Always Faithful, Always On: The Taxing Job of a Marine Corps Drill Instructor
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?
In this episode: Kelsey Baker, Gunnery Sgt. Steven Banuski, Michael Nichols, Col. Christopher McArthur, Drew F. Lawrence, Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Petikas
20 Jan 2025
Trump’s Promises to Radically Change the Military
Since announcing his campaign for re-election, the public has weighed and dissected the merits and shortfalls of incoming President Trump’s aims for the military.
But what has been missing is how these promises or inferences might come to fruition and what challenges they may face on their way to implementation.
In this episode, we spoke to two people with collective decades of experience in analyzing military policies, both foreign and domestic. We talked about five promises – or policies floated in the media – that will likely see early headway in Trump’s military.
In this episode: Michael O'Hanlon, NBC News, Katherine Kuzminski, Drew F. Lawrence, President Donald Trump
27 Sept 2024
Stolen Valor & the 2024 Election
At its surface, Stolen Valor is a legal term used to describe people who claim gallant military awards -- like the Purple Heart or Medal of Honor -- they did not earn in an effort to gain money, property or other tangible benefits, according to a 2013 congressional act.
But the phrase seems to have inhabited a broader meaning and gained a foothold in the public consciousness in recent years, one that has been sometimes divisive, but also critical to identifying when public figures might be embellishing or outright lying about their service records.
On this episode, we talk to three experts about Stolen Valor, the historic intertwining nature of service and politics -- and ultimately what it might mean for veterans looking to engage in the democratic process this election. We also look at how these fights over service brew and what they may mean for voters, too.
In this episode: Gov. Tim Walz, FOX10 Investigates, C-SPAN, Sen. JD Vance, Todd Connor, Anthony Anderson, Drew F. Lawrence, Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky
Reach and audience
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YouTube views
40,416,766
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
25 ratings
Spotify
4.7 / 5
19 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
32
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
82
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