Photo By Lt. Col. Xeriqua Garfinkel | U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant Staff Sgt. Christopher Trueblood, assigned to 4th...... read more read more
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FORT JACKSON, S.C. – The night sky flashes with bursts of light as machine gun tracers arc overhead. Explosions erupt across the sand-filled training field, rattling the earth as flares shot from above reveal lines of young trainees low-crawling through obstacles.
This is the Night Infiltration Course, one of the final crucibles of Basic Combat Training. Standing at the edge of the course, Col. Joshua Betty, commander of the 165th Infantry Brigade at Fort Jackson, SC, watches his cadre of professionals drive the trainees forward. They are a mix of active-duty NCOs and Army Reserve drill sergeants who have spent the previous seven weeks preparing these recruits for this moment.
“Tonight’s basically a confidence-building opportunity for our trainees,” he said. “They’ll crawl up out of a trench and then execute individual movement techniques. They’ll change their movement technique based on the fire that they’re receiving from the machine guns that are placed above them. It’s all safe but they get the experience of what it’s like to move at night, with machine guns and explosions going on around you as tracer fire goes over top of you.”
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Cayo W. Rodrigues, a drill sergeant with Charlie Company, 4-39th Infantry Regiment echoed the importance of the event. Unlike the traditional two-week rotations that gave him only snapshots of their progress, this yearlong assignment has allowed him to watch each one transform from confused civilian to confident Soldier.
“The trainees low crawl and high crawl through about 300–400 meters of sand with live rounds, tracers and flares going overhead, boom cannons going off to raise their stress levels until they push through the finish line,” he said.
At that finish line, Rodrigues accompanied by a dozen other drill sergeants circle like sharks to motivate with intense urgency. Their silhouettes flicker in the flare light as they lunge toward exhausted trainees. “Let’s go, trainee, you are right here at the end!” one bellows. Another cuts in, “Stop stopping! Why are you stopping? I need you to move!”
Behind the urgency is patient mentorship, the side of drill sergeant work that defies Hollywood stereotypes. This year, that mentorship is paired with innovation, as the Army Reserve pilots a new approach at Basic Training through yearlong orders that expand its role in shaping the force.
MEETING THE SURGE
Every summer, Fort Jackson’s battalions swell with recent high school graduates shipping to basic training. During these surges, each of Betty’s battalions could climb to more than 1,300 trainees, numbers that would easily overwhelm the traditional staffing model.
Headquarters, Department of the Army, projected that more than 250,000 recruits will enter Basic Training each year through fiscal year 2027. To meet that demand, the Army Reserve was tasked in March 2025 to stand up fully mission-capable drill sergeant companies at Fort Sill and Fort Leonard Wood. Each company consisted of 27 Soldiers serving on 365-day orders, creating a total of 81 Army Reserve drill sergeants dedicated to sustaining the Basic Training mission.
At Fort Sill, a new training company stood up with 27 personnel who transformed an empty footprint into a functioning training site in less than 90 days. Fort Leonard Wood also drew from the expansion, adding drill sergeants to meet its training load.
At Fort Jackson, the approach looked different. Rather than standing up a new company, the installation received yearlong Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS) drill sergeants who were distributed across five companies of 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment. This replaced the short two- to three-week rotations that had been common in the past and gave the brigade sustained manpower through every phase of training. This also provided a unique experience for the reserve NCOs to fully integrate with active-duty drill sergeants, providing a robust and diversely experienced cadre to support the training mission.
Betty explained that without the Reserve augmentation, roughly 250 to 260 additional trainees would have had to be redistributed across other battalions, straining the entire training system. Instead, the yearlong assignments allowed Fort Jackson to maintain both capacity and training standards during peak demand.
Together, these sites reflected the scope of the mission directed to the 108th Training Command, which was charged with providing Army Reserve drill sergeants in support of the Army’s Basic Combat Training enterprise.
BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL MISSION
The Army Reserve’s yearlong ADOS tours give drill sergeants the chance to guide trainees from reception to graduation. That continuity strengthens the training environment and develops NCOs in ways that were once limited to the active component.
Staff Sgt. Marcus A. Gamba, a drill sergeant on a full-year tour with Charlie Company, described the assignment as transformative for NCO development.
“This broadening assignment really puts you in a position to get uncomfortable,” he said. “You start at the lowest level, building civilians into Soldiers, and at the same time you’re fine-tuning yourself as an NCO.”
For Army Reserve drill sergeants, the yearlong orders have been a chance to do something most had never been able to do before. Staff Sgt. Paul Reed, a drill sergeant with assigned to Delta Company, has completed two short rotations before but assisting with the full-cycle has changed the way he approached the mission.
