Drill instructor A drill instructor is a noncommissioned Officer or Staff Noncommissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country . In the United States armed forces , they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and practices of military life . In the U . S . , a drill instructor refers to a United States Marine Corps Drill Instructor . In the Air Force , they are known as Military Training Instructors and must be referred to as " sir " or " ma ' am " by recruits . The United States Army refers to them as Drill Sergeant . Note : Although in the United States Marine Corps , they are referred to as " sir ; " in The United States Army , the recruit must refer to them as " Drill Sergeant . " In the U . S . Navy , they are called Recruit Division Commanders ( RDCs ) . In the U . S . Coast Guard , they are referred to as Company Commanders . Outside of the U . S . , they are assigned the duty of instructing recruits in drill commands only . Australian Army . In the Australian Army , the staff responsible for training recruits are known as Recruit Instructors . They teach recruits discipline , fieldcraft , marksmanship , service knowledge and drill . Each recruit platoon is commanded by Recruit Instructors usually consisting of a Lieutenant , a Sergeant and up to four instructors of the Corporal or Bombardier rank . A Recruit Instructor can be identified by a 1st Recruit Training Battalion colour patch on his or her slouch hat and a small Recruit Instructor badge worn on the right breast pocket , if the position has been held long enough . Members from all Corps in the Army are eligible to become Recruit Instructors , including females . Experience as a Recruit Instructor is often a prerequisite to senior non - commissioned appointments in the military . Royal Australian Navy . In the Royal Australian Navy , there are Instructors at HMAS Cerberus , where the Recruit School course is held , and HMAS Creswell , where the NEOC ( New Entry Officer Course ) is held , as well as at ADFA . Each division is made up of one of the following : Australian Federal Police . In the Australian Federal Police , Drill Instructors are trained and accredited by the Recognition and Ceremonial team . Each accredited Drill Instructor wears an AFP pin with the wording " DI " positioned 5mm above their name plate or citations . Drill Instructors also are issued with a black coloured Hellweg brand leather basket weave Sam Browne belt and strap . The AFP is the only police agency to formally train and accredit police drill instructors in Australia , with a number of New South Wales Police Force members attached to the NSW Police College holding that qualification . The Australian Federal Police College at Barton has a non - commissioned officer of Sergeant Rank holding the position of College Sergeant . The College Sergeant carries a black pace stick as a badge of office at ceremonial functions and a swagger stick during normal duties . New South Wales Police Force . The New South Wales Police Force has a Drill Sergeant and a Drill Constable attached to the NSW Police College at Goulburn . Drill staff are responsible for training recruits in drill . These personnel wear a blue cord to signify being a protocol officer . The Senior Protocol Officer ( formally known as Protocol and Discipline Officer ) which carries the rank of Senior Sergeant is responsible for the coordination of the final week of drill , known as Attestation Week and holds the position of Parade Sergeant at all Attestation Parades . The Senior Protocol officer is responsible for dress , bearing and discipline and also is the guardian of NSWPF history , customs , traditions and symbols at the NSW Police College . The Senior Protocol Officer carries a black pace stick with silver fittings and wears a black coloured Hellweg Brand Sam Browne belt with strap as a badge of Office . Western Australia Police . The Western Australian Police Force has a Drill Sergeant of the Rank of Senior Sergeant who trains recruits in drill . The Senior Sergeant wears a Sam Browne belt and carries a pace stick as a badge of office . British Army . In the British Army , the appointment of Drill Sergeant ( DSgt ) is limited to the five Foot Guards regiments , the Honourable Artillery Company ( HAC ) , Infantry Training Centre Catterick , London District , and the All - Arms Drill Wing ( part of the Army School of Ceremonial , Catterick ) . Drill Sergeants hold the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 . However , any senior NCO conducting drill can be colloquially referred to as a " drill sergeant " . There are two Drill Sergeants per battalion ( one in the HAC ) and they have specific responsibilities for all duties , public or battalion ( royal duties , barrack