Military "hazing" and traditions....

[SpokaneCY]

Lots of stories about "hazing" and the military. I know a Marine buddy who was recon who went through his "pinning" process where they punched his "wings? anchors? - marine equivalent of jump wings? into his chest and into his flesh. Another common story and "confirmed" by another acquaintance is the ranger tradition during swamp training of biting the heads off of snakes. Had another naval buddy on subs and they had an elaborate ritual for the minnows (I think that's the term?) who had never crossed the equator. Something along the lines of a crusty old chief with grapes in his belly button which you had to take with your mouth after crawling through bilge.

I was USAF and our hazing was simply chasing you down and dumping all remaining beverages (coffee, gatorade, water in big igloo coolers) on you and your gear on first flights and last flights. Kinda fun - especially when you fly out of Eielson AFB in Alaska in January when the temps are -30 and you're in a very cold pit on a very dark and cold runway.... It's WAY more fun to make them work for it (serpentine, Shel! Serpintine!)

I'm personally a big fan of these activities (absent the broom handles and true atrocities) but curious about others first-hand experiences of memorializing something special during your military careers...

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Was stationed in Hungary for 9 months and we made friends with the helicoptor pilots. Once a month they would find room for us so we could catch a ride down to Croatia so we could collect hazard duty pay for the month. One time on the way back we were in a chinook and the pilots had us strap in towards the back doors. Next thing u know they lower the back doors and we are hovering over a Hungarian beach. Probably the biggest grin I have ever had on my face. I dont think the ladies at the beach were as happy as us 18 year olds were.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Was stationed in Hungary for 9 months and we made friends with the helicoptor pilots. Once a month they would find room for us so we could catch a ride down to Croatia so we could collect hazard duty pay for the month. One time on the way back we were in a chinook and the pilots had us strap in towards the back doors. Next thing u know they lower the back doors and we are hovering over a Hungarian beach. Probably the biggest grin I have ever had on my face. I dont think the ladies at the beach were as happy as us 18 year olds were.

I was able to look over a pilot's shoulder during a refueling over Alaska and it was amazing. I did a LITTLE helo (survival school stuff) work but I always wanted to do exactly what you did with your feet dangling out the open door.

 

[Stewo]

Had my combat action badge punched into my chest by about 50 dudes in Afghanistan. I was with this company when I earned it, so it only felt appropriate. I was pretty sore for 3 or 4 days after. Probably seems like a strange rite of passage to most, but it's a respect/bonding thing. And only those that have earned a combat badge can participate in the punching fest.

I will say that the worst part was when someone would come up and readjust the badge and slam it in, in a new location.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Had my combat action badge punched into my chest by about 50 dudes in Afghanistan. I was with this company when I earned it, so it only felt appropriate. I was pretty sore for 3 or 4 days after. Probably seems like a strange rite of passage to most, but it's a respect/bonding thing. And only those that have earned a combat badge can participate in the punching fest.

I will say that the worst part was when someone would come up and readjust the badge and slam it in, in a new location.

Its odd to some but the sense of team after that is amazing. I'm speaking as a guy who only had gatorade dumped on his head in sub zero temps. And I got to go home to my private dorm room (combat crew status) and have a nice hot shower! USAF - we are the softer service.

 

[Stewo]

Its odd to some but the sense of team after that is amazing. I'm speaking as a guy who only had gatorade dumped on his head in sub zero temps. And I got to go home to my private dorm room (combat crew status) and have a nice hot shower! USAF - we are the softer service.

We offer branches give the AF a hard time because of jealousy.

 

[motorcy90]

Its odd to some but the sense of team after that is amazing. I'm speaking as a guy who only had gatorade dumped on his head in sub zero temps. And I got to go home to my private dorm room (combat crew status) and have a nice hot shower! USAF - we are the softer service.

that's exactly why you are the chairforce...

 

[motorcy90]

blood stripes for when you pin on corporal..

 

[SpokaneCY]

that's exactly why you are the chairforce...

Big blue machine baby! Nothing more fun than our annual PT runs with a significant portion of NCOs being at a visually unhealthy weight, making their time than collapsing before we all went to a booze-filled BBQ! Fly, Fight WIN!

 

[cyclonedave25]

There’s some of those old pinning initiation videos on youtube. Some of those dudes looked like they were digging for the ribs with that pin. Ouch.

