Exhaust Samples, Prickey-6, ID-Ten-Tango, Chem Light Batteries, are these all examples of hazing? Or rights of passage? Or just having fun?

1LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 May 2015 02:26:35 -0400

What are your thoughts?

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Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 3 at 2015 2:55 AM

SPC Charles Brown — Sun, 03 May 2015 02:55:00 -0400

Send the guy to get some TR double E batteries and see what happens. This is all in fun and a rite of passage, I went through it as did many of the soldiers who came in the service after me.

Oh, let us not forget the frequency grease and liquid squelch for the radios.
Blinker fluid for the turn indicators.
I managed to kill any further attempts at sending me for anything when they tried to send me for a box of grid squares and I came back with a box, a pair of scissors, and a map which I then proceeded to sit down and cut the map along the grid lines. I would have used the unit paper cutter but it was in the 1SG office and I didn't want to bother him. Seriously, this is a true story. One I am sure someone else can verify or have done themselves.

C.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2015 3:08 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 May 2015 03:08:41 -0400

We once sent a guy for a box of grid squares and then forgot about him until close out. The PSG sent us to find him. We found him in his room where he handed us a map, cut up into grid squares. He figured if we sent him for grid squares, we did not need him for the day. We could not fault his logic.

Response by MSgt Jeff S. made May 3 at 2015 5:24 AM

MSgt Jeff S. — Sun, 03 May 2015 05:24:21 -0400

While todays culture would probably place this practice firmly in the category of hazing, I am of the opinion that the majority of these practices are done in the spirit of good-natured welcoming into the fold.

Here are some examples of the USAF Aircraft Maintainer variety that I have witnessed, perpetrated or fell victim to myself....
1. 100 yds of Flight Line
2. A quart of K9-P
3. Left Handed wrench/screwdriver/hammer etc
4. The keys to Aircraft (insert tail number here)
5. Having someone "push-start" the ground power unit
6. Having that same someone attempt to use the voice-activated Light-All unit
7. Pressure check the Pitot Tube by blowing into it
8. Sending young male Airman to the hospital for his annual Gynocolgy appointment
9. Having him/her do the Telephonic portion of their annual physical. The "Doctor" on the other end of the phone has them do push-ups, sit-ups, run in place and then hold the phone to their chest to check their heart rate.

Response by PO3 Jonathan Cooper made May 3 at 2015 5:32 AM

PO3 Jonathan Cooper — Sun, 03 May 2015 05:32:09 -0400

Two best one's I've heard of Navy wise is giving out the wrench to crank down the mast, and the guys who told their junior guy to go out to the foc'sle for the mail bouy with a boat hook.

Response by PO1 John Meyer, CPC made May 3 at 2015 8:27 AM

PO1 John Meyer, CPC — Sun, 03 May 2015 08:27:02 -0400

Just having some fun and a right of passage. In the Navy....

Relative bearing grease for the ship's compass.

Hey.... I'm thirsty. Go down to engineering and get some BT punch because they're really good at making punch. Yeah... because most BT's (Boiler Techs) were huge guys.

Sea bats (works best on aircraft carriers).

Batteries for the sound powered phones.

To go along with your exhaust sample.... Bucket of steam to clean out the deep vat fryer. Had a friend use that one someone. Actually caught the individual at a deep sink with the hot water turned on holding a bucket upside down to catch the steam.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2015 12:32 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 May 2015 12:32:49 -0400

A bit of all, methinks. I know there will be some that will balk at my "we all had to do it", but I feel it was necessary. It sucked so bad at the time, but then you learned whatever lesson that is was designed to do.

Did I loathe buffing the floors?? Heck yes, since the buffer was heavier than I am, but I will never forget one of the days in Basic I was left to buff the floors on a quiet Sunday. Everyone cleared out and I was allowed to play music while I whittled away at my tedious punishment (I likely laughed at the Drill Sergeant when he said "this ain't Burger King, kitten. You will NOT have it your way. HA!!) Anyway, I got so zoned out with the music and the buffing that I was singing Pat Benatar "All Fired Up" REALLY loudly. Yep, that looming sense and the hairs started to stand on my neck as I turned to see about 8 Drill Sergeants from the Company standing there. Some were smiling, some were hiding the smiles, my DS/s were salivating at how bad I was to get smoked next. And I did. Ahhh, good times. Still laugh when I hear that song.

The day that I hear of someone getting an Article 15 for sending a young Enlisted person to find a "Pric-E-9", that is the day I may have to consider putting my stripes into mothballs.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 4 at 2015 10:30 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:30:24 -0400

To get the ones I haven't seen here yet.
-Give a pvt a hammer and tell him to go to his armored vehicle and hit it to find the soft spots in the armor
-(this one happened to me) Boom checking a howitzer. Open the breach and have the pvt shout "BOOM!" down the barrel and have the prankster at the muzzle "listening for harmonic deficiencies" rinse and repeat at leisure.(Gimme a break, it was a ceremonial event and I am Infantry. All I know about Artillery is that is goes bang and hits stuff far away.)