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

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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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Anonymous 0 Comments

They can be. Mine were, but that was infantry over 20 years ago. As I understand it the recruits don’t go into cattle trucks, don’t have pine needles with their CS gas, and get smoking breaks if they’re stressed out…

We did have a drill sergeant dislocate a soldiers arm in the gas chamber when they refused to take off their mask. Granted he lost his “cap” in a disciplinary move when the soldiers’ parents threatened a lawsuit.

Some of them become a bit more careful in their treatment after one of the kids committed suicide by stealing a round from the shooting range, though.

They were just doing what they were taught from their experiences to create battle-ready soldiers.

Rock of the Marne, ‘94

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