Ranks of DI's

[Dan629]

Pretty simple question. My father and brother were Marines but times have changed since they have been in Boot Camp. Father(64) Brother (89).


What ranks are DI's usually? A lot of the pics I see are Sgt. and Ssgt.

Are there any as low as Cpl? Or as high as Gysgt?


Just curious...

[Wyoming]

Pretty simple question. My father and brother were Marines but times have changed since they have been in Boot Camp. Father(64) Brother (89).


What ranks are DI's usually? A lot of the pics I see are Sgt. and Ssgt.

Are there any as low as Cpl? Or as high as Gysgt?


Just curious...

I had -
E-6 - nice enough - drank beer with him in Oki after return from RVN
E-5 - short, mean little ****
E-4 - sloppy, out of shape, FW ribbon, sadistic fat fvck

[PatriotGirl422]

All the ones that I have ever seen have been Sgts, SSgts, and occasionally a GySgt. Usually the senior DI is a SSgt (but they can be a GySgt or a really motivated Sgt).

[Wyoming]

Vickie, you are talking about 2007.

I am talking about 1965.

[PatriotGirl422]

Vickie, you are talking about 2007.

I am talking about 1965.

I wasn't disagreeing with you, but Dan was asking about how things are now, so I thought I'd contribute my current knowledge.

[Dan629]

Thanks for those answers. The thing that made me ask was because I was watching Full Metal Jacket. I noticed the SDI was a GySgt. and if you look closely, another DI was a Cpl. That movie took place in bigalholmes day though I think. Was wondering if it was still like that or if the movie was even accurate. I got both answers.

My brother (who went to Boot Camp in 1989) was watching it with me and he said he didn't remember seeing any DI's with the rank of GySgt. Seems like things may change a bit with time. Thanks!

[davblay]

try this link!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_instructor

That should answer the question!

Semper Fi

Dave

[Wyoming]

I wasn't disagreeing with you, but Dan was asking about how things are now, so I thought I'd contribute my current knowledge.

No problem, I understand now.

I think the 1st Gunny I dealt with was in Squadron.

[PatriotGirl422]

Thanks for those answers. The thing that made me ask was because I was watching Full Metal Jacket. I noticed the SDI was a GySgt. and if you look closely, another DI was a Cpl. That movie took place in bigalholmes day though I think. Was wondering if it was still like that or if the movie was even accurate. I got both answers.

My brother (who went to Boot Camp in 1989) was watching it with me and he said he didn't remember seeing any DI's with the rank of GySgt. Seems like things may change a bit with time. Thanks!

If you look at the GySgt's sleeves in the movie, you will also see that he has service stripes that reflect that he has been in for 20 years. So I don't really know how accurately the movie was supposed to portray a typical DI.

[Dan629]

If you look at the GySgt's sleeves in the movie, you will also see that he has service stripes that reflect that he has been in for 20 years. So I don't really know how accurately the movie was supposed to portray a typical DI.


Yeah, I did notice that as well. I think because he was actually a Marine, he wore 'his' uniform for the movie. That would make some sense to why it's just his uniform, that isn't very accurate for his character in the movie.

[davblay]

FYI about Gunny Ermey! <br />
----------------------- <br />
<br />
Born in Emporia, Kansas, Ermey enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1961, after being arrested several times as a teenager. A court judge...

[davblay]

Yeah, I did notice that as well. I think because he was actually a Marine, he wore 'his' uniform for the movie. That would make some sense to why it's just his uniform, that isn't very accurate for his character in the movie.

In the 60s and early 70s it wasn't unusual to have a senior E-7 serving as SDIs on both depots before retirement! The younger NCOs were kind of needed elsewhere! BTW that was not HIS uniform! Might have been his Hat however!

That movie gave me flashbacks of boot camp, as that was the closest thing, on film, I have ever seen to the real thing I went thru in 69! The Nam part was BS, but the boot camp was real...to me! Except the part with the rifle and Gomer Pyle at the end, they would not have had thier weapons on the night before they left the island, even then I don't believe! Our rifle never had firing pins except when we were on the live fire range in my day! Then they were removed when we left, everyday, the range, then replaced every morning when we got back. So that could not have happened, at least not in my day!

[davblay]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/ErmyMeds.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ErmyMeds.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ErmyMeds.jpg)
Graphical representation of R. Lee Ermey's USMC awards

This is his ribbons and medals he earned as a Marine!

[Dan629]

Wow, I didn't know all of that about him. My father was in around the same time as you and he said it was as accuarate as you could get, (Boot Camp Part) just like you said. I guess my theory was wrong though about him wearing his real uniform for the movie, if he was in for twelve years. Thanks for all that info though. I really love that movie.

[mincj]

I graduated boot camp in 2006 and I had two Gunnery Sergeants (one of them being the Senior) and one Sergeant.

[ggyoung]

All my DIs were Sgt. E-5. 1964. Most of the movie part in Vietnam was filmed in England in a old oil refinery. I'm not sure about boot camp.

[yellowwing]

In 1983 another platoon in our Training Series had a Cpl Drill Instructor. He was very proud to be the youngest Drill Instructor on the Island.

[Zulu 36]

All my DIs were Sgt. E-5. 1964. Most of the movie part in Vietnam was filmed in England in a old oil refinery. I'm not sure about boot camp.

The boot camp scenes were shot at a British military base (Army, I think).


Just for comparison purposes: In WWII (1943), my father's drill instructors at MCRD SD were a corporal and a PFC, both combat vets. He said the PFC was as big and nasty as they came, the corporal only a little less so. Dad also said his senior DI was killed in action on Iwo Jima.

