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Building better recruits

I read a lot of letters that discourage the recent change at some Training and Doctrine Command posts involving the switch from drill sergeants to platoon sergeants.

With the lack of drill sergeants, it sounds like the new soldiers will be undisciplined. But look at the Marine Corps model for training. They do not have drill instructors in Marine combat training or in the occupational specialty schools. Yet new Marines are, on average, very disciplined when they arrive at their first duty stations.

I served as a Marine from January 2000 to January 2004. What I saw throughout most of my time in the Corps is that when a new Marine arrived to his unit, that Marine was fearful of all Marines who outranked him or her. And there was a sense of teamwork.

Perhaps the Army should adapt some of the training practices the Marines use.

For example, from Day 1 of Marine basic training, those attending are not considered Marines or privates. They’re considered “recruits.”

Also, any sense of individuality is discouraged. Recruits do not ever refer to themselves as “me,” or “I.” They refer to themselves as “this recruit.” This allows drill instructors to stress the importance of teamwork. Also, recruits refer to anyone who is not a fellow recruit as “sir” or “ma’am,” regardless of whether they are Marine, Navy, Army, Air Force or civilian.

Recruits must ask permission to do anything that most people take for granted, such as using the bathroom. Yet the Marines still manage to teach the idea of thinking on your own.

Yes, most Marine recruits appear to be unthinking drones who follow all orders and show no initiative, but that is not true. As basic training progresses, drill instructors begin to teach concepts that force recruits to think on their feet and to prepare them for leadership roles. At least mine did.

At the end of 12 weeks, you have a disciplined, respectful Marine. That Marine goes on to Marine combat training for noninfantry specialties for roughly one month, and then on to his particular specialty school or to infantry training.

After graduation from basic, a Marine no longer will encounter a drill instructor, unless he or she becomes an officer, becomes a drill instructor himself or gets an assignment to Parris Island, S.C., or Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

Yet the Marine will most likely keep that level of discipline for the remainder of his or her life. It may not always happen, but still, it’s likely.

Perhaps if the Army were to make additional changes from Day 1 of basic training, this change would not be received so negatively.

Check out the Marine Corps training doctrines and see about adapting some of them into Army training doctrines. I believe that if Army leadership were on to this, our Army and our military as a whole would most likely improve.

Change is not always a bad thing.

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The writer was a Marine Corps infantryman from 2000 to 2004 and was involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was an Army infantryman from 2005 to 2007 and became a human resources specialist in 2007. He is with the 51st Expeditionary Signals Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash.

DISCUSS: Is change needed?