duties etc . ) . They support the Garrison Sergeant Major ( GSM ) or Regimental Sergeant Major ( RSM ) in the formation , practice and execution of these duties , typically running the duties roster , supervising rehearsals , and undertaking the guard mounts , both royal and barrack . They also deputise for the RSM in disciplinary matters . The London District Drill Sergeant supports the GSM in the supervison of Trooping the Colour , the State Opening of Parliament , Beating the Retreat and any state visits . He also has responsibility under the GSM for the definition of British Army foot and arms drill . They can be distinguished from other WO2s by their dress . They have the right to wear Sam Browne belts when in No . 2 dress and carry swords ( never drawn ) on ceremonial duties . They are the third most senior Warrant Officers within a regimental structure , after the RSM and the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant ( RQMS ) . The HAC Drill Sergeant is thus the second most senior Territorial Army soldier in the regiment . U . S . Armed Forces . Drill Instructors are held responsible for the welfare , behavior , and military education of the recruits assigned to them on a 24 - hour basis throughout the period of initial training , of which the most well known is Basic Training or boot camp . Their responsibilities include areas such as military discipline , physical fitness , and weapons training . The title of Drill Instructor is a billet independent of rank , to be held by Non - Commissioned Officers who successfully complete the intense training program to earn that title . The rank held by drill instructors varies by branch : The arduous nature of drill instructor duty means that such assignments are among the most prestigious carried out by enlisted personnel . Those who become drill instructors are eligible for a variety of military awards , such as the Marine Drill Instructor Ribbon , and the Army ' s Drill Sergeant Identification Badge . U . S . Marine Corps . It may be taken offensively by U . S . Marine Corps Drill Instructors to be referred to as ' Drill Sergeants ' , which is strictly an Army term in the American military , just as Marines may take offense to being called " soldiers " . This is considered to be a grievous insult if done intentionally . The only acceptable address of a drill instructor by a recruit is " Sir " or " Ma ' am " . At Officer Candidates School ( OCS ) , candidates are instructed by Drill Instructors who have already served a tour at one of the Recruit Depots . Officer candidates address their instructors as " Sergeant Instructor " ( and rank and last name ) , or " Platoon Sergeant " ( and rank and last name ) . The OCS Platoon sergeant is comparable to the Senior Drill Instructor in an enlisted recruit platoon . In the initial phase of training , officer candidates are trained in almost the same manner , and by the same people , as enlisted Marines , with slight differences reflecting the difference between the responsibilities the candidates will have as second lieutenants and those the recruits will have as junior Marines . In addition , Drill Instructors at either E - 6 or E - 7 also train naval officer candidates at the Navy ' s Officer Candidate School at Officer Training Command Newport , Rhode Island , a holdover from the days when they trained prospective naval aviators at the former Aviation Officer Candidate School ( AOCS ) at Naval Aviation Schools Command , Pensacola , FL . Class Drill Instructors train officer candidates alongside Class Chief Petty Officers who have experience training Navy recruits as Recruit Division Commanders ( RDCs ) . Like Marine Corps recruits , Navy officer candidates must address Drill Instructors as either " Sir " or " Ma ' am " . In the U . S . Marine Corps , candidates for Drill Instructor Duty are without exception volunteers . The tour of duty is two years and is widely regarded as one of the most intense , demanding , and important duties in the U . S . Armed Forces . Since the duty is referred to as " Making Marines " , it can often be one of the most important duties of a Marine ' s career because the responsibility is most directly involved with creating the future Marines of the Marine Corps . Marines report to either Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina or to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in California , where they are assigned to Drill Instructor School . Upon graduation , they are assigned to one of the Recruit Training Battalions . Female Drill Instructors are only trained and only serve at Parris Island because that is where the only female Marine Corps recruit training occurs . Service as a Drill Instructor is considered a Special Duty Assignment in the Marine