Photo Information

Staff Sgt. Zachary Curran, senior drill instructor, Platoon 2110, Company E, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, leads his recruits in a guided discussion May 1 aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. The role of the senior drill instructor throughout recruit training is to develop recruits into disciplined, physically-fit Marines, but also mold them into Marines with strong moral values.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Bridget M. Keane

Senior drill instructors' mentorship critical in transformation process

3 May 2012 | Lance Cpl. Bridget M. Keane Marine Corps Training and Education Command

The vigorous training cycle that recruits endure while aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego can be repetitive and tiring. This can make it easy for recruits to lose sight of their goals and the reason they enlisted in the Marine Corps.

"Recruits can forget why they came here," said Staff Sgt. Zachary Curran, senior drill instructor, Platoon 2110, Company E, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion. "We provide them with the guidance they need to reconfirm the commitment they've made."

Every platoon has a senior drill instructor. This drill instructor is seen by recruits as a mentor, guiding them in the right direction by being tough but fair. When introduced to his platoon, he recites the Drill Instructor Creed that states his promise to train each recruit to the best of his ability, by developing them into disciplined, physically-fit, basically-trained Marine.

Above the physical demands of recruit training, the main role of a senior is to mold each recruit into a Marine that holds high morals and ethics.

"We have guided discussions throughout training that allow us to talk about Marine Corps ethics and how they apply to everyday life," said Curran. "Recruits come from diverse backgrounds, so they all have a different idea of what is important to them."

Each discussion deals with different scenarios that junior Marines will face throughout the first few years of their career and how their actions can affect the image of the Marine Corps.

Topics from financial responsibility and marriage to substance abuse are addressed and discussed in a relaxed environment.

"This allows the recruits to see their drill instructors in a different light," explained Curran, a 25-year-old Brentwood, Calif. native. "The hat comes off and the recruits are able to have a conversation and voice their own opinions."

Guided discussions are used as a tool to build teamwork and camaraderie among the platoon.

Each platoon has its own personality. These discussions allow the recruits to learn about each other and their individual values. The level of motivation and morale goes up after each discussion, explained Curran.

Recruits look forward to discussions with their senior because it breaks down the barrier of drill instructor and recruit and gives them a sense of being human again.

"It shows us that they're [drill instructors] not just machines," said Recruit Joseph T. Phillips, Plt. 2110, Co. E, 2nd RTBn. "They talk to us like they're our big brothers."

Through each discussion, recruits are encouraged to reflect Marine Corps traits and values by their senior drill instructor.

"He tells us of his experiences of being a Marine in the fleet," said Recruit Robert A. McCusker, Plt. 2110, Co. E, 2nd RTBn. "He shares the way he's felt and what he has seen throughout his career."

Although the senior shares his experiences with his recruits, his main objective is to guide the discussion and stress the moral of his story and how core values were applied.

"The scenarios we give to the recruits are similar to situations that privates, (privates first class) and lance corporals go through," said Curran. "These scenarios allow them to apply the values they've learned and to think like a Marine."

Once they graduate and become Marines they go onto Marine Combat Training aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton for a month, then move on to their designated military occupation specialty school which prepares them further for the fleet.

Every day, they will face a situation that will challenge them morally and will force them to make a decision. With the values and ethics instilled through their time spent with their senior drill instructor, the recruits will be able to act accordingly and conduct themselves as Marines.


Marine Corps Training and Education Command