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

Very mixed for the USAF. Mine threatened to rip out my throat with an M16 charging handle for example, so my MTI was very much the typical swearing and threatening type, but many of my fellow airmen were surprised I had such an experience and had way more chill basic training instructors than I did. 

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