United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy

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United States Army Drill Sergeants Academy (USADSA)
Active1964-present
CountryUnited States United States
Branch United States Army
RoleTraining Center
Part of United States Army Transformation and Training Command
Garrison/HQFort Jackson, South Carolina
MottoThis We'll Defend
Websitehttps://home.army.mil/jackson/units-tenants/USADSA#qt0:0
Commanders
CommandantCSM Joshua R. Bittle

The United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy (USADSA) is based at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and is the primary school for training non-commissioned officers to become U.S. Army drill instructors[1] for Initial Entry Training (IET) which encompassed Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT).

History

In 1962, Secretary of the Army Elvis J. Stahr ordered a study of recruit training. The study not only focused on the U.S. Army, but the Navy, Marines and Air Force as well.[2] The report found that training NCOs were not well regarded.[3] The report had five reasons for the lack of quality NCOs:[4]

  1. Long work hours.
  2. Demanding nature of the work.
  3. Lack of free time for family concerns.
  4. Calibre of NCO’s being assigned to the army training centers.
  5. Negative attitude of the trainers.

A pilot course for a new training concept for instructors was created at Fort Jackson and by September of 1964 a Drill Sergeant School began at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.[2] A drill sergeant's identification badge was created in 1964[5] to help view being a drill instructor as an honor.[2] In 1966 a second program was set up at Fort Dix, New Jersey.[4]

The 1883 campaign hat - a brown four peak Boss of the Plains stetson was also adopted in 1964 as the mark of a drill sergeant.[4]

In October of 1971, Chief of Staff of the Army William Westmoreland approved CONARC's request to allow female drill sergeants. In 1972 the first female drill sergeants took command of recruits wearing the Australian style bush hat.[3]
Bravo Company Drill Sergeant Leaders welcome drilll sergeant candidates to the United States Army Drill Sergeant Academy Jan 24,2018. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tynisha L. Daniel) SFC Albiter wears the old style green bush hat. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tynisha L. Daniel) A U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy candidate receives his Drill Sergeant Identification Badge at Fort Jackson, S.C., March 27, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Dana Clarke) U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Vanessa Ortiz, a Drill Sergeant Leader assigned to the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, tries on a campaign hat at Fort Jackson, S.C., Nov. 24, 2025. The campaign hat became the official Drill Sergeant hat for females starting Jan. 2, 2026. (U.S. Army photo)

Previous to 1997, drill sergeants could be any sergeant grade, but the army limited the position to E-6 (staff sergeants) and higher.[2] This was reversed in 2005 and remains until today.

The base realignment and closure commission (BRAC) Act consolidated all drill sergeant schools across the army to Fort Jackson.[2]

In April 2024, the first United States Space Force guardians graduated from USADSA beginning a process for cross-branch training.[6]

In January 2026, female drill sergeants began wearing the campaign hat and retired the bush style hat.[7]

References

  1. "U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy". U.S. Army Fort Jackson. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  2. "An Overview of the US Army Drill Sergeant". Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute. 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  3. "History | U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Competition". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  4. Foreman, SGM James O. (2003). "The History of The U.S. Army Drill Sergeant". Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library.
  5. "Drill Sergeant - Identification Badge". US Army Institute of Heraldry. 1964.
  6. Harpley, Unshin (2024-04-11). "First Ever Guardians Graduate Army Drill Sergeant Academy—and May Not Be the Last". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  7. "U.S. Army Female Drill Sergeants Don the Campaign Hat". DVIDS. Retrieved 2026-04-06.