“When this mission came along, it was really something I couldn’t say no to,” Reed said. “I just wanted one time where I can go from pick up to graduation. And now, fortunately, I get to do four cycles.”
Reed’s peer drill sergeants from Charlie Company echoed the same sense of purpose. “I wanted to get more of the behind-the-scenes of how a cycle is run, rather than just coming in for a few weeks and leaving,” said Rodrigues.
Staff Sgt. Christopher O. Trueblood, drill sergeant with Charlie Company, viewed the full-year assignment as a chance to understand the mission at a deeper level.
“I came on orders for a full year as a drill sergeant because during the two weeks, I felt like I was missing the bigger picture,” he said. “I wanted to do a full series of cycles so I could get the ins and outs behind the scenes, not just filling in.”
For Trueblood and others, the extended mission is more than time on the trail. It is about sharpening leadership and developing core traits such as patience.
They pushed back on the stereotype that Basic Training is all about shouting and Shark Week.
Over the course of a full cycle, drill sergeants said they found that discipline came from slowing down, meeting a trainee where they were, and correcting with precision. They spoke of humility, of remembering that every Soldier once started as a trainee, and of recognizing that some need more mentorship than others.
“Being humble enough to accept that certain trainees are going to require more mentorship, and applying yourself to meet that need, that’s part of the job,” Trueblood explained.
Drill sergeants said the yearlong orders allowed them to put their leadership philosophies into practice day after day, cycle after cycle, rather than in a compressed snapshot. They described the experience as a reminder that the role of a drill sergeant is not just to transform civilians into Soldiers but also to refine themselves as leaders.
That cycle of growth for both trainees and NCOs is what sets this Basic Training mission apart and shows the value of sustained time on the trail.
BUILDING FOUNDATIONS THROUGH CONTINUITY
For Trueblood, the sustained yearlong mission showed him something traditional, shorter rotations did not: the full transformation of building a foundation that every Soldier will carry forward. Sustained relationships allow drill sergeants to see learning patterns that short-term instructors would miss.
“Being a drill sergeant, I train civilians to become Soldiers,” he said. “Basics on combat movements, taking cover, building their fighting positions, lane navigation courses, and rifle marksmanship.”
For the big tasks to be successful, trainees must first master the smallest details. While observing trainees carve fighting positions earlier in the day, Trueblood stepped in to show them how to work smarter. He told them to “backfill quickly, start your hole in the right spot, and dig deeper toward the rear.” It was a small adjustment, but one that saved unnecessary work and taught them to think about efficiency as well as effort.
That kind of correction only works when there is trust. Over the course of a cycle, drill sergeants are able to build relationships with their trainees, to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and to know when a push or a quiet correction will have the greatest effect. Continuity gives space for both discipline and mentorship, turning a moment in the dirt into a lesson the trainee will carry throughout their Army career.
Every task in the Army, no matter how small, has a right way to do it, and learning that early prepares them for what comes next.
Staff Sgt. Bryant C. Ferguson, who has served in the Army Reserve for 12 years and is assigned a drill sergeant with Charlie Company, described the role as mentorship as much as instruction.
“Nobody came into this profession knowing everything. Being humble enough to recognize some trainees need more mentorship than others is part of our job,” he said. Outside of uniform, he works as a deputy sheriff with the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, a role that reinforces his belief in accountability and guidance.
For trainees, the impact of sustained mentorship becomes clear in their progression from basic skills to complex operations. Jonathan White arrived at Fort Jackson with plans to attend Columbia State University and no experience firing a weapon. Even with a family legacy of service, his mother in the Army and his father a Marine, he had to start from zero like every other trainee.
“I had never shot a weapon before,” White said. “Drill sergeant Deng showed me sight measure, trigger squeeze, breathing control, and I was able to qualify.” For White, the achievement was proof that the stories he had grown up with were becoming real, and that he had begun to shoulder the same responsibilities as the generations before him.
The fundamentals came slowly at first. Learning to march in formation, handle a rifle, and dig fighting positions required patience from both trainee and instructor. Some trainees found marksmanship most challenging, others pointed to the physical demands or the adjustment to living with sixty strangers in a bay. One trainee in his forties said running was his toughest test, while another admitted the hardest part was being away from family.
Through those struggles, drill sergeants like Ferguson, Trueblood, Reed, and their peers Gamba and Rodrigues saw the basics take hold. The mix of guidance, correction, and mentorship carried trainees from confusion to competence, preparing them for the final test of Basic Combat Training, the Forge.
THE FORGE: WHERE EVERYTHING CONVERGES
The Forge is the culminating field training exercise of Basic Combat Training, a multi-day event that pushes trainees to put every lesson into practice. For drill sergeants on yearlong assignments, it represents the ultimate test of their teaching and the clearest measure of their sustained investment.
