What is going on at Fort Jackson in South Carolina? Two drill sergeants have died in the span of less than two weeks. no official cause of death has been released, as US Army investigators are still sifting through the details. It has shined a light on the mental health issues facing drill instructors within the military, where a high proportion of officers appear to be wracked with anxiety, insomnia, and high burnout. Another drill sergeant candidate was found dead while on exercises last June (via NY Post):
A second drill sergeant has been found dead at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in a little over a week.
Army Staff Sgt. Zachary L. Melton, 30, was found unresponsive in his car Saturday after he failed to report to his assigned duty, military officials revealed Monday.
No cause of death was immediately provided.
“We are extremely saddened by the loss of Staff Sgt. Melton,” said Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, the Fort Jackson commanding general.
[…]
On Dec. 8, Staff Sgt. Allen M. Burtram, 34, a drill sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment, was found dead after he didn’t report for work, the Army said.
The US Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating both soldiers’ deaths, the branch shared.
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In June, Staff Sgt. Jaime Contreras was found dead after taking part in a training exercise.
Contreras, 40, was a drill sergeant candidate and had been with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
The soldier had just begun week eight of 10 of his training and went missing for nearly 11 hours after failing to return from a solo land navigation course at the base, WSPA reported.
The course was supposed to last from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but when Contreras didn’t return by 2 p.m., a massive search was launched.
[…]
In 2021, a study surveyed 856 drill sergeants to determine how their workload affects their mental health.
Researchers found that 19% of drill sergeants suffered from depression, 27% from moderate to severe insomnia, 14% from generalized anxiety disorder, 48% from high burnout, 32% from functional impairment, 35% from moderate alcohol misuse, 32% from off-duty aggression, and 25% from low morale, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research found.
No foul play is suspected, but these mental health figures among those training our men and women isn’t good, to say the least. It’s part of the top-down renovation that the US Military must undergo as the Biden presidency has decided to give most of our weapons to Ukraine, depleting everything from shells to Javelin systems. Now, we have to retool and ensure our support staff is healthy.
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