Gunnery Sergeant Hartman

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Gunnery Sergeant Hartman
Background information
Feature films	Full Metal Jacket
Portrayed by	R. Lee Ermey
Character information
Full name	[First and middle name not known] Hartman
Other names	"Gunny"
Personality	Strict, authoritative, foul-mouthed, abrasive, loud, and antagonistic.
Occupation	Drill Instructor
Affiliations	United States Marine Corps Roman Catholic Church
Goal	Train USMC recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, into Marines.
Likes	Private Joker
Dislikes	Disobedience and unlocked footlockers.
Fate	Shot and supposedly killed by Private First Class Leonard Lawrence

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Sergeant Hartman, or simply just Hartman, is a character from the war-drama movie Full Metal Jacket. He is a foul-mouthed drill sergeant who appears to bullies his recruits, most frequently Private Pyle because he is a "disgusting fatbody". Because of all this, Private Pyle has been driven insane and decided to shoot Hartman, and then commited suicide. He is played by former drill sergeant R. Lee Ermey, who ad-libbed Hartman's quotes during the making of the film.

[DISCLAIMER]: United States Marine Corps drill instructors are known for their taunting of recruits.  This is not done out of hatred, it is done to make the recruits quit.  Militaries, especially the Marines, do not want quitters, so their drill instructors pester recruits, some more than others, to get them to quit or not quit.

Full Metal Jacket

Introduction

Gunnery 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, and 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 opposite column of recruits wondering "Who the f--- said that" telling that the person just "signed his own death warrant". Hartman looked surprised, threatening to run the entire platoon through PT (physical training) until they "all f------ died." He grabbed a recruit (soon to be named Private Cowboy) and yelled at him until  Joker 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. Joker told the Gunny (a common name for a Gunnery Sergeant, they consider being called Sergeant an insult) that he joined the Marines 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, informing him "You don't scare me, work on it."  Hartman told Joker to work on his war cry and went over to Cowboy and insulted him about being from Texas. After grilling Private Cowboy, he came up to the overweight private, 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 Lawrence gave him an obnoxious grin, breaking what is refered to as military bearing. Hartman gave him three seconds to stop grinning.  Pyle said that he couldn't help grinning like he was, however Hartman told him to get on his knees. Hartman then choked him and yelled at him.  He eventually let Pyle up and moved on.

Later on, Hartman was going through armed drill (drill with rifles) with the platoon after PT. He gave the command "Right shoulder arms" which means to place the rifle over your right shoulder, but Private Pyle put his rifle on his left shoulder, before correcting his mistake. Hartman caught Pyle attempting to do what the others did, but Hartman grilled Pyle when he realized what the recruit had done. Hartman slapped him in the face twice, questioning which side he had slapped him on. After that, Hartman pulled Pyle's uniform pants down and made him put his thumb in his mouth like a baby while Hartman and the platoon continues with drill, Pyle walking behind them.

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 recruits 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 begin fire watch, where a recruit is chosen, normally at random, to stay up and keep an eye on the other recruits to prevent a code red (beatings), recruits going AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave) and any actions deemed wrongful.

Four Inches

During the morning's drill session, Hartman calls "Right shoulder arms." Cowboy was holding his rifle very sloppily, and Hartman corrected him, informing Cowboy that it was not his "daddy's shotgun." Hartman afterwards called "Left shoulder arms." Joker moved his head to allow his rifle to go to his left shoulder, to which Hartman replied "Move your rifle around your head, not your head around the rifle."  Hartman calls "Port, arms!" which means to move the rifle to a more resting position over the center of your body, about four inches from your chest.  Pyle sticks his rifle far out, to which Hartman pushes it back into him, telling him to keep if four inches from his chest.

Obstacle Course

Hartman and his privates went over to the obstacle course. Hartman commanded his privates to navagate an 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 okay 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 (Gunnery Sergeant Hartman)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, saying that Joker is "silly and ignorant, but has guts and that guts are enough".

Rifle Interrogation

Later on at the riflery range, 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?

During a routine inspection of the recruit's hygine (including fingernail length) and belongings, Gunnery Sergeany Hartman notices Private Pyle's footlocker has not been properly secured.  After yelling for a while and telling Pyle to get off his footlocker, he spills the contents all over the floor, discovering a jelly donut hidden among them.  Jelly donuts have been forbidden for Pyle because of his weight, and he has stolen from the mess hall and brought food into the barracks.  Hartman asks why the recruit brought chow into the barracks, and he replies "Sir, because I was hungry, sir!"  Angered by this, Hartman informs the platoon that they are going to be punished from now on, rather than Pyle.  Afterwards, he order the platoon to get on their faces, and prompts then to do pushups while Pyle is forced to eat the donut.  This results in a code red against Pyle from the other recruits, including Joker, though it is hard for him to put Pyle in pain.

Motivation of Pyle

During armed drill, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman goes through a call and response speech meant to inspire love for the Corps in his recruits.  Certain phrases in thise speech seem to make an impact on Pyle, as he stares in silence into the distance.  He does this again during a motivational speech also meant to inspire the recruits.

End of Basic Training

On the last day of Basic Marine Training, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is handing out assignments, during which he informs Joker that he has been chosen for Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 4212, which is Basic Military Journalism.  After making fun of his choice of duty, he moves on, eventually telling Pyle (who has entered his blank stare again) that he has been assigned to MOS 0300, the infantry, telling him "You made it."  This shows that he was hoping Pyle would pass, and was pushing him so that he could suceed.

Death

One night, Private Pyle was driven mentally insane, showing he was unable to handle the nagging from Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and the tourture from the other recruits, and Joker found him in the bathroom. Pyle's breakdown woke Hartman, who rushed to the bathroom and confronted Pyle, ordering him to drop his M14 rifle while insulting him in the process. As a result, Hartman was shot and supposedly killed by Private Pyle.