Throughout my life I've encountered many influential people, but no-one even comes close to comparing to Drill Instructor Sergeant Parks. Through pain Sgt. Parks taught me discipline, in which I desperately needed in my life. Sgt. Parks also taught me how to be a leader, and how a leader properly leads by example. Fitness has always been a huge interest of mine and has always been something in my life that I enjoyed doing over the years, but Sgt. Parks pushed me in a way that I never knew I was capable of. I believe that Sgt. Parks molded me into the marine and man that I am today, I am very grateful and appreciative for what he drilled into my thick skull and taught me.
Drill Instructor Sgt. Parks woke the platoon and I up at 0430 every morning For 13 long dreadful freezing cold weeks. Until late in the evenings when my platoon and I would hit the racks one thing was drilled into us each and every day, discipline. Sgt. Parks had a way of instilling discipline, in fact I would call it his specialty. "Through pain comes discipline, through discipline comes pain!" were the words we were repeatedly forced to scream as instructed by him every night while receiving our punishment for someone's mistake during the day. Through disciplinary actions Sgt. Parks forced a way to make us listen and learn. Discipline ranged from ear ringing and spit flying verbal abuse to stomach kicking and punching physical abuse to my least favorite, skipped meals. Though it may not sound very fun to be punished all of the time discipline is the most important requirement of today's military and mission success and it's lessons should not be taken lightly. If Drill Instructor Sgt. Parks taught more people discipline, this world would be a much better place to live in with much more respect for others.
Have you ever had a lazy boss that would expect everything done the correct way, but then do it the easy way himself? Sgt.