‘Drill Sergeants Are Back’ as Hegseth Reinstates Tough Tactics at Basic Training

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making good on his promise to restore toughness and discipline to the United States Army and that starts with bringing back the drill sergeant.

On Tuesday, Hegseth overturned a memo that banned a longtime training tactic known as “bay tossing” where drill sergeants storm trainees' barracks unannounced, flipping mattresses, tossing lockers, and forcing recruits to clean up the chaos under pressure. The practice was banned just days earlier by Col. Christopher J. Hallows at Fort Benning, who claimed it violated Army values and created a “negative training environment.”

Hegseth disagreed and acted swiftly.

“Bottom Line: Make BASIC Great Again,” a Pentagon source told Just the News. “Tossing bunks is back. Drill sergeants are back. Getting cursed at is back.”

Here’s what’s being reinstated:

• Bay tossing, a high-pressure inspection method meant to instill discipline and urgency.

• Verbal intensity, including “colorful” language drill sergeants once used to sharpen mental toughness.

• Potential return of “shark attacks,” an aggressive Day 1 greeting where recruits are immediately subjected to physical challenges and intense instruction.

The so-called “shark attack” method had been largely phased out in 2020 and replaced with a softer, more structured process known as “The First 100 Yards,” which emphasized teamwork and stress management. But under Hegseth’s leadership, the era of treating basic training like a group therapy session may finally be over.

“We don’t want to have training that is designed to breed undisciplined people and recruit those that gravitate to wanting to be wimps,” the Pentagon source added.

Col. Hallows had justified the ban by citing an incident in which personal property was damaged during a bay toss gone wrong. But instead of correcting that specific instance, he issued a blanket ban on one of the most iconic elements of drill instruction a move seen by many as yet another example of coddling and overcorrection in today’s military.

Hegseth is having none of it.

“The people we want to recruit want to be challenged,” the Pentagon insider said. “The tougher the training, the more cohesive the units are.”

And they’re right. Discipline, pressure, and grit aren’t optional for soldiers preparing to fight America’s wars. Training should be tougher than combat, not a recruiting pitch for people who are offended by locker inspections and raised voices.

With international threats on the rise and national morale on the line, Hegseth’s leadership is a breath of fresh air. He’s not interested in chasing recruitment quotas with woke marketing or gender-neutral boot camps. He’s focused on building warriors, not woke bureaucrats.

This is the kind of direction the military desperately needs a recommitment to strength, structure, and standards.

If we’re going to defend freedom abroad, we’d better start by restoring discipline at home.

Share this with someone who still believes in a strong military and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates from the front lines of America's fight to rebuild its armed forces.