Corps ( Or " B " billet ) , which is factored into consideration of a Marine ' s eligibility for promotion . A Marine assigned to DI School must have at least a rank of Sergeant ( E - 5 ) . The school requires DI School students to complete every task recruits are required to do . The typical training day begins around 4 : 00 a . m . ( 0400 military time ) and ends around 7 : 30 p . m . ( 1930 hours ) , many times with specific training evaluations and end - of - day cleanups that require even longer days . At the end of each day , DI School students have to practice effective time management in studying for exams , practicing drill , rehearsing the teaching of drill movements verbatim and preparing uniforms all while still making time for intense physical training . The school lasts approximately three months with four classes running throughout the year . Physical training or " PT " as a unit is conducted at least three times a week , with each session lasting approximately two hours . In addition to warming up , stretching , and calisthenics , students complete the " DI Playground " a circuit course that focuses on enhancing upper body strength . Physical training also prepares the future Drill Instructors for the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test which consists of pull - ups , abdominal crunches , and a 3 - mile timed run . Since a drill instructor is often required to spend 20 hours a day or more on his or her feet and to move fast at all times , various running sessions are conducted to enhance speed and endurance . Students are led by their squad instructors in ability group runs based on speed , gradually increasing distance and speed throughout the course . Track workouts , formation runs , and fartlek runs are also a staple of the training . Drill and discipline are crucial parts of the Drill Instructor School curriculum . Every student is continuously evaluated , corrected , and mentored , with special attention paid to the smallest of details , such as the placement of a finger within 1 / 4 inch of its required location along a trouser seam , angle of the weapon , and positioning of the student in relation to the unit . Required knowledge is constantly taught and evaluated in the form of written exams , practical applications , and inspections . Uniforms are inspected continually , with surprise inspections conducted randomly in addition to the scheduled inspections . The drill instructor is expected to convey the best possible Marine Corps image to recruits and to America and to conduct his / herself to the highest Marine Corps leadership and integrity standards as well as to impart these standards to every recruit they train . Drill Instructors take a pledge which consists of the following words : " These recruits are entrusted to my care . I will train them to the best of my ability . I will develop them into smartly disciplined , physically fit , basically trained Marines , thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Corps and country . I will demand of them , and demonstrate by my own example , the highest standards of personal conduct , morality and professional skill . " Upon completion of Drill Instructor School , Drill Instructors are assigned to Recruit Training Battalions as junior members ( " fourth hats " , " third hats " , " kill hats " , " bobby " , or " bulldogs " ) of drill instructor teams . His or her job consists of constant corrections , dispensing punitive " Incentive Training " ( IT ) , and keeping unremitting pressure on recruits to pay attention to details . He or she also teaches and reinforces academic knowledge to recruits . It is his or her duty to command the recruit platoon for initial drill evaluation , in which , in addition to the platoon receiving a score , the Drill Instructor is evaluated as well . These new drill instructors bear the burden of responsibility for breaking down a recruit ' s sense of self and selfishness , so that the more experienced drill instructors can focus the recruits on selflessness , obedience , and fraternity . After completing a few 13 - week cycles , the drill instructor is moved up to the position of " Experienced Drill Instructor " ( EDI ) , also called the " heavy " , " drill hat " or " J Hat " . The next step in a drill instructor career is becoming a " Senior Drill Instructor " . Senior Drill Instructors hold a respected position which is distinguished by the wearing of a black sword belt ( or Sam Browne Belt , but without the shoulder strap ) instead of a green duty belt . A Senior Drill Instructor is ultimately accountable for the training of the platoon and for the efficiency of his or her assistant Drill Instructors . Although Senior Drill Instructors are NCOs ( Sergeants ) or Staff NCOs , their