U.S. Army Personnel Share How Their Drill Sergeants Became Their “Army Parents” When Their Real Parents Failed Them

The U.S. Army advertises as this rough and tough career that whoops you into shape with blood, sweat, and tears. Combat training in films depicts Drill Sergeants as the roughest of the ranks, with the goal to terrorize their recruits until they're able to drop down and give them 1,000! But the truth of the matter is, most Drill Sergeants do more than just physically train you. Drill Sergeants basically become your parents—sure, they might punish you by making you do laps or shine boots, but they're also their to have your back and help you grow as a person. 

U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Rochelle Ralph recently shared a video on her TikTok depicting how one of her private's mother was horrible to her. When she heard of the awful things this mother was saying to her private, she decided to take this new soldier under her wing as her own. The video was so touching, it not only went viral, but in the comment section other TikTokers who were or are still in the U.S. Army started sharing their experience with their beloved DS becoming their army mom or dad. 

“Surprise, she’s my daughter now 👊😤”

The video shows the private coming up to her drill sergeant telling her that her mom told her to stop eating because she was fat and that she took all her money. Then it shows the TikToker as her DS saying, “you want me to beat that b!$@h up…?” The video is captioned “Surprise, she's my daughter now." 

Sometimes people join the army because their own family pushed them away and they had nowhere else to go. The army prepares people for one of the most terrifying situations in humanity, and maybe because of that, that's why the connections you make are stronger than most. People who maybe have never experienced strong bonds with any parental figure now have several who are not only shaping them up physically, but in many other helpful ways. Many on #DrillTok were able to relate to the video and wanted to show their appreciation for their DS. U.S. Army TikTokers shared their experiences with their DS taking them under their wing and going above and beyond for them way more than their real parents ever did.