Posted on Oct 1, 2015
Did anyone else get "Blood Rank" and did it give you a greater sense of belonging over those who didn't get it?
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When I got my Sergeant Rank in Iraq I was given "Blood Rank", which for those who don't know is when the old Metal Insignia was put on you and your NCO's would pound them into your shoulders without the backs on, which caused you to slightly bleed. This was a somewhat normal thing in the old army from my understanding of my Uncle who was in Vietnam. I somehow felt closer to him & my fellow NCO's after that and was wondering if that is a normal consensus among those who had it done? I know in today's Army even if they still used Metal Insignia this wouldn't fly, but I always felt like an NCO even when I was demoted & was treated by many as such regardless. Has anyone else had this done & do you feel the same way?
Rank
Sergeant
Officer
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 20
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As a Marine when I picked up Cpl I was given both "blood ranks" and later that day all the NCOs got together to give me my Blood Strips. That's where you are kneed or punched in the thighs until you bruise and your thighs are just about completely black and blue. In my case I couldn't walk for about a day. But those where good times. I doubt that stuff happens anymore in any branch.
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MSG (Join to see)
i got my blood stripes back in 85, hurt like hell the next day, but it was all good
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Ahhh, one of my fondest memories.... For me, it was not a wrong but excellent experience.
In March 1991 I was promoted to Sergeant in Saudi Arabia. During one of our overnight stops while traveling back from Iraq to our Division AO (Camp Eagle II) at King Faud International Airport, our 1SG had a GP medium set-up and all of NCOs were instructed to report there after chow (dinner).
Me and another recently promoted Sergeant stood outside of the tent (without backings on our medal rank of course) waiting to be inducted into the NCO Corps. When we went into the tent, the other NCO and I stood at attention while all of the NCOs in the Company (about 20 or so) lined up, read an inspirational passage from the Army Leadership Manual, poured red Kool-Aid (because there was no wine available) over our collars (from cups, canteens, five gallon cans, buckets...whatever they could find), then slammed both of their hands (some fist) onto our rank saying, "Welcome to the Corps". After we were totally drenched, cold, and bloodied, together we had to read the NCO Creed out loud (looking and sounding like idiots in the process) while the rest of the NCOs looked on. After that, 1SG welcomed us to the Corps then told all of the NCOs that for next seven days SGT Nicholson and SGT ? "will perform any detail in the Company you don't want to perform yourself...." Needless to say, we were stuck with all of the nasty details that come with a company on the move in the desert to in include human waste burning, garbage burning, human waste trench digging/buring, Sergeant of the Guard, etc.... I must say it was a very long and humbling week. I encountered leadership challenges along the way and I was able to get guidance/advice from all the NCOs. This advanced my learning curve exponentially faster than if I was left to learn at the "normal" pace.
Going through that experience, I really felt as if I was part of a brother/sisterhood. No one was allowed to be there but the NCOs. No Officers. No lower Enlisted. It was personal. I'm glad it wasn't a dog and pony show. To me, the way I've seen them done later on always appeared to be for the masses (the audience) and not the inductee.
In March 1991 I was promoted to Sergeant in Saudi Arabia. During one of our overnight stops while traveling back from Iraq to our Division AO (Camp Eagle II) at King Faud International Airport, our 1SG had a GP medium set-up and all of NCOs were instructed to report there after chow (dinner).
Me and another recently promoted Sergeant stood outside of the tent (without backings on our medal rank of course) waiting to be inducted into the NCO Corps. When we went into the tent, the other NCO and I stood at attention while all of the NCOs in the Company (about 20 or so) lined up, read an inspirational passage from the Army Leadership Manual, poured red Kool-Aid (because there was no wine available) over our collars (from cups, canteens, five gallon cans, buckets...whatever they could find), then slammed both of their hands (some fist) onto our rank saying, "Welcome to the Corps". After we were totally drenched, cold, and bloodied, together we had to read the NCO Creed out loud (looking and sounding like idiots in the process) while the rest of the NCOs looked on. After that, 1SG welcomed us to the Corps then told all of the NCOs that for next seven days SGT Nicholson and SGT ? "will perform any detail in the Company you don't want to perform yourself...." Needless to say, we were stuck with all of the nasty details that come with a company on the move in the desert to in include human waste burning, garbage burning, human waste trench digging/buring, Sergeant of the Guard, etc.... I must say it was a very long and humbling week. I encountered leadership challenges along the way and I was able to get guidance/advice from all the NCOs. This advanced my learning curve exponentially faster than if I was left to learn at the "normal" pace.
Going through that experience, I really felt as if I was part of a brother/sisterhood. No one was allowed to be there but the NCOs. No Officers. No lower Enlisted. It was personal. I'm glad it wasn't a dog and pony show. To me, the way I've seen them done later on always appeared to be for the masses (the audience) and not the inductee.
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SPC James Seigars
1SG Nicholson, I find it interesting that you mentioned the digging and burning of the Human Waste trenches as a detail nobody wanted because when I was deployed I actually did that detail because I wanted to do it. I looked at it as my way of killing three birds with one stone. Why?
1. As you said most people didn’t want to do it, so you could have a Morale issue, so I did it to give the higher ups less grief to deal with.