position in the recruit training platoon is similar to that of a commissioned officer Platoon Commander in a line platoon . As such , they are further set apart from " junior " Drill Instructors . After completing a number of cycles , drill instructors are often assigned to Support Battalion duties outside of recruit - training platoons . Such assignments are referred to as quotas , and include jobs as academic instructors , administrative duties at Recruit Processing ( Receiving Barracks , also known as Receiving Company at MCRD San Diego ) , martial arts instructors , Medical Rehabilitation Platoon ( MRP ) , Physical Conditioning Platoon ( PCP ) , Combat Water Survival Instructors , Field Training Instructors ( a . k . a . Black Shirts ) [ MCRD Parris Island only ] , and Instuctional Training Company Instructors ( ITC DI ) [ MCRD San Diego only ] . Some drill instructors choose to do a second tour of duty on the drill field . These volunteers still report to Drill Instructor School , but are referred to as course challengers , and are only required to complete a short refresher course . Multiple tour drill instructors , based on rank and experience , are usually assigned as Senior Drill Instructors , Series Chief Drill Instructors ( MCRD San Diego ) or Series Gunnery Sergeants ( MCRD Parris Island ) , DI school instructors , Company First Sergeants , or Battalion Sergeants Major . While in Drill Instructor status , both male and female DIs wear a World War I campaign hat with their service and utility uniforms . For their successful service , Marine Drill Instructors are awarded the Drill Instructor Ribbon . This award is also given to other enlisted Marines and officers assigned to the recruit training environment , although these billets are recognized as being less directly involved in actually training recruits such as Series and Company Commander / XO , Battalion Executive Officer , S - 3 , and Commander , and various levels of Sergeants Major at each Depot . At OCS , the ribbon is also given to Officer Candidate Company First Sergeant , Company Gunnery Sergeant , and Platoon Commanders . United States Army . Historically , the task of the Drill Sergeant has been intrinsic to good order and discipline and commands respect throughout the Army . Currently , Soldiers of appropriate rank ( usually Staff Sergeant s and Sergeants First Class ) may volunteer or be centrally selected by U . S . Army Human Resources Command to attend Drill Sergeant School . Those centrally selected are known as " DA Selected " meaning Department of the Army selected . Drill Sergeant School is ten weeks long and consists of exactly the same activities as basic training ; drill and ceremony , basic rifle marksmanship , obstacle / confidence courses , and field training exercises , training management , and leadership . Certain aspects of the Warrior Leader Course are included . Drill Sergeant candidates are held to the highest standards while going through the school as preparation for their tours of duty . The Drill Sergeant candidates are treated with a great deal of professionalism and not like recruits . Upon graduation , male Drill Sergeants wear the World War I campaign hat ( nicknamed the " Brown Round " ) and female Drill Sergeants wear the olive drab Australian bush cap informally known as " cowgirl " hats . An Army Drill Sergeant ' s normal tour of duty ( called being " on the trail " ) is two years with a possible one - year extension . Drill Sergeants may be assigned to units that conduct Basic Combat Training ( BCT ) or One - Station Unit Training ( OSUT ) . BCT Drill Sergeants train approximately 11 cycles during their two - year tours . OSUT Drill Sergeants train recruits for an equivalent of BCT plus an additional number of weeks depending on the Military Occupational Specialty , so their average number of cycles is less than that of a BCT Drill Sergeant . The breaks between cycles are extremely short , creating an incredibly demanding environment for Drill Sergeants . It is not unusual for a cycle to graduate on a Thursday or Friday with new recruits arriving the following Monday or Tuesday . Due to changes in training doctrine , Army Drill Sergeants are no longer assigned to fill Advanced Individual Training billets and have been replaced with regular noncommissioned officer s . Senior Drill Sergeants are the most senior NCO in a given training platoon , and are ultimately responsible for Soldiers within or under their authority . The only NCO more senior to these individuals at the company level is the company ' s First Sergeant , the senior enlisted leader and advisor to the company commander . Successful completion of Drill Sergeant duty greatly enhances opportunities for promotion . Many of the U . S . Army ' s most