The Games Drill Sergeants Play

By SGT Volkin

The Games Drill Sergeants Play

In my book, The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook (www.UltimateBasicTraining.com), I discuss many tactics drill sergeants use to exhaust a recruit mentally and physically. This is the final installment of a three part article that describes some of these common tactics and how to overcome such obstacles. The story below is true.

Finally, graduation day was tomorrow. The last task for us recruits was to thoroughly clean our gear. This task shouldn’t be a problem since I am a clean person by nature and have been maintaining my gear throughout the entire basic training cycle. The drill sergeants have good knowledge of who the “squared away” soldiers are and who needs the most help with their gear. One night our drill sergeant called a meeting and had us bring all our gear. “Privates” he said sternly “Tomorrow you will turn in your gear, which has to be spotless. If your gear is not spotless, you will not graduate”. The drill sergeant then began to pair the recruits. After the recruits were paired, the drill sergeant shouted “Ok Privates, switch gears with your partner”. Oh no I thought, my partner is the messiest disorganized person I have ever seen. Looking around the room, I noticed the drill sergeant intentionally paired up the squared away recruits with the recruits who were, let’s just say, less than perfect. The drill sergeant continued “You must clean your partners gear to a spotless shine by tomorrow or you will not graduate”. All this time I have been worried about my gear, for nothing. I had about 30 emotions running through my body ranging from utter disgust to fear of not being with everyone else at graduation day. As I looked down at my now muddy sweat filled gear I realized that instead of spending the last couple months worried about myself, I should have been double checking my battle buddies gear too.

So, what is the lesson learned? When you go through basic training, keep an eye out for yourself and your battle buddies. Needless to say the recruit in this story did graduate with everyone else, but with much more work than anticipated.

Michael Volkin is the author of The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook. His book is available at www.UltimateBasicTraining.com and is available in paperback, e-book and audio-book format. Get ready for the all new Ultimate Interactive Basic Training Workbook!

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June 23rd, 2010

About... SGT Volkin

This author published 38 posts in this site.
Sergeant Michael Volkin is a U.S. Army veteran and one of America's most successful military authors focusing on basic training. He served in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom as a Chemical Operations Specialist and received an Army Commendation Medal for his efforts and for the military fitness programs he designed to help his fellow soldiers. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and also a Real Estate Brokers Degree. Note from the author: "I knew absolutely nothing about the military when I entered basic training. I had no immediate military family history and no prior desire to ever join the military. It was on the tragic morning of September 11, 2001 that I realized what I was taking for granted all these years. Freedom, as wonderful as it is, is an uphill struggle, and comes with an enormous responsibility. It wasn’t so much a decision, but a calling, that I joined the military - the Army Reserves. I departed for basic training without an ounce of military knowledge one month after September 11, 2001. However, I used this lack of knowledge to my advantage. I took notes on everything, with the ambition that no military recruit would have to go through boot camp like I did, with no knowledge of what was in store for me. I listened to hundreds of soldiers share their advice, tips, and tricks on surviving basic training. When I was deployed shortly after basic training to serve in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, I had the time to organize the notes, add to them, and assemble the most practical basic training guide ever written. The Ultimate Basic Training Series is straightforward, easy to understand and applies to every branch of the military. Take advantage of the military fitness routine in these books. Many hours of research and trial and error went toward creating the program. I believe there is no other fitness program that can get you in shape for basic training faster." SGT Volkin is currently a real estate broker and marketing consultant.