2. I knew most soldiers wanted to either contact loved ones or spend down time with their battle buddies. As a Supply NCO whose family knew I couldn’t talk much (not expecting many calls/letters) and who didn’t have many battle buddies (Since I worked with one soldier under me at the time) I did it to give them a break to do so.
3. Though I didn’t like the digging or smell of burning waste I knew that above all else I was both providing a service for EVERYONE and I was also doing my part to keep the place as close to it’s NATURAL state as we could get it.
I have been told several times that I was an Enigma who shouldn’t have existed in the Military, but I did and I would do it again if someone developed a time machine & asked me to do so.
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1. As you said most people didn’t want to do it, so you could have a Morale issue, so I did it to give the higher ups less grief to deal with.
2. I knew most soldiers wanted to either contact loved ones or spend down time with their battle buddies. As a Supply NCO whose family knew I couldn’t talk much (not expecting many calls/letters) and who didn’t have many battle buddies (Since I worked with one soldier under me at the time) I did it to give them a break to do so.
3. Though I didn’t like the digging or smell of burning waste I knew that above all else I was both providing a service for EVERYONE and I was also doing my part to keep the place as close to it’s NATURAL state as we could get it.
I have been told several times that I was an Enigma who shouldn’t have existed in the Military, but I did and I would do it again if someone developed a time machine & asked me to do so.
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I looked forward to having my Sgt's insignia pinned to my collar and then having them hit to welcome me to the NCO Ranks. The same when I was given my blood wings on graduation from the Air Assault Course at Ft Campbell KY.
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SPC James Seigars
SGT MacKinnon, thank you for your service. I’m glad you got to do both those things since I have read from other female NCO’s that some bases/commands basically force the female’s to give themselves the blood rank (probably because they are worried about EO complaints). As for the AA course I was on the list for three years (‘02-‘05) and never got to go due in part to our going to Iraq in ‘03 (though they did eventually set up a course there), but mostly because I was a Supply NCO/Soldier and not Infantry so my unit said they couldn’t do without me for an extended period of time like that and I didn’t get to go (I, along with my old supervisor, did get to go through EIB training and earned our badges, But weren’t allowed to wear them because we weren’t listed in Infantry slots).
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Yes of course. Although I did put a moritorium on it for a while (in one of my units) when a soldiers pin got stuck in the shoulder collar bone. It picked up again when everyone stopped talking about it and Sokdiers asked to start it back up again.
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SPC James Seigars
It’s a shame that things like that sometimes happen & then some soldiers don’t get that experience since you (or whoever) have to look out for the greater good & the Moral and Welfare of the soldiers in your command.
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To this was a right of passage for me. I have had not just rank but also Airborne & Air Assault wings done the blood way. some of my fondest memories of my 26 year US Army career. It gave me sense of belonging and brotherhood. In My opinion, service members today just don't get that feeling nor do they understand it. Sad to see some of these unspoken traditions go away to the more kindler & gentler military. Again, just my opinion.
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SPC James Seigars
I feel the same way. To me (going off personal knowledge & experience with some of these soldiers) the soldiers of all branches today are only in it for long enough to qualify for the 9-11 GI bill and then their out in most cases. They don’t care about the military or it’s traditions aside from it giving them money for college in many cases, unfortunately. I knew were starting to go bad when my nephew told me about the short lived “Stress Cards” his unit had in training. Luckily they didn’t last long, but in my opinion that is when the seeds for the kinder, gentler Military we have now were sown.
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SPC James Seigars
Do you mean Corporal E4 or Specialist E4? I ask because I have only read of a small group of E4’s who received Blood Rank and most of them were in Vietnam or Corporals.
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
SPC James Seigars SPC. Our unit gave you your blood rank on your 1st promotion in the unit.
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SPC James Seigars
SGT(P) (Join to see) That’s pretty cool. You are the only one I have read about whose unit did it that way. Most people only got it for making Sergeant or Corporal as far as I have seen.
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When I got mine it was 3 females & 2 guys all standing beside each other. The guys got it but none of the females did from the 1st & CO. So after formation we did it to each other. One of my male NCO's said he would have done it to us because he knows how we felt about it. It does make you feel like you belong.
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SPC James Seigars
That is one of the things the military and society as a whole needs to get over. Everyone talks about giving women equal pay and equal work and equal opportunities in life, but find reasons to not do it. I bet your command team were both male and if anyone asked them why they didn't give you blood rank the same as the men, they would have said something along the lines of "We didn't want to possibly be accused of sexual assault/misconduct" or "We didn't think they would be able to handle it" or "We didn't think they would want to participate", etc. The list goes on and it is as bad out in the world as it is in the Military. The major problem with that is that in the Military everyone is supposed to be viewed as equals regardless of sex or race, but in most cases, they aren't.
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Never had the rank blooded on, but I DO remember "running the gauntlet" and "being rolled" after being promoted. Both hurt like hell a few hours after the adrenaline wore off. Ahh the good old days of hazing and no one GAF....
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SPC James Seigars
I know what you mean. I have seen “normal” pinning/promotion ceremonies and compared to what we went through it is like they celebrated their birthday with Pizza while we celebrated ours with Steak (that is the best comparison I could think of that most people can understand/relate to).
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