FORT JACKSON, S.C. — The Army drill sergeant candidates had five minutes to run to their rooms, fetch their Kevlar helmets and utility belts, and return to The Quad's concrete-paved courtyard for inspection.

Everyone made it back except the squad leader of the War Dogs.

"Somebody take the squad leader's place," snapped Sgt. 1st Class Everett Joyner II, an instructor. "Take the initiative."

Then the squad leader arrived, no more than 30 seconds late.

"If you don't want to be a squad leader, let us know," Joyner continued. "We'll get someone else."

This is the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant School at Fort Jackson, S.C. — the "Dog Pound" — where there's no such thing as cutting someone a little slack.

"There are two speeds — staff sergeant speed and drill sergeant speed," said Sgt. 1st Class Alfred Martinez, an instructor. "A drill sergeant has to be faster than everyone."

The drill sergeant also has to be more organized, more attentive to detail and more enthusiastic.

"A roomful of Type A's," said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Gipson, another instructor, referring to the behavior trait necessary for a successful drill sergeant.

Doing a good job will lead to faster promotions and better assignments; a screw-up could prompt a court-martial.

Stress comes with the job. A drill sergeant is in the same boat as an air traffic controller or emergency room physician when it comes to stress, one Army study found.

The job is pressure-packed because few people in the Army have as much impact on soldiers as their drill sergeant.

Commanders refer to drill sergeants as the "cornerstone of Army readiness."

"Everybody remembers their drill sergeant's name," Staff Sgt. Edwin Justin said.

They remember because the job is vital.

How drill sergeants train privates will help those troops survive on the battlefield, Justin said.

"Anyone have a little anxiety about being a drill sergeant?" Justin asked, scanning the classroom of some two dozen soldiers sitting at tables arranged in a U.

This wasn't a group of shrinking violets. Nearly three-fourths were combat veterans, having served in Iraq or Afghanistan. A few had served two tours in a combat zone.

One by one, hands went up.

The questions one candidate — Staff Sgt. Rhonda Boatwright — asked served more as an answer.

"Am I really capable? Am I able to train that soldier?" she asked. "That's an awesome responsibility."

The pressure on drill sergeants has increased since Sept. 11.

Strapped for troops and cash, the Army wants drill sergeants to keep down the attrition rate, or the number of recruits who wash out of training, while maintaining standards. At the same time, the rigor of basic combat training has grown.

So who would want to be a drill sergeant, a job with demands from the Army's upper echelon, not to mention 60- to 80-hour workweeks — many of them in the stifling heat and humidity of South Carolina?

To get into the drill sergeant program, candidates must hold the rank of sergeant to sergeant first class, be no more than 36 years old, in top physical shape and pass a psychological exam. They also must be rated among the top 10 percent of soldiers in their particular jobs.

Candidates can volunteer or be selected by commanders.

Those who pass the program wear a special hat symbolic of their expertise.

Men are awarded the Smokey Bear campaign hat, often called the "brown round"; women receive a green Aussie "bush hat."

The hard, felt campaign hat the men wear, while prestigious, also can be uncomfortable on blistering-hot summer days.

"I was surprised how hard it is," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Dover, a helicopter mechanic who served with the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq. "I guess that's to remind you of your responsibilities."

Of the 88 candidates who began training June 28 to be drill instructors, 79 graduated when the course ended Aug. 29.