While everyone thinks they know what U.S. Army Drill Sergeants do—thank you, blockbuster movies—the reality of the job is quite different. That’s why we took a trip to Ft. Jackson, SC, where modern Drill Sergeants are made. The U.S. Drill Sergeant Academy is a 65-day program, training over 2,000 Army leaders a year in a new approach that leaves the old Drill Sergeant model behind. Its curriculum cultivates a soldier-first mindset attuned to the physical and emotional challenges of becoming a soldier. The new model aims to create Drill Sergeants who are empowered to enable soldiers to become the best versions of themselves, providing the tools to fulfill their goals and find their purpose. Graduates of the Academy go on to serve as refined leaders who are ready to inspire the next generation of U.S. Army soldiers at training installations across the U.S.
While at Fort Jackson, we talked with Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Calderon and Staff Sgt. Devante McLean about their respective experiences as Drill Sergeants. Both Sgt. 1st Class Calderon (a former Drill Sergeant with a 17-year Army career) and Staff Sgt. McLean (the Drill Sergeant Academy’s 2022 Drill Sergeant of the Year) traced their journeys to those who mentored them when they first enlisted. “I see you becoming a Drill Sergeant,” Sgt. 1st Class Calderon remembers being told by her Commander and mentor—a prediction that didn’t take long to come true.
Watch as we get an insider’s look at Sgt. 1st Class Calderon and Staff Sgt. McLean coaching, teaching, and mentoring new recruits and prospective Drill Sergeants. Along the way, we found a Drill Sergeant mindset rooted in empathy, communication, and dignity—evidence of a leadership style that has come a long way from the shouting and scare tactics we’ve seen depicted in entertainment.
Check out the above video to learn more about this unique position in the U.S. Army, and what it means to have the mindset of a modern Drill Sergeant.
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