Drill Field

[MIKE JONES]

Well i just got back from my deployment and I have been thinking of putting in my package to go to the Drill Field and kill recruits up in San Diego. I have some quetions to anybody here that has had some experience in that department of the military. I know it will be long hours and harsh on a marrige but so are deployments butwhat I want to know if it is rewarding enough for me to follow through. I want to do this cause I have a daughter and it will give me a break from deployments cause here shortly I will be deploying again. It was kind of hard coming home and my baby girl not knowing who I was, looking at me her father as if I were a stranger to her. On top of that $36k bonus is not bad either(new camaro fund$) & ofcourse college money for my girl.

[MIKE JONES]

Anybody here every a drill instructor or drill sgt, or have any family that was that can give me some insight? thanks

[niknik]

I'll check with my boyfriend...He was a USMC recruiter for a while, but I'm sure he knew some drill instructors while he was active duty...maybe even when he went reserves...

[Bowtie_Z28]

What specific questions do you have? I was stationed in Beaufort (next to PI) and was friends with quite a few of the DIs down there and I can probably answer about any questions you have

[MIKE JONES]

Well I just want to know if it is worth it I always hear the most hardship duties in the service are the most rewarding. Plus like I said I would be non deployable for 3 years, I want to know how much time they got with they're famalis while being a DI. Do they regret doing it for any reasons or anything just a general opinion or outlook would be greatly appreciated.

[Bowtie_Z28]

Well obviously the benefit is not going to Iraq for 3 years which would be nice with the turn around rate that we have right now. As for time with family you can assume it will be fairly limited. Yes you will get to come home most nights of the week but consider the time-frames that you will be working. Expect that recruits need to be in and out of chow no later than appx 6am, up and moving by about 5:00am. Thus you need to be there by probably 4:30am to begin planning for the day.

Your day doesn't really end up until after evening chow, 5:00pm ish thus everyday is a 12 hour day

So really what time you have at home is much needed rest. You also have to consider duty days. The senior will cover 1 day of the week usually thus that leaves the other 6 days to the other 3 hats. Thus assuming 24 hour duty days per weeks is pretty standard and unfortunatly you don't get a 24 hour recovery period as it is a sleeping post

Now that obviously is the bad but I can honestly say I never met a DI that came off the field not loving what he was doing and wanting to go back. In fact the majority of the Marines stationed in Beaufort came over from PI (it is only 2 miles away and share the same base housing) so that they could pull another 3 years in the same location thus making it an easy 6 year duty station which is a great benefit. Beaufort itself is an Air Station but there is a CSSD and an MWSS there along with Headquarters and the flying squadrons. I personally never went to the drill field as I got out after my first four years but just based on the experience that I got from guys that just got off the drill field I know that is where I would have wanted to go especially when in comparison to Recruiting.

Also another B billet option would be to be an MCT Instructor or Embassy Duty. Embassy Duty was awesome for everyone I know. The first year generally sucks because you get a crappy location most of the time and it is unoccompanied but the second and third year can be accompanied and you generally get a pretty good selection of where you want to go Anyways just a couple of other ideas for ya