By Calitri
Date 2005-07-06 04:34
Just graduating a cycle of trainees this week....it's been rough over the last 3 1/2 months.
Drill Sergeants are awake and at work before Privates get woke up.
Drill Sergeants eat their meals only after the Privates have eaten, and does so well out of sight.
Drill Sergeants are experts at every task taught to a Private.
Drill Sergeants must always be better, stronger, smarter, and faster than the Privates they teach.
Drill Sergeants must have a sharper appearance than any other Soldier in the Army.
Drill Sergeants must know the names and whereabouts of 256 Privates at all times.
Drill Sergeants must never appear to the Privates as hungry, tired, or dissatisfied with supervisors.
Drill Sergeants must never appear to have vices.
Drill Sergeants leave work only when the welfare of all Privates has been attended to, and all are sleeping.
Drill Sergeants prepare their uniforms and the next day's (or week's or month's) training in the little bit of time Privates are given to sleep. Drill Sergeants must also sleep during this time.
The Average Drill Sergeant is paid a gross salary of $2800/month, for 16 hours of work a day, 7 days a week. That's 448 hours of work per month, not counting any duties performed during off time. That amounts to $6.25 an hour, for a Soldier with anywhere from 10-18 years of military experience. Remember, that's average, so many are paid less.
THE DRILL SERGEANT IS SELECTED TO TRAIN PRIVATES, BECAUSE HE/SHE IS WITHIN THE TOP PERFORMING 10% OF HIS/HER MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY.
How about that?
-----Calitri
By Zathras (Architect of The Great Machine)
Date 2005-07-06 09:02
Does this mean that TGFT will recieve military dicipline rules if you are elected to Council?
I half-way want that, but the other half of me might leave the guild if Vendetta becomes less hobby and more work.
Other than that I have an enormous respect for Drill Sergeants, even though I've never been in a real world military (bad knees).
Oooh! Oooh! Do you have one of those REALLY cool hats?!
By Calitri
Date 2005-07-06 09:20
I assure you, Calitri is a character, not a Drill Sergeant. Violent, maybe....
By Zathras (Architect of The Great Machine)
Date 2005-07-06 11:15
*bounce bounce*
You didn't answer my most important question: Do you have one of those cool hats?!
By Calitri
Date 2005-07-06 12:21
Of course I do, don't be ridculous.
By Zathras (Architect of The Great Machine)
Date 2005-07-06 14:05
AWESOME!!!!! Those hats kick ass!
Picture? Of the hat, I mean?
Don't make me start describing my career as a teacher in an Outward Bound School for at risk- urban teens...
By Zathras (Architect of The Great Machine)
Date 2005-07-06 16:00
If you do, I'll have to start going into details on my work as a Backup Mentor in the support department of an international computer company.
You don't want that. :P
Calitri, that sounds pretty rough. I'm glad there are people like you willing to do what it takes to keep their country safe.
In my job, I'm part of an organization that helps turn kids into engineers and scientists by staging robotics competitions that pair the kids with adult mentors. The experience helps inspire many of the kids to go to college and to pursue a technical degree, which helps society in a different way than the people you train.
My job can be high stress and low sleep at times, like when 10,000 people are waiting for you to debug someone else's robot on stage in order to get a match started, but it's probably not as bad on a daily basis.