"I hated army basic training. I hated the drill instructors, "
I too hated all of it. I once questioned my DI's parentage and he took me behind the barracks and beat the ship out of me. The next time that I got a smart thought in my mind, I kept it there. However, there is no one that I'd rather have in my foxhole than that DI.
Never in my wildest fantasy did it occur to me to make any derogatory comments to my DI. Somehow, I knew the reaction would not be something I would like.
In '69 we had an extra incentive not to do that kind of thing.The DIs would often remind us of how easy it would be for them to arrange for us to be assigned to a tropical climate far,far away.
We never tested them to see if they were bluffing.