A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
Australia
Australian Army In the Australian Army, the staff responsible for training recruits are known as recruit instructors. They teach recruits discipline, fieldcraft, marksmanship, service knowledge and drill.
Each recruit platoon is commanded by recruit instructors, usually consisting of a lieutenant, a sergeant, and up to four instructors of the corporal or bombardier rank. A recruit instructor can be identified by a 1st Recruit Training Battalion colour patch on their slouch hat and a small Recruit Instructor badge worn on the right breast pocket, if the position has been held long enough.
Members from all Corps in the Army are eligible to become recruit instructors, including females. Experience as a recruit instructor is often a prerequisite to senior non-commissioned appointments in the military.
Royal Australian Navy In the Royal Australian Navy, there are instructors at HMAS Cerberus, where the Recruit School course is held, and HMAS Creswell, where the NEOC (New Entry Officer Course) is held, as well as at ADFA.
Each division is made up of one of the following: Divisional officer (a lieutenant) Divisional chief petty officer Divisional petty officer Divisional junior sailor (a leading seaman, who is the class instructor) Divisional able seaman (some large divisions may have a few able seamen serving as assistant instructors)
Australian Federal Police In the Australian Federal Police, drill instructors are trained and accredited by the Recognition and Ceremonial team. Each accredited drill instructor wears an AFP pin with the wording "DI" positioned 5mm above their name plate or citations. Drill instructors are also issued with a black coloured Hellweg brand leather basket weave Sam Browne belt and strap. The AFP is the only police agency to formally train and accredit police drill instructors in Australia, with a number of New South Wales Police Force members attached to the NSW Police College holding that qualification.
The Australian Federal Police College at Barton has a non-commissioned officer of sergeant rank holding the position of college sergeant. The college sergeant carries a black pace stick as a badge of office at ceremonial functions and a swagger stick during normal duties.
New South Wales Police Force The New South Wales Police Force has a drill sergeant and a drill constable attached to the NSW Police College at Goulburn. Drill staff are responsible for training recruits in drill. These personnel wear a blue cord to signify being a protocol officer. The senior protocol officer (formally known as protocol and discipline officer), which carries the rank of senior sergeant, is responsible for the coordination of the final week of drill, known as Attestation Week and holds the position of parade sergeant at all Attestation Parades. The senior protocol officer is responsible for dress, bearing and discipline and also is the guardian of NSWPF history, customs, traditions and symbols at the NSW Police College. The senior protocol officer carries a black pace stick with silver fittings and wears a black-coloured Hellweg Brand Sam Browne belt with strap as a badge of office.
Western Australia Police The Western Australian Police Force has a drill sergeant of the rank of sergeant who trains recruits in drill, discipline and other matters. He is also the recruit training manager responsible for overseeing the recruits training, ceremonial graduations, police funerals and other events. He meets regularly with academy executive and is responsible for removing recruits who fail parts of the course. The sergeant carries a pace stick as a badge of office during parades.
United Kingdom
British Army
In the British Army, the appointment of drill sergeant (DSgt) is limited to the five Foot Guards regiments, the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), Infantry Training Centre Catterick, London District, and the All-Arms Drill Wing (part of the Army School of Ceremonial, Catterick). Drill sergeants hold the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. However, any senior NCO conducting drill can be colloquially referred to as a "drill sergeant".
There are two drill sergeants per battalion (one in the HAC) and they have specific responsibilities for all duties, public or battalion (royal duties, barrack duties etc.). They support the garrison sergeant major (GSM) or regimental sergeant major (RSM) in the formation, practice and execution of these duties, typically running the duties roster, supervising rehearsals, and undertaking the guard mounts, both royal and barrack. They also deputise for the RSM in disciplinary matters.
The London District drill sergeant supports the GSM in the supervision of Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament, Beating the Retreat and any state visits. He also has responsibility under the GSM for the definition of British Army foot and arms drill.
They can be distinguished from other WO2s by their dress. They have the right to wear Sam Browne belts when in No.2 dress and carry swords (never drawn) on ceremonial duties.
They are the third most senior Warrant Officers within a regimental structure, after the RSM and the regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS). The HAC drill sergeant is thus the second most senior Army Reserve soldier in the regiment.
