MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT/EASTERN RECRUITING REGION PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Traditionally, each graduating class from Drill Instructor School holds a mess night the evening before graduation. In addition to engaging in one of the Corps' most time-honored traditions, the new drill instructors get a chance to meet their new staff and officers from the companies they will soon begin to work for. The newest graduating class was honored to have a former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps as the guest speaker for the much-anticipated event, Tuesday.
Sergeant Major Harold G. Overstreet, the 12th Sergeant Major of he Marine Corps, made the long journey from Texas to speak at the event.
Overstreet held his post as the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from June 21, 1991 until June 29, 1995 under Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Carl E. Mundy.
The director of drill instructor school, Maj. John J. Carroll, Jr., has long-time ties to the retired sergeant major. As a child, Carroll's family was stationed here while his father was a company commander. He grew up playing with Overstreet's son, a friendship that has lasted a lifetime. - The two keep in touch to this day, which led to Overstreet's invitation.
"[Maj. Carroll] sent out the invitation to Sgt. Maj. Overstreet, and we were all extremely excited when he said he would be happy to be here," said Capt. Corey Collier, Drill Instructor School assistant director. "He's a dynamic speaker and inspiring leader."
Overstreet spoke with several Marines while waiting for the Mess Night ceremony to begin. The constant perfectionist, he adjusted brass, removed lint and straightened uniforms. He did all this without breaking eye contact or making the Marines feel like they were being corrected.
"He's completely down to earth," said Collier. "There's nothing fake about that man. He's an original. What you see is what you get."
Having visited the Depot several times both during his career and since his retirement, Overstreet said he's always excited about the chance to visit the "Corps' elite."
"Drill instructors are the cream of the cream," he said. "Good Marines show up here to make a difference in the lives of recruits, and if they do their job, they leave even better than when they arrived here."
A former drill instructor himself, Overstreet has the utmost respect for the men and women he says have "the best job in the Marine Corps."
"What [drill instructors] do every day is without a doubt the most important duty in the Corps," said Overstreet. "Aside from combat, the stories Marines tell most are about boot camp. In those stories they all talk about their drill instructors. The lasting impressions they make will last a lifetime."