Always Faithful, Always On: The Taxing Job of a Marine Corps Drill Instructor

A U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor marches a platoon of recruits past a crowd gathering to view the Iwo Jima Monument at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Marine Corps drill instructors represent one of the most legendary roles in the military. From the 1987 war movie “Full Metal Jacket” to their essential job of making new Marines at boot camp in 13-week cycles, the role has become iconic to the public and within squad bays alike

Last month, Military.com and The Washington Post published a joint investigation into the mental health and personal struggles that have afflicted the drill instructor population. With my reporting partner, Kelsey Baker, we found that the high-stress environment for drill instructors was bleeding into some of their personal lives, causing depression, suicidal ideations, familial tension, sleep issues and increased alcohol use to cope.

We heard from leadership at both recruit depots. They said that the challenges long associated with the drill instructor role have improved over the last two years, citing recent data about reductions in suicide and misconduct for DIs, increased morale and other metrics the service says prove that point. They also outlined current processes for depot staff to receive mental health help.

Two sources who have been at the depots since these changes started said things have shifted for the better in some ways. The conversation about DI stressors was overdue, but they added that there are still underlying issues when it comes to mental health stigma, personal and familial stress, and a residual sense of being under a microscope when it comes to alleged misconduct.

Now, the question is this: As improvements are being made, will those changes fix long-standing structural problems affecting drill instructors — and will the Corps continue to push for progress