Gunnery Sergeant Hartman

"I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on you will speak only when spoken to, and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be "sir". Do you maggots understand that?"

- Sgt. Hartman's introduction quote

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is a main character and semi-antagonist in the first-half of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. While he does yell at and bully his recruits on a regular basis, he is just a person doing his job who wants to get his recruits built up for the military. He also trusts Private Joker for being a very competent private who came in the Marine Corps to kill villains to bring peace. He is played by former drill sergeant R. Lee Ermey, who ad-libbed his lines on the film.

Introduction
Sergeant Hartman introduced himself to his recruits starting with Private Brown. He told him that he will be Private Snowball from now on and asked him if he liked that name. Brown told him yes, but Hartman reminded him that they don't serve fried chicken and watermelon on a regular basis in the Marine Corps. Private Joker said "Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?", which made Hartman come over to the other row of privates wondering who "signed his own death warrant". Hartman looked surprised, thinking that the Fairy Godmother said it, and threatened his recruits. He grabbed Private Cowboy slightly and told him he looks like a worm. Joker then tells him that he said it. Hartman came over to him and called him "a f***ing comedian", and punched him in the stomach by giving him an uppercut punch. He heard Joker came to the Marine Corps to kill, so Hartman told him to give out his war cry. After Joker's second attempt at a war cry, Hartman was still unconvinced by his war cry and he doesn't scare him. Hartman told Joker to work on his war cry and went over to Cowboy and insulted him about being from Texas. After talking to Private Cowboy, he came up to the overweight private, Leonard Lawrence. He was insulting him even more than he did to his other privates for being fat and that he hates the name Lawrence. He called him "Gomer Pyle" from now on, and Private Pyle gave him an obnoxious grin. Hartman gave him three seconds to stop grinning like that or he will threaten him. Gomer Pyle said that he couldn't help grinning like he was, however Hartman told him to get on his knees. Hartman then choked him, but Pyle got up again.

Hartman and his privates went outside. He was ordering his recruits to put their rifles on their right and left shoulders. Hartman caught Pyle attempting to do what the others did, but Hartman flipped out when Pyle didn't realize anything about left and right. Hartman slapped him in the face twice. After that, Hartman pulled Pyle's uniform pants down and made him put his thumb in his mouth, while Hartman and the other privates went and did what Hartman wanted.

Naming Rifles
Later that night, Hartman told his privates that they will sleep with their rifles and give them various female names. He also told them they are married to their pieces, which are weapons of iron and wood, and that they will be faithful. The privates went to their beds while carrying their rifles. The privates said altogether: "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it, as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it...until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen". Hartman told his privates goodnight, and ordered a recruit to "hit it".

Four Inches
Hartman told everyone to put their rifles on their right shoulder. He went over to Cowboy and told him it is not his father's shotgun. Hartman afterwards told them to place their rifles on the left shoulder. He told Joker to move the rifle around his head, not his head around the rifle. Hartman then went over to Pyle and told him four inches from his chest.

Obstacle Course
Hartman and his privates went over to the obstacle course. Hartman commanded his privates to climb the obstacle in no less than ten seconds. Later on, Joker was the next private to jump on the obstacle. Hartman asked if he was a killer, Joker told him yes, so Hartman told him to give out his war cry. Private Pyle was next, but he failed at jumping through the obstacle. Hartman started complaining about Pyle's ability to fail Hartman's orders, and made fun of him by telling him he looks like one-hundred-fifty pounds of chewed bubblegum. The next obstacle course were pull-ups. Joker did great on the pull-ups, but Pyle was incapable of doing at least one single pull-up. Hartman insulted him, while Private Snowball was the next private to do pull-ups. Pyle was going up the obstacle slowly and Hartman made fun of him for the way he climbs obstacles. Hartman yelled at him to get up the obstacles, but Pyle refused and climbed back down.

New Squad Leader
Hartman called privates Cowboy and Joker over to clean the head so that the Virgin Mary would be "proud to go in there and take a dump" as soon as the two finish their bunks. Hartman asked Joker if he believes in the Virgin Mary, but Joker said he doesn't believe in her. Hartman stormed and slapped him in the face. Joker told Hartman something he already knew: The private believes any answer he gives will be wrong, and the senior drill instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself. Private Snowball went over after Hartman called him. Hartman told him he was fired since Private Joker became a new squad leader. Private Pyle came to Hartman shirtless after he called him. Hartman told him Joker is his new squad leader from now on and that he will teach Pyle everything. Hartman reminded Pyle that Joker is "silly and ignorant, but has guts and that guts are enough".

Rifle Interrogation
Later on, Hartman was reminding his recruits, that the deadliest weapon in the world is a marine and his rifle, it is a killer instinct that must be harnessed if they expect to survive in combat, and that their rifles are only tools. Hartman continued talking and reminded them if their killer instincts are not strong and clean, they will hesitate at the moment of truth, not kill, become dead Marines, and then live in a world of s***, because Marines are not allowed to die without permission.

A Jelly Donut?
After checking out other recruits' footlockers, Hartman snaps once again at Pyle because his footlocker is unlocked. Hartman told Pyle to get off of his footlocker, and threw everything out. Unfortunately, he found a jelly donut on his footlocker. Hartman told his other recruits that from now on, whenever Pyle does the job wrong, he will punish them instead of him, and that they owe him for one jelly donut. The recruits altogether got on the floor, while Hartman stook Pyle's jelly donut in his mouth after he opened his mouth. The same time Pyle began eating the donut, was the same time the recruits began doing push-ups while saying "1! 2! 3! 4! I love the Marine Corps!", just like in one of Hartman's marching songs.