4 minute read
I’m a Part of the Soldier’s Journey
By Sgt. Elizabeth Leos Drill Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, 397th Regiment
For every recruit, their first interaction is with a noncommissioned officer. For the new recruit, it starts with their recruiter and their journey begins with their drill sergeant.
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We are the ones that mold recruits and try to bring out the best in any individual. We push them to their limits and make them realize that they have more inside them to keep going than they ever realized…and I wanted to be a part of that and I am extremely proud of the NCO Corps.
A little about my backstory: I joined right out of high school in 2004 and chose the MOS 89B Ammunition Specialist. I have no special story to tell, just that there
was nothing else I thought of doing after high school at 17 years old. So, I decided to join the U.S. Army.
I do have many family members that served and the thought of me being a female Soldier never crossed my mind. I am a Soldier who just happens to be a female, but I have noticed that there are not that many of us in the ranks. And, there needs to be more of us.
I currently serve with the 2-397th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 104th Training Division (Leader Training), and my unit is a part of the division’s Cadet Summer Training mission. Prior to this position, I served with the 60th Ordnance Company, 32nd Transportation Company, 172nd CSA, 127th CSCO ASB HVY ASB FC and 3-361st CS CSS.
No one ever influenced me directly to be a drill sergeant, however I had many mentors throughout my career that spoke about the experience. They said you have an impact on so many lives.
And I want to at least leave the
Soldiers with something they can take into their careers. Whether it be military or civilian life.
They might not even remember my name and that is ok. I don’t even remember the names of my drill sergeants, but what I remember from basic training is that they all did the best they could in training us then. The bottom line with drill sergeants is to train and prepare Soldiers for the next level.
As far as women becoming drill sergeants, I say “Do it!” We are too far and few between. We are needed. We influence more people than we realize and the end state is so rewarding…I have been a part of a Soldier’s initial training.
I won’t say much about my drill sergeant training except it kept me very humble. Every day was challenging, yet every day I was learning something new about myself. I just kept showing up better than the day before. What I did take from the Academy is to never be afraid to ask for help if you need it. There is always going to be a DS or resources available with more experience in a situation that you may come up on during training.
A little bit about me personally. I handle the things I can control and think little of the things I cannot. I surround myself with positive people and I have an amazing support channel. I am not one to sit still for very long. I’ll check out new places and I love being in the country because it’s peaceful. I love being out in nature too…I’ll choose the mountains, lakes or beaches anytime.
No one ever influenced me directly to be a drill sergeant, however I had many mentors throughout my career that spoke about the experience. They said you have an impact on so many lives. As far as women becoming drill sergeants, I say “Do it!” We are too far and few between. We are needed. We influence more people than we realize and the end state is so rewarding…I have been a part of a Soldier’s initial training.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is a equal opportunity employer.