[rvillac2]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/ErmyMeds.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ErmyMeds.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ErmyMeds.jpg)
Graphical representation of R. Lee Ermey's USMC awards

This is his ribbons and medals he earned as a Marine!

You're missing the Purple Heart, Dave.

[ggyoung]

36 You are right on the boot. Also that Cpl. DI at that time was E-3. They were bada$$ DIs at that time.

[davblay]

Sgt, he didnt get the Purple Heart for the same reason I didn't get it!

[davblay]

The boot camp scenes were shot at a British military base (Army, I think).


Just for comparison purposes: In WWII (1943), my father's drill instructors at MCRD SD were a corporal and a PFC, both combat vets. He said the PFC was as big and nasty as they came, the corporal only a little less so. Dad also said his senior DI was killed in action on Iwo Jima.

The film was photographed in England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England), in Cambridgeshire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridgeshire) and Beckton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beckton), in Newham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newham), East London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_London%2C_England). A British territorial army base, Bassingbourn Barracks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassingbourn_Barracks), doubled as the Parris Island Marine boot camp.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-rose) The disused Beckton Gasworks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beckton_Gas_Works) portrayed the ruined city of Huế. Kubrick worked from still photographs of Huế (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BA%BF) taken in 1968 and found an area owned by British Gas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Gas) that closely resembled it and was scheduled to be demolished.[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-cahill) To achieve this look, Kubrick had buildings blown up and the film's art director used a wrecking ball to knock specific holes in certain buildings over the course of two months.[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-cahill) Originally, Kubrick had a plastic replica jungle flown in from California but once he looked at it was reported to have said, "I don't like it. Get rid of it."[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-watson) The open country is Cliffe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffe-at-Hoo) marshes, also on the Thames (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Thames), with 200 imported Spanish palm trees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_trees)[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-clines) and 100,000 plastic tropical plants from Hong Kong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong).[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Jacket#_note-cahill)
------------------------

You are correct My brother!

[rvillac2]

Sgt, he didnt get the Purple Heart for the same reason I didn't get it!
I stand erected.

[SGT7477]

Dan629, our senior DI was a Sgt. but when we went into third phase he picked up SSGT. but I had read before you can go to DI school being a Cpl but you have to be a Sgt before you train the recruits our series also had a Gunny which I will never forget he looked at us one day and just screamed, Can't Means Won't and Won't Means Jail, Plt 1064,1974.

[davblay]

Dan629, our senior DI was a Sgt. but when we went into third phase he picked up SSGT. but I had read before you can go to DI school being a Cpl but you have to be a Sgt before you train the recruits our series also had a Gunny which I will never forget he looked at us one day and just screamed, Can't Means Won't and Won't Means Jail, Plt 1064,1974.


You are correct SGT:
--------------------------
In the U.S. Marine Corps, candidates for Drill Instructor (DI) are without exception volunteers. The tour of duty is three years and is widely regarded as one of the most intense and demanding duties in the U.S. Armed Forces. Candidates report to either Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Recruit_Depot_San_Diego) in California, or to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Recruit_Depot_Parris_Island) in South Carolina, where they are assigned to Drill Instructor School. Service as a Drill Instructor is considered a special duty in the Marine Corps, which is factored into consideration of a Marine's eligibility for promotion. A Marine assigned to DI School must be of at least Sergeant (E-5) rank or Corporal (E-4) on track to promotion to Sergeant by completion of the school.

[SGT7477]

Thank You, CPL, Semper FI Brother.

[Camper51]

My drill instructors were Sgt Duncan, SSgt Morse and GySgt Hogwood. Other drill instructors in our series were Cpl's. From what I've seen todays instructors seem to be Sgt's and SSgt's with the occasional Gunny but I believe Cpl's are still acceptable....

[Matt Brzycki]

I applied to DI School as a 20-year-old corporal in 77. My application was accepted - I received a waiver for my age - but prior to the start of the school (in Jun 78), I picked up sergeant (in Jan) and turned 21 (in May). We did, however, graduate a corporal in our class who was 20. (Side note: Our CDI - Chief Drill Instructor - at the school back then was GySgt Harold Overstreet who went on to become Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.)

Not too long ago, I was on either the PI or SD Recruit Depot web-site and found a Marine Corps Order or a letter (don't remember which) that listed the requirements for DI School, including rank and age. I'm pretty sure that now, a candidate must be at least a sergeant and older than like 24 or 25. I don't remember if there was mention of an age waiver like I received. I think that age is at least important as rank. I regularly had a few recruits in each platoon who were older than me. In my first platoon, for example, we had a 25-year old ex-cop from Detroit. Plus, I think being 21 years old is too young to be tasked with the responsibilities of being a Marine DI.

The minimum tour back then was a year, by the way. And the maximum was two years although you could request a one-year extension.

Matt Brzycki
Sergeant (1975-79)

[Quinbo]

My drill instructors were 3 sergeants and a corporal. The corporal was relieved for administering a little too much corporal punishment. If you pay attention to the scene in "Full Metal Jacket" where he gets his camera stolen you will recognize downtown Olongapo city square as the location.

[rvillac2]

LOL..another veteran of the 'Po.

oohrah, Sgt Q.

[dodint]

I graduated Jan 2007, we had:

GySgt
SSgt
GySgt
SSgt
Sgt

In that order. Both Gunnys pinned on during our cycle. We weren't invited. ;)

In Larry Smiths book "The Few And The Proud" they said it was pretty common during the Vietnam and WWII eras to take the platoon honor grad and make them a DI for the next cycle. This was due to the current NCOs in the fleet being tasked with the war. Pretty interesting.