United States Drill instructors in the United States armed forces have different titles in each branch of service. In the United States Air Force, they are known as "Military Training Instructors", or MTIs. The United States Navy uses Marine Corps drill instructors at their Officer Candidate School, but only chief petty officers and petty officers (1st or 2nd Class) are called "recruit division commanders", or RDCs at their recruit training. Within the United States Army, drill instructors are given the title of "Drill Sergeant". The United States Coast Guard gives the title of "Company Commander" to their drill instructors. The United States Marine Corps is the only branch of the U.S. armed forces where drill instructors are titled as "Drill Instructors"; the Marines were the first to call them drill sergeants, but in 1971 changed to "instructors". Drill instructors are referred to as "sir" or "ma'am" by recruits within the USAF, USMC, and USCG (for the first few weeks of basic training, until recruits are instructed to refer to their company commanders by their proper rank). Within the USN, recruits must refer to their RDCs by their proper ranks. Recruits in the United States Army must refer to their drill sergeants as "drill sergeant".
The instruction and indoctrination given by the drill instructors of the various U.S. military branches includes instruction in customs and practices of military life, physical fitness, instruction in the proper execution of military drill, instilling discipline and willingness to immediately obey all lawful orders given by superiors, and oftentimes, basic armed and unarmed combat training.
Drill instructors are held responsible for the welfare, behavior, and military education of the recruits assigned to them on a 24-hour basis throughout the period of initial training, of which the most well known is Basic Training or boot camp. Their responsibilities include areas such as military discipline, physical fitness, and weapons training. The title of drill instructor is a billet independent of rank, to be held by non-commissioned officers who successfully complete the intense training program to earn that title.
The rank held by drill instructors varies by branch: Drill Sergeants in the United States Army are Sergeants (E-5), Staff Sergeants (E-6), and Sergeants First Class (E-7). Upon promotion to Master Sergeant (E-8), Drill Sergeants are "de-hatted" and removed from drill duty.
Drill instructors in the United States Marine Corps hold ranks from sergeant (E-5) through gunnery sergeant (E-7). Per Marine Corps Orders 1326.6 (2019), "Mature and otherwise qualified Corporals may be assigned, with an approved exception to policy."
Recruit division commanders (formerly Company Commanders) in the United States Navy are petty officer second class (E-5) through master chief petty officer (E-9). Military training instructors in the United States Air Force are generally staff sergeants with 2 years time in grade (E-5) through master sergeants (E-7). Company commanders in the United States Coast Guard are petty officer second class (E-5) through master chief petty officer (E-9).
The arduous nature of drill instructor duty means that such assignments are among the most prestigious carried out by enlisted personnel. Those who become drill instructors are eligible for a variety of military awards, such as the Marine Drill Instructor Ribbon, and the Army's Drill Sergeant Identification Badge.
U.S. Air Force
Air Force MTIs are non-commissioned officers ranging from staff sergeant (E-5) through master sergeant (E-7). They are trained at the Military Training Instructor School at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. Course length has changed several times during the last decade, but generally includes a period of assignment to a senior instructor to observe training (called "bird-dogging"). MTIs initially conduct basic training at Lackland Air Force Base as part of the 737th Training Group, but a select few conduct military training at the Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB and at the Air Force Academy during basic cadet training.
Male MTIs are identified by the dark blue campaign hat and female MTIs by the dark blue Australian bush hat. Their usual duty uniform is the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), with blue service uniforms worn during certain drill practices and the graduation ceremony. Upon receiving their certification as an instructor, they receive the Air Education and Training Command Instructor badge for wear on the right side of the blue uniform.
MTIs usually begin their tours as "team members" - junior partners of a two-person team. Experienced MTIs becomes "team chiefs" and often work a basic training flight alone when manning shortages occur (especially during summer). MTIs refer to direct recruit training as being "on the street". At the conclusion of a tour, some MTIs are offered the chance to work in essential support training roles in the basic training course. This includes the combat training portions of the course, classroom academic instruction, and the "confidence" obstacle course.
Unlike the Army, the Air Force uses a different specialist to continue military training during advanced individual or technical training. Military training leaders (MTLs) wear a blue aiguillette on the left shoulder and act in the same capacity as Army drill sergeants during technical training. The aiguillette in various colors is worn by students to indicate leadership roles - green for student flight leaders, yellow for student squadron leaders, and red for squadron student commanders. A white aiguillette is worn by chapel guides, a white and blue rope denotes they are in the Drum and Bugle Corps, and a teal rope is worn by student counselors. At some technical training centers a black aiguillette is worn by members of student honor guards or drill teams.
U.S. Army