senior noncommissioned officer s are former Drill Sergeants . The Army has had a difficult time recruiting Drill Sergeant volunteers due to recent changes in doctrine and policy , with a recent study by the Department of Defense noting that fewer than 30 % of Drill Sergeant candidates are volunteers . Past Drill Sergeants enjoyed much autonomy and latitude with which to train recruits and were reputed hands - on disciplinarians . Currently , the Army ' s Training and Doctrine Command ( TRADOC ) has sought to shift this authority away and has moved closer to what is known as " Schofield ' s Definition of Discipline . " It is now a punishable offense to use demeaning or derogatory terms to refer to recruits or trainees , and terms such as " warrior " or " Soldier " are more preferable . Additionally , it is a serious offense to punish recruits or trainees with " excessive " physical exercise , now known as hazing . Due to this , and also in part to the second and third order effects of this policy on the operational force , many NCOs feel disenchanted with the prospect of life on the trail and feel that their leadership abilities are better suited elsewhere . U . S . Air Force . Air Force MTIs are non - commissioned officers ranging from Senior Airman ( E - 4 ) ( before Fall 2013 ) through Master Sergeant ( E - 7 ) . They are trained at the Military Training Instructor School at Lackland AFB in San Antonio , Texas . Course length has changed several times during the last decade , but generally includes a period of assignment to a senior instructor to observe training ( called " bird - dogging " ) . MTIs initially conduct basic training at Lackland Air Force Base as part of the 737th Training Group , but a select few conduct military training at the Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB and at the Air Force Academy during basic cadet training . MTIs are commonly identified by the AF blue campaign hat . Their usual duty uniform is either the ABU or BDU . They wear , in the case of BDUs , highly polished boots . In the case of ABUs , either sand colored or sage green boots are worn . After completion of their MTI schooling , they are awarded the time - honored campaign hat . Upon receiving their certification as an instructor , they receive the Air Education and Training Command Instructor badge for wear on the right side of the BDU blouse ( the badge is also worn on the service uniform , but not on the ABU . ) The MTI ribbon is also awarded but may be revoked if the MTI fails to successfully complete a tour of four years . MTIs usually begin their tours as " team members " - junior partners of a two - person team . Experienced MTIs becomes " team chiefs " and often work a basic training flight alone when manning shortages occur ( especially during summer ) . MTIs refer to direct recruit training as being " on the street " . At the conclusion of a tour , some MTIs are offered the chance to work in essential support training roles in the basic training course . This includes the combat training portions of the course , classroom academic instruction , and the " confidence " obstacle course . MTIs who are rated in the top 10 % of their ranks are awarded with a blue " rope " replacing the black leather hat strap on the campaign or bush hat . These master military training instructors often evaluate the trainees and MTI ranks during parades and retreat ceremonies . Special trainers of MTIs used to wear a black " rope " and MTIs certified and assigned to train officer candidates wear a bright silver " rope " . Unlike the Army , the Air Force uses a different specialist to continue military training during advanced individual or technical training . Military training leaders ( MTLs ) wear a blue aguillette on the left shoulder and act in the same capacity as Army drill sergeants during technical training . The aguillette in various colors is worn by students to indicate leadership roles - green for student flight leaders , yellow for student squadron leaders , and red for squadron student commanders . A white aguillette is worn by chapel guides , a white and blue rope denotes they are in the Drum and Bugle Corps , and a teal rope is worn by student counselors . At some technical training centers a black aguillette is worn by members of student honor guards or drill teams . U . S . Coast Guard . In the U . S . Coast Guard , Company Commanders are usually E - 5 to E - 8 and are special duty volunteers . Candidates attend Company Commander School in Cape May , New Jersey , which is collocated with recruit basic training . Upon completion , candidates then go in front of a board for final approval . Upon becoming a Company Commander ( CC ) , the Coast Guardsman earns the right to wear the Company Commander Badge . Coast Guard recruit companies average two or three CCs per , with the newer CCs serving as Assistants to the more experienced Lead CC . During recent years , Coast Guard Company Commanders have gone to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London , CT to train outgoing third class cadets during a week - long evolution called " 100th Week " , in which they are once again treated as incoming fourth class cadets by the CCs . The rationale behind this is to remind these cadets of their experiences coming in to the Academy , and to reinforce the mantra that they must do the things they will eventually demand of incoming plebes . Later in the week , CCs begin teaching the cadets lessons on leadership . The experience provides third class cadets with invaluable experience they will need in training the new incoming fourth class cadets during Plebe Summer . Male and female CCs wear the World War I campaign hat . U . S . Navy . In the United States Navy , recruit training is conducted by Recruit Division Commanders ( RDCs , formerly Company Commanders or CCs ) at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes , located at Naval Station Great Lakes , in North Chicago , IL . RDCs are usually E - 5 ( Petty Officer Second Class ) with at least six years time in service and above , who are volunteers that serve a three year tour at RTC Great Lakes . After submitting an approved package containing an endorsement from a commanding officer , prospective RDCs attend RDC " C " School located at RTC Great Lakes and are identified by the blue aiguillettes ( ropes ) they wear on the left shoulder of either their service , dress , or working uniforms . RDC School students typically spend thirteen weeks learning about the duties they will perform as RDCs , including drill and ceremony , classroom instruction , and uniform and compartment maintenance . They undergo routine uniform inspections , where RDC school staff ( experienced RDCs ) meticulously check for any deficiencies in a student ' s uniform . In addition , RDC School students spend three days a week undergoing physical training . Because of the intense workout periods , some RDC students find themselves unprepared ; however , they must be ready to keep up with the recruits , some of them who are much younger or more athletic than they are . According to RDC " C " School staff , PT is the number one reason why some students drop out of the course . Towards the end of RDC " C " School , RDC students shadow actual RDCs currently commanding a division . At the end of thirteen weeks , they receive their red ropes and badges which set them apart as RDCs . Following graduation and entering their first divisions , senior RDCs mentor these new junior RDCs , who then go on to gain experience with every new division ( commonly referred to as a " push " ) . In the second year of their three - year tour , RDCs take a break from training divisions and perform other duties on base , including drill evaluations , practical training instruction , teaching classes at RDC " C " School , or Battle Stations 21 . RDC duty is considered a highly prestigious one as it is associated with higher levels of accession into the higher petty officer rates , including Chief Petty Officer . RDC duty also allows Sailors an opportunity to earn the Master Training Specialist designator . At the end of the three - year tour , eligible RDCs receive the Recruit Training Service Ribbon , along with a choice of coast for their next duty stations . In addition to training recruits at RTC Great Lakes , RDCs at E - 7 ( Chief Petty Officer ) or above who have experience leading recruit divisions train students at Officer Training Command in Newport , Rhode Island , either training prospective naval officers at Officer Candidate School ( OCS ) as Class Chief Petty Officers , alongside Marine Corps Drill Instructors , or newly commissioned junior officers in the Navy ' s Staff Corps ( i . e . JAG , Medical Corps , Nurse Corps , etc . ) at the Officer Development School ( ODS ) . Drill Instructor ' s Creed . In many military services , a Drill Instructors ' creed has been created to succinctly state the beliefs that a Drill Instructor should follow . United States Army . The Drill Sergeant Creed of the United States Army is : United State Marine Corps . The Drill Instructor Creed of the United States Marine Corps is : United States Air Force . The Military Training Instructor Code : Popular culture . Drill instructors have a reputation as unforgiving taskmasters , and they are often portrayed as such in popular culture . Among the definitive fictional portrayals are : Real - life Drill Instructors from law enforcement agencies around the globe are becoming increasingly popular in documentaries such as :