces

Drill Instructors are held responsible for the welfare, behavior, and military education of the recruits assigned to them on a 24-hour basis throughout the period of initial training, of which the most well known is Basic Training or boot camp. Their responsibilities include areas such as military discipline, physical fitness, and weapons training. The title of Drill Instructor is a billet independent of rank, to be held by Non-Commissioned Officers who successfully complete the intense training program to earn that title.

The rank held by drill instructors varies by branch:

• Drill Sergeants in the United States Army are Sergeants (E-5), Staff Sergeant (E-6), Sergeant First Class (E-7), and rarely Master Sergeants (E-8) .
• Drill Instructors in the United States Marine Corps normally hold the rank of Sergeant (E-5) through Gunnery Sergeant (E-7). A Corporal (E-4) is no longer authorized to attend Drill Instructor School therefore not authorized to hold the billet of a Drill Instructor. Successful completion of Drill Instructor School grants the Marine an AMOS (Additional Military Occupational Specialty) of 0911.
• Recruit Division Commanders (formerly Company Commanders) in the United States Navy are Petty Officer Second Class (E-5) through Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9).
• Military Training Instructors in the United States Air Force are generally Staff Sergeants (E-5) through Master Sergeants (E-7), though some hold the rank of Senior Airman (E-4).
• Company Commanders in the United States Coast Guard are Petty Officer Second Class (E-5) through Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9).

The arduous nature of drill instructor duty means that such assignments are among the most prestigious carried out by enlisted personnel. Those who become drill instructors are eligible for a variety of military awards, such as the Marine Drill Instructor Ribbon, and the Army's Drill Sergeant Identification Badge.