The Center for Initial Military Training annually hosts the Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSOY) competition at different TRADOC Installations. The event is conducted over a four-day period and consists of the same tasks being taught at Basic Training. Subject areas include rifle marksmanship, physical readiness training, first aid, hand grenade training, land navigation, and confidence course. Competitors are required to show proficiency at performing selected Soldier skills as well as teaching those tasks to trainees in a simulated environment. After four days of physical, mental, and psychological challenges at Fort Jackson, SC, Staff Sergeant Samuel A. Matlock, a drill sergeant representing the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, was awarded the honorary belt as the active duty U.S. Army Drill Sergeant of the Year and Sergeant First Class Jake R. Mrzena, a drill sergeant leader with the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson, SC, earned the title of U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year.

In other Army competitions, individuals or buddy teams must overcome physical and mental stress to win. What makes this competition different from all others is the teaching component. Drill Sergeants are the first line educators for the Army and therefore, must be highly skilled at getting through to all the people they must train. The added dimension of the competitors maintaining their poise and ability to focus emotionally to teach basic combat skills to Soldiers, who at times do not cooperate, after enduring physical and mental challenges, highlights why the Army puts so much faith and trust in their abilities as professionals.

The first DSOY competition was held in 1969 for the active component. In 1972, the competition included the reserve component. The Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Platoon Sergeant Program came into existence in 2007 to replace Drill Sergeants at AIT, with the first PSOY competition held in 2009 and the last competition held in 2017.

Local DSOY competitions are held at the four Army Training Centers (ATC) for the active component Drill Sergeants. The Reserve Component holds separate competitions for the 95th Training Division at Fort Sill, OK, and for the 98th Training Division at Fort Moore, GA. Winners from the active and reserve components go on to represent their post/component at the Army-level event.

Drill Sergeants are the premier teachers, coaches, and mentors to new recruits that go through initial military training. Each year, approximately 150,000 civilian volunteers are transformed into new Soldiers at four ATCs located at Forts Moore, Jackson, Leonard Wood, and Sill. Drill Sergeants teach Soldier-related skills at the 10-week Basic Combat Training or at One Station Unit Training which ranges from 13 to 20 weeks, depending on Military Occupational Specialty.

Drill Sergeants represent every career field in the Army and the program is open to both male and female Soldiers. There are almost 4,000 active reserve component Drill Sergeants conducting training or with duty at the Drill Sergeant School. Three of the ATCs currently offer integrated training of male and female Soldiers. Fort Jackson has the largest concentration of Drill Sergeants and trains more than half of the Soldiers entering the Army. The Drill Sergeant School trains more than 800 new Drill Sergeants annually. Drill Sergeants also train Soldiers going through Military Occupational Specialty courses at 21 locations across the country.