“The Forge is where everything comes together,” Col. Betty said. “It allows us to take lessons from the contemporary operating environment and give that to the trainees. They are tested on their ability to move, communicate, and work as a squad in conditions that demand resilience and teamwork.”
Over several days in the field, trainees dig fighting positions using techniques they’ve learned weeks earlier, navigating terrain with confidence built through repetitive training, and reacting to indirect fire with responses developed through patient instruction. For drill sergeants who have guided them through the entire journey, the Forge reveals the cumulative power of sustained mentorship.
“Most people, when they show up, don’t even know what indirect fire is,” he said. “They don’t know what CBRN or chemical and biological warfare is. A fighting position is something they have only seen in a movie. And now we are out here executing. When we move, we are moving quietly in tactical formations. We are pulling security when we go to the latrine and when we refill our water sources at the water buffalo. It is all these little things we have been instilling, and at the Forge you see them come together.”
For trainees like White, the Forge crystallizes weeks of incremental growth into moments of recognized soldier-competency within and understanding of importance of operating as a squad.
“It was a great experience,” White said. “It taught me mental resilience and how to work better with people.”
STRATEGIC INTEGRATION
Betty understands the personal cost this mission exacts on Reserve families, having grown up as the son of a Reserve Soldier, he has lived the reality of extended time away from family. But what has emerged from this effort, he explained, proves that the Army Reserve has the capability and knowledge to sustain a full year on the trail, not just short rotations.
"This has strengthened the partnership, the understanding of how the reserves operate, how the active duty operates, and how we can do this together to fulfill the task that we've been given to expand the training base within the constraints we've been given," Betty said.
The integration model has revealed unexpected synergies. Reserve drill sergeants bring diverse civilian experiences and military occupational specialties to basic training, while active-duty drill sergeants offer their operational experience and institutional continuity. The mix creates a richer training environment where different perspectives strengthen the overall program.
"Being able to watch drill sergeants as they do their duty training civilians to make them into American Soldiers is just a very powerful experience,” Betty said. The transformation is so meaningful that he brought his own children to watch a graduation ceremony, wanting them to understand "what's going on here and what it means for the American public."
The yearlong assignments have also provided professional development opportunities previously available only to active-duty personnel. Reserve drill sergeants return to their home units with enhanced leadership capabilities and deeper understanding of soldier-development, assets that strengthen the entire force.
A LASTING IMPRESSION
For drill sergeants, the measure of success is not in a graduation ceremony but in the kind of Soldiers their trainees become, and in the knowledge that their sustained investment made a measurable difference.
Reed hopes trainees remember the guidance as much as the discipline. “When they look back, I think they’ll want to say, when I needed help, the drill sergeants were there to help me. And when I needed a push in the right direction to be a better, more disciplined Soldier, they were there.”
Trueblood described his role as laying a foundation for careers that may span decades. “I figured that maybe I could be the first step into teaching the trainees what right looks like. Not just in basic training, but in how they approach being a Soldier throughout their career.”
Ferguson added that the mission represents a form of institutional investment. “It broadens your career and lets you give back by training the next fighting force. You get to say, ‘That was me that trained these trainees.”
PROVING THE CONCEPT
As the Army looks toward fiscal year 2026 and beyond, the yearlong Reserve drill sergeant tour is demonstrating its value as more than a temporary surge response. Betty described it as "a proof of concept that we can continue to carry on" in future years.
The option has shown that sustained mentorship produces better training outcomes while developing Reserve NCOs in ways previously limited to the active component. It has proven that the Army Reserve can be more than a supporting player in basic training, it can be a driving force in expanding the training base and maintaining quality standards during high-demand periods.
"What it has shown us is we've got the capability, we've got the knowledge to be able to continue it if needed," Betty said. The investment in yearlong assignments yields dividends in soldier-development, NCO growth, and institutional knowledge that short rotations simply cannot match.
Time and trust matter in human development. The sustained relationships, patient mentorship, and accumulated wisdom that come from guiding trainees from reception to graduation represent a fundamental shift in how the Army approaches basic training.
In an era where the military competes for talent in a challenging recruiting environment, the investment in sustained, quality training relationships may prove to be one of the Army's most strategic advantages. The Reserve drill sergeants will eventually return to their home units carrying with them enhanced skills and tangible proof that the total force concept works.
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If you are interested in becoming a U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, please contact the 108th Training Command Office of Public Affairs at usarmy.usarc.108-tng-cmd.mbx.pa-group@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2025 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 547564 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Mentors, Coaches, Leaders: Army Reserve Drill Sergeants at Basic Training, by LTC Xeriqua Garfinkel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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