You just got DA selected, or you volunteered for the United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy. In this episode, I’m going to give you a few tips on how to prepare for that school.
Welcome to the Drill Sergeant Academy
Welcome back to the channel. My name is Sonny French, and today I’m talking about Drill Sergeant School Tips.
Whether you were DA selected (the Army chose you) or you volunteered because you wanted to be a monster, you’re headed to the United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy. That’s going to happen a lot.
This is one of the best positions you will ever have in the Army, but it will also be the most stressful.
💢 Relentless hours
💢 Mentally and physically demanding
💢 Challenging for you and your family
But it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs. You get to transform civilians into soldiers—that’s your job.
1. Know How to Study
At Drill Sergeant Academy, you will take R2 classes, where they teach you how to study and consume large amounts of information quickly.
The Best Study Techniques
📖 Use the 20/20 Method:
Study for 20 minutes, then take a 20-minute break. Repeat. Your short-term memory can only absorb so much at once.
🎧 Use Audio Learning:
✔ Record yourself reading modules
✔ Play them in the shower, car, or during workouts
✔ Let your brain absorb information differently
👥 Practice With a Roommate:
✔ You will have a roommate at the Academy—use them to practice.
✔ Recite your modules to different people to get comfortable speaking.
✔ Overcome the fear of performing in front of 200 soldiers.
The more you repeat and reinforce your studies, the better prepared you’ll be.
2. PT (Physical Training) – Master the Basics
PT is a major block of instruction during Drill Sergeant Academy.
🏋️♂️ Know the Exercises – What’s included in “Four for the Core”? Is this a slow cadence or moderate cadence?
📢 Commanding Cadence – Learn how to call exercises correctly and in order.
✅ Primary & Alternate Instructor Roles – You’ll be graded on leading PT and also walking through the ranks correcting soldiers.
💡 Your time to learn is at the Drill Sergeant Academy, not when you’re in front of 400 privates.
3. Army Regulation 350-6: Your New Bible
Army Regulation 350-6 is everything to a Drill Sergeant.
Why You Need to Know It
📌 You will be tested on it at the Academy.
📌 It outlines corrective actions, exercises, and training phases.
📌 You need to apply it correctly, or you won’t last as a Drill Sergeant.
Take the time to read it now—it’s not a hard test, but you need to understand and apply the regulation when you’re training soldiers.
4. Don’t Touch the Hat
🚫 Don’t touch the Drill Sergeant hat before you’ve earned it.
During week 3, you’ll be sized for your hat. When they hand it to you:
✔ Let the Drill Sergeant Leader put it on you.
✔ Do NOT hand it back.
✔ Do NOT touch it.
This is a long-standing Army superstition—those who touch the hat before earning it are cursed to fail or be recycled.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
The Drill Sergeant Academy is the place to mess up, learn, and improve.
👎 Don’t be afraid to fail.
👎 Don’t avoid trying new things.
👎 Don’t hold back because of fear.
At the Academy, you’ll be marching, leading PT, giving commands—this is your time to practice before you step in front of 400-500 soldiers.
✔ Ask other candidates if you can practice marching them.
✔ Practice PT calls, even if it’s just one person listening.
✔ Work on your command voice and presence.
💡 The more you practice, the more prepared you’ll be.
6. Master Your Drill Sergeant Voice
📢 Say it with your chest.
A big part of being a Drill Sergeant is learning how to project your voice properly.
The Secret: Use Your Diaphragm
🚫 Don’t just scream—you’ll lose your voice in three days max.
✔ Push air through your diaphragm to amplify your voice.
✔ Use vocal inflection to sound authoritative.
Command Inflection Matters
Wrong Example:
❌ “Right face… left face.” (Weak, no command presence)
Right Example:
✅ “RIGHT FACE! LEFT FACE!” (Loud, powerful, commanding)
The command of execution should snap soldiers into action.
Enjoy the Experience
The Drill Sergeant Academy is tough, but it’s also an incredible bonding experience.
🎖 You’ll form lifelong friendships.
🎖 It will remind you of Army Basic Training.
🎖 It’s stressful, but you will grow from it.
When you finally earn that hat, it will be one of the proudest moments of your career.
💡 You are becoming the standard. You are shaping the future of the Army.
Final Words: Go Out There and Kill It
Becoming a Drill Sergeant is one of the most prestigious things you will ever do.
✔ Push yourself to be the best.
✔ Help train the next generation of soldiers.
✔ Enjoy every moment of the journey.
I miss it every single day, and I am excited for you to experience it.
👉 Now go out there, kill it, and earn that hat.
Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, he graduated from George State University with an MBA in Actuarial Science. His hobbies include beach volleyball, hiking, fishing, and lifting weights
George is also a certified nutritionist with a passion for health and fitness.