Tales from the Trail Part 8 (long version)

Shows how human y'all are much love and respect sir

Thank you very much sergeant for taking care of those young recruits.

Semper Fi brother!

I’m confused what happened?

The Private will be a great dad. The fact that finding out his girl is pregnant is keeping him up at night shows volumes. Army strong.

I would have loved to have you as my drill Sergeant.

The Distinguished Honor Grad from when I graduated had a really rough time while he was there. His wife was pregnant with his first child when he left, but she ended up miscarrying. Then his dad ended up getting cancer. He never let it effect his performance, but you could tell it really affected him. He worked hard the whole time and never caused trouble for anyone.

Truly one of the best guys I've ever met. Was truly a pleasure to be his battle buddy and his friend.

Drill Sgts do a hell of a lot more than just yell at privates and make their days and nights suck.
Nine times out of ten if you have a legitimate problem, something from home or whatever they will help you. Most of your battle buddies will help too, at least as much as they're able.

Aussie Civilian here, This made me cry x

And that's how you be a Drill SGT right there.

Lights out a ZERO 956? Thats an early day.

Drills, am I right?
Big, mean, scary barbaric sons of bitches. Give them an Oscar for playing the part.

But it usually isn't until some time after you get out of basic, you think about it.

Their methods were a bit abrasive, their lessons direct and to the point, instilling discipline by the numbers... but behind the big scary charade, they were a lot of our first mentors, they were our first stepping stones to understand what it means to be a leader, taking care of our soldiers and each other.

I was lucky to have my Drill Sergeants, and anyone who's had Fitness, I'm sure feels the same way.

Thank you Drill Sergeant, you guys are my favorite barbarians.

I love how Drill took off his hat when he spoke to his girl, he wasnt speaking to her as a Drill Sergeant but as himself before putting his hat back and resuming his station as a Drill Sergeant.

I’m curious was Pvt was having an issue with. My first guess is a Dear John letter

Remember a Drill got a job to do but they are people too.

What do you have part 0-2 but then skip to 8?

The trail is the most rewarding job in the army you don't realize how much you effect lives till its in your face

I'm just going to assume he found out hes going to Fort Riley and its in Kansas, and Kansas is in the middle of the United States, no beaches, barely any trees, no mountains and you run ghe hill for pt everyday if you're not a pog.
Duty First, keeping depression low, last 🤣

This hit. I remember when I went through Basic and I was struggling how the Drill Sergeants gave me the support I needed to build my confidence in myself. They are loud, aggressive, and demanding, but they are also caring about their soldiers. Even now over 20 years since I left military service I remember my DS fondly and try to emulate their leadership with the colleagues I manage and the students I help teach.

Had a DS in Basic who took the time to take care of all us recruits and encouraged us to take care of eachother too. It set me up to be able to take care of my soldiers in a couple situations like this overseas.

This is one of the things I love about being a medic. When someone is in that treatment room with me, rank goes out the window.
The only thing I think about is "This is my patient. How can I help them?"

Mental, physical, emotional, etc health all matter to me. Because if my people are suffering, even if I don't understand it (more often than not, in a spiritual or religious sense) I make sure that they are supported at my level and referred to a specialist.

When you are my patient, I will drag my balls through a field of broken glass to make sure you get the help you need. You are MINE, and I am poppa bear.

I remember one of our guys in my PLT, he had a newborn son. We used to love as a platoon when he got letters because we got to see pictures of our nephew. Yes that’s what we called him. Right after Rifle Range into third phase his son passed away suddenly from SIDS. Every person let their emotions out and guard down that day, even the Drill Instructors. The Drill Instructors basically left him alone after that because he went to the funeral and returned to training only a few days later. Then right after the Crucible my grandmother died. We all got each other through it, my drill instructors always made sure to read between the lines on all of us even when they had to be hard on us.

As a Squad LDR, Platoon SGT, and especially as a First Sergeant, my Troops came first. Still with my wife, who really understood taking care of Soldiers...

I'm out now after 25yrs, I still care for them.

Just as I was thinking that there was no way I'd re-enlist, you reminded me of the meaning I have found in being there for my soldiers in their darkest moments.

Are any of these skit actually from true events?

How do you all know this is about a pregnant girlfriend? I don't get it, not got a military background

What happened? The ‘longer version’ was added to the front??

