Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Harrington competed against drill sergeants from across the country after a year of preparation and 72 hours of physical and mental testing
MAULDIN, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A Mauldin native is now the U.S. Army Reserve’s Drill Sergeant of the Year after a year of preparation and 72 hours of physical and mental testing.
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Harrington competed against 13 other noncommissioned officers in the competition at Fort Jackson. The event included battle drills, physical fitness tests, weapons proficiency, land navigation and leadership assessments across 34 graded events, according to the U.S. Army.
“It was an array of emotions,” Harrington said. “It’s a year-long preparation just to get to that moment.”
From paying for college to the Army Reserve
Harrington said he did not originally plan to join the military. He wanted to go to college, but his parents told him he would have to pay for it himself.
“My parents were like, hey, we’re not going to pay for your college,” Harrington said.
A friend told him about the benefits of joining the Army, so Harrington agreed to talk to a recruiter.
“I said, ‘OK, I’m going to talk to the recruiter, but that’s it,’” Harrington said. “And then two weeks later, I was raising my hand, swearing in.”
Harrington joined the Army Reserve in March 2014 and completed basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in December 2014. He later used the GI Bill to pay for classes at Greenville Technical College.
In 2020, Harrington was selected for the Active Guard Reserve program, which allows reserve members to serve full time. He said he applied because he wanted to become a drill sergeant.
He was assigned to Aurora, Colorado, before later interviewing for and being selected as a drill sergeant leader at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson.
Competing for the title
Harrington said the Drill Sergeant of the Year competition involves multiple levels, with 14 noncommissioned officers ultimately competing at Fort Jackson. Events tested their ability to teach warrior tasks and battle drills, demonstrate rifle marksmanship, instruct drill and ceremony, and brief and answer questions from senior leaders.
Harrington said the mental preparation was the toughest part of the competition.
“That was probably the most challenging thing because you can’t possibly know every single thing,” Harrington said.
The competition also included written exams and a timed essay on a random topic assigned shortly before the test, he said.
A drill sergeant must master four core areas of basic combat training: physical readiness training, drill and ceremony, warrior tasks and battle drills, and rifle marksmanship, Harrington said.
“I wish I could take that moment back and just relish the moment a little bit more,” Harrington said of learning he had won. “But it was awesome and exciting.”
Inspired by his own drill sergeants
Harrington said he knew he wanted to become a drill sergeant from his first day of basic training. He credits the instructors who trained him with showing him what leadership looks like.
“I promise you about 99% of them can tell you right off their head, even after 20 years of service, who their drill sergeants were,” Harrington said. “And I’ll never forget them. I had Senior Drill Sergeant Kaperian, Drill Sergeant Egan and then Drill Sergeant Hernandez. And they instilled into me what it means to be a leader, what it means to have that physical presence and what it means to put your head down and just put in the work. And if it wasn’t for them, I would not be here.”
Harrington said a drill sergeant’s role extends beyond training.
“A drill sergeant is a coach. A drill sergeant is a mentor,” Harrington said. “They are a mother, a father, and sometimes even a chaplain when they need to be.”
He said the most rewarding part of the job comes at graduation, when trainees put what they have learned into practice.
“The best thing about being a drill sergeant is when it finally clicks,” Harrington said. “You just see it in their faces. They’re finally understanding it. They’re getting it. And they’re doing the things that you’re teaching them. And when you finally get to see them graduate, and they’re just thanking you for everything that you gave them. There’s no better feeling in the world than that.”
Training the next generation
Harrington is assigned to the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson, where he trains future drill sergeants.
“It’s hard. You have long hours. There is some burnout. You’re going to go through some challenges,” Harrington said.
Looking ahead, he said he wants to improve the drill sergeant program for those who follow him.
“I just want to make the drill sergeant program better for the future drill sergeants,” Harrington said. “And I can’t wait for what the future holds.”
Harrington is based at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.
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