Are Drill Sergeants in the US military really as mean as they are in movies? If so, what’s the benefit?

Question

In American media, Drill Sergeants are often portrayed as mean and shouty. Yelling at recruits / treating them like garbage.

The only thing I could think of is that they’re going for a “military service is hard so I’m going to make this as unpleasant for you as possible because life is hard” kind of thing, but couldn’t discipline be instilled in soldiers without the yelling and humiliation? Why is this the only way?

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In: Other

Answer 1

Not a DS nor ever been in the military. But I have a friend who was a DS who explained it like this:

Imagine a high school PE teacher giving a machine gun to everyone in the class and you’ll understand why drill sergeants yell and maintain strict discipline.