Went to basic at Fort Knox. 2005 and was almost r**ed in the shower. Embarrassed I went and told my Drill Sgt and within an hour CID were taking me to their headquarters and I told them everything. Drill Sgt gave me the next day off while the guy who did it was AWOL for a week. He got kicked out obviously but my Drill Sgt was cool to me the rest of training and even ran with me a few times around the track.

Being a leader doesn’t mean producing a product for your superiors, but to take the people in your charge and make them superior to their past selves. Mental well-being is the foundation for that and is often overlooked. It breaks a piece of me when I get junior sailors from different crews who are on the verge of tears because I don’t just shit down their throat for mistakes they make like their last LPO would. Thanks for being a real one.

I’m just tryna figure out if it was Jody or if something else

I wish I had a drill seargant like that. My gramps died when I was at basic in murder San Diego and I was told to forget bout it and move forward. only a year into the fleet did I elarn I could've gone to his funeral, but was told I couldn't so kilo company could meet their qouta. keep inspiring good leadership that others can learn from appreciate you.

Why’d I get saddled with such garbage leadership? Like I had a few good leaders sure, but gods, the company’s nick name was Cell Block C

Leadership.

Why does everyone seem to kbow tf was in tge letter except me?

WHERE ARE THE OTHER 5!?

If the isi Pakistan or Indonesians had not been sold our information Korea would have led to me being a drill sergeant. I was severely injured with my parents it is a shame that we can't protect each other from foreign operations next to military duty stations. My drill sergeant made all the difference in my life.

Graduated with two torn.ligaments in my ankles, my battle buddy fell asleep on watch we both were punished. Found out the solvent tanks we used for cleaning weapons was poisonous toxic to skin. It was -20 below 0, and we all had to do corrective training. When I got to cold weather training, everyone else was crying while I was laughing and walking around in pt shorts and boots. I wish I could thank him for preparing me for real-world army marine joint operations. Harder training makes better battle borne soldiers/marines. I had a torn muscle in my arm. I still carried a person to the Chinook who was wounded. I remember our DS saying better, and training will prepare you for war. Good Fair, but hard DS will make or break a person's career. I graduated 3 from last in my class on LLD, but I was awarded the silver star and bronze star and several commendations for bravery when I rescued other people. I thank my DS for not allowing me to quit even though I signed the paperwork to withdraw and get a general admin medical discharge.

what was in the letter???

Grab a battle buddy. Meet me outside.

This him? Okay, Tyler your best friend volunteered you for a midnight workout. READY POSITION, MOVE!! 😈

The first couple weeks of basic I really thought my DSs were psychotic and might want to actually kill us. I thought they were tough just to be assholes but later in the cycle you can really tell they care they just have a job to do and expect excellence. As I grew up and became a NCO I realized they saw us as a bunch of kids that they will have to send overseas and they wanted all of us to have the best chance of coming back as possible. I really appreciate all of my DSs and the lessons they taught that I still use even in the civilian world.

What did the letter say? I am confused

Not how I thought it was gonna end lol the beginning had a "my wife's 4 months pregnant"
"....Wait.... We deployed 6 months ago"
"Yeah thats why I can't sleep, she's got my son at home and she's 4 months pregnant" lol

I love this. Never served but I knew someone who got married to this guy she had been with since they were 15 to have the benefits of being a USAF spouse. She had cheated on him before but in February he shipped off to basic per her egging on to join after the wedding. After he got the green light go join, made it through basic as an airman and he got his first duty station, one she had requested, he received a sort of Dear John letter. I’m assuming it was along the lines of “Dear John,
I’m cheating on you. I’ve done it before. Im not happy but I want the insurance so let’s be not together together.” He had changed literally everything about his life since they met to be with her, even moved thousands of miles away as a minor to be with her. He hadn’t graduated a brick and mortar high school like he wanted to, he didn’t have a prom, he didn’t really have solid family or friends for a hot minute, he literally joined the military even though he didn’t actually want to. He joined because she thought he was a wimp. He pushed past an ankle injury in basic because he wanted to prove to her he was that guy for her. He definitely is NOT a saint, I don’t really care for him but man that has to hit the soul in a way that breaks you.

No one ever forgets their drill sergeants. Incredible leaders, always.