Drill Instructor, Drill Instructor

I am going to venture off topic for this post. Being a role model for my kids is always foremost in my mind. I have mentioned that I am an active duty Marine. Prior to coming to NYC, I was a Senior Drill Instructor on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. This was one of the highlights of my Marine Corps career. I got to train civilians and make them into Marines. It was my responsibility to instill in them a love and a passion for the Marine Corps. They needed to learn that being a Marine was more than a job, it was a life, and an indoctrination to a whole new family. 

Female Marines are sent to Drill Instructor School on Parris Island. For years we have only trained recruits on Parris Island. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about female Marines and the infantry. There have been talks about integrating males and females on the recruit depots. Over the last year the Secretary of the Navy even laid down an ultimatum that called for a plan that would, in fact, integrate training. Since then, the Marine Corps procedures have been reviewed and for now our training will remain as it is. What we have done is send female Drill Instructors to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD).

Before now, male recruits on board MCRD would have little to no exposure to female Marines. There are only a handful of female Drill Instructors serving at MCRD, and they are serving in support roles. They are not pushing entire platoons, instead they are instructing male recruits in areas such as Marine Corps Martial Arts, Marine Corps Water Survival, and other areas of training. 

That being said, I was recently exploring Wikipedia, when I noticed that it was not mentioned that female Drill Instructors have gone bi-coastal. The post reads:

In the U.S. Marine Corps, candidates for Drill Instructor Duty are primarily volunteers. The tour of duty is three 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 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).

There are two points that merit editing. The first is that female Marines only serve on board Parris Island. The second is that the force of Drill Instructors is made up primarily of volunteers. Sadly, most Marines are given orders that require them to report for Duty as a Drill Instructor. The duty of a Drill Instructor is very demanding and takes the Marine away from their family. It is the most demanding yet most rewarding job in the Corps. 

I am making some minor alterations to the above paragraph:

In the U.S. Marine Corps, candidates for Drill Instructor school are both volunteers and designates.  The Head Quarters Marine Corps Special Duty Assignment Team creates a list known as the HSST List. This list will have the names of Marines that have been slotted for the different B-Billets and Special Duty Assignments. Once a Marine's name comes up on this list, they must either serve the duty or prove that they are unfit for the assignment. Drill Instructors are always in high demand. The tour of duty is three years and is widely regarded as one of the most intense, demanding duties in the U.S. Armed Forces. This tour of duty is one that demands an individual of the highest moral character and strength. The individual selected to train recruits should have a love and passion for the corps. It is the job of the Drill Instructor to pass these characteristics on to the future of the Corps. This duty is referred to as "Making Marines", and it will be one of the most important duties of a Marine's career. As a Drill Instructor, you are directly involved in shaping the future of the United States 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 at Parris Island because that is where female Marine Corps recruit training occurs. Female Marines may now serve on both depots as Drill Instructors. Female Drill Instructors have begun serving in limited capacity on board Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. This change took place in the Spring of 2016. 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), or have been selected for promotion to Sergeant.

Being a Drill Instructor is an experience that I won't soon forget. It taught me to persevere no matter the challenges that faced me. It showed me the importance of role models in a young person's life. It made my career choice that much more rewarding. Steve Jobs once said:

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

I have found what I love, but I will never settle . . . after all,

a body in motion . . . stays in motion.