MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – Stepping off the yellow footprints, recruits prepare to spend the next 13 weeks training to earn the title of United States Marine. Drill instructors screaming for you to get up and get ready long before the sun rises as your body aches at the idea. Running out the door, the sharp pain of shin splints demanding their attention with every step. Screaming so loud and so often their throat becomes raw. All these things are what recruits are expected to do, but what about those that are required to do all that and more; to wake even earlier; to run even faster; to scream even louder?
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Hongnhung Nguyen, a native of Da Lat, Vietnam, serves as an aviation precision measurement equipment calibration technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 12, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Prior to being stationed at MCAS Iwakuni, she served as a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. from 2023 to 2026. Today, she leads and mentors her junior Marines in the fleet, utilizing the experiences she gained from her time as a drill instructor.
Life as a drill instructor is one of the most demanding special duty assignments in the Marine Corps, yet, to some, it is also the most rewarding. Their days start before recruits wake up and end well after they’ve gone to sleep. Hobbies, vacations and down time are limited. Time normally spent with their families is now spent shaping the next generation of Marines. With all the physical and mental challenges attached to this billet, how does a drill instructor balance the responsibility of forging brand-new Marines while maintaining their personal identity and well-being, all while appearing invincible?
During her first course as a drill instructor, Nguyen sat down with her company’s first sergeant. “He asked me how I was, I said ‘I’m good.’ He looked at me and immediately said, ‘no you’re not.’” said Nguyen. “I broke down crying right there in his office.”
“I’ll never forget this, but he said, ‘You’re just here, you’re playing the part,’” said Nguyen. “’Be your own drill instructor, don’t play the part.’”
The unrelenting intensity of training recruits makes it easy to forget that drill instructors are there to do more than yell or act out a part for 13 weeks. Every lesson they’ve carried with them throughout their own career, every seemingly small, but unforgotten moment with their mentors becomes an experience they can use to guide the recruits in their care. This cycle, however, doesn’t exist solely in recruit training; leaders throughout the Corps consistently train and mentor their junior Marines to eventually take their place and surpass them.
“Legacy isn’t something you’re meant to carry alone,” said Nguyen. “If the principles, values and lessons you passed on continue through others, then you’ve left a legacy that truly matters.”
Earning the Eagle, Globe and Anchor serves as the defining moment a recruit becomes a Marine, but it’s only the beginning of their journey. They’re required to renew their commitment daily by upholding the values of the Marine Corps just like their predecessors.
“Whether I’m wearing a campaign cover or a regular utility cover, one thing never changes: Marines will be held accountable,” said Nguyen. “My job as a leader is to continue challenging Marines physically, mentally, morally and professionally because growth never stops.”
Returning to the fleet after years away and re-learning one’s own occupational specialty requires discipline, humility and a willingness to be a student again. Maintaining that credibility everyday through competency and consistency. It is easier to trust a leader who is not only knowledgeable about the details of their job, but their Marines as well.
“(Staff Sgt. Nguyen) has vast knowledge about this MOS and setting the example of how things should be ran is something she does constantly,” said Sgt. Ruben Mendoza, an aviation precision measurement equipment calibration technician. “It’s motivational how dedicated she is to our job and our welfare for all the Marines around.”
Although the campaign cover Nguyen wore as a drill instructor marked a crucial chapter in her career, it never defined who she was as a leader. No matter the billet held, whether near the yellow footprints or back in the fleet, Nguyen continues to prove that investing in the Marines entrusted in her care remains her greatest responsibility.
“If years from now they lead their Marines with integrity, compassion, accountability, and humility,” said Nguyen. “Then I've accomplished everything I set out to do.”
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| Date Taken: |
07.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
08.06.2026 02:16 |
| Story ID: |
571704 |
| Location: |
IWAKUNI, JP |
| Web Views: |
19 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, The Meaning Behind the Mentor, by Cpl Ella Cadby, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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