 

[packattack425]

Hazing is one of the things the Army has really tried to cracked down on. Like most professions, when the wrong person is the victim is can be a career killer these days.

 

[motorcy90]

Big blue machine baby! Nothing more fun than our annual PT runs with a significant portion of NCOs being at a visually unhealthy weight, making their time than collapsing before we all went to a booze-filled BBQ! Fly, Fight WIN!

There's another big difference... we would show up to morning PT still drunk/hungover from the night before, run the alcohol out... and then go to work... drink... repeat...

 

[CycloneErik]

We offer branches give the AF a hard time because of jealousy.

They get ice cream driven to them in carts!

 

[motorcy90]

They get ice cream driven to them in carts!

we did get steak and lobster at the chow halls around either the marine or navy birthdays...

 

[CycloneErik]

we did get steak and lobster at the chow halls around either the marine or navy birthdays...

Look, us Army guys know that we make bad decisions. It's not nice to remind us

 

[motorcy90]

Look, us Army guys know that we make bad decisions. It's not nice to remind us

well at least you didn't go chair force you have that going for you... hell even the coast guard is cooler then them..

 

[CycloneDaddy]

We offer branches give the AF a hard time because of jealousy.

Yeah because the women in the Air Force are much easier on the eyes compared to Army.

 

[20eyes]

well at least you didn't go chair force you have that going for you... hell even the coast guard is cooler then them..

Air Farce...

I keed, I keed.

A buddy of mine was on the USS Comfort when they went down to Haiti in the '90's and they got support from Coast Guard gunboats. I guess those guys didn't f*ck around and had no problem firing on vessels that were warned to keep their distance. Lots of respect to Coasties.

Regarding hazing, I got frocked when I made petty officer...E4s and above pinned my collar devices ("Crows") into my flesh. It extended to the E4 and above Marines in my rifle company. Fun day.

Not hazing, but a fun tradition... I did rifle quals on Okinawa one year and when you go to the range guys from your unit are coaches. A competition ensues amongst the coaches as to who can produce the most expert riflemen (highest qual: marksman, sharpshooter, expert). If you qualify expert, you take your collar devices off and give them to your coach who then pins them onto his blouse somewhere. So by the end of quals the coach plastered in the most rank pins wins. But you're extra sh*t hot if you can get the coveted caduceus pin that corpsmen wear (the scepter with snakes medical symbol). I qualified expert and got my coach his caduceus. He was actually a buddy from my platoon so it was pretty fun.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Air Farce...

I keed, I keed.

A buddy of mine was on the USS Comfort when they went down to Haiti in the '90's and they got support from Coast Guard gunboats. I guess those guys didn't f*ck around and had no problem firing on vessels that were warned to keep their distance. Lots of respect to Coasties.

Regarding hazing, I got frocked when I made petty officer...E4s and above pinned my collar devices ("Crows") into my flesh. It extended to the E4 and above Marines in my rifle company. Fun day.

Not hazing, but a fun tradition... I did rifle quals on Okinawa one year and when you go to the range guys from your unit are coaches. A competition ensues amongst the coaches as to who can produce the most expert riflemen (highest qual: marksman, sharpshooter, expert). If you qualify expert, you take your collar devices off and give them to your coach who then pins them onto his blouse somewhere. So by the end of quals the coach plastered in the most rank pins wins. But you're extra sh*t hot if you can get the coveted caduceus pin that corpsmen wear (the scepter with snakes medical symbol). I qualified expert and got my coach his caduceus. He was actually buddy from my platoon so it was pretty fun.

We had a few guys in our reserve unit that couldnt shoot for crap so we always put a good shooter in the next lane to help them out.

 

[CycloneErik]

We had a few guys in our reserve unit that couldnt shoot for crap so we always put a good shooter in the next lane to help them out.

As an officer, one of my guys was in the lane next to me and nervous about his shooting. We talked and he was sort of calmish.
On his other side was a cocky CPT we just inherited from the Air Force. This dude was going on and on about how he never shot less than Expert, and usually took down every target.

So, we're firing along. I'm having my normal sharpshooter time, so I'll qualify easily, but not make Expert. My guy's targets are falling left and right, so he seems fine. The CPT is hooting and hollering, so he seems happy.

They read off the scores. I'm good to go. My guy is Expert. The CPT has to go and try again.
Somebody was shooting into the wrong lane.
He'd worked on an AWACS in the Air Force, so we all wondered if there were a lot of secret crashes or something we didn't know about.