Is placing rank on a newly promoted Soldier and pounding him/her in the chest a tradition or hazing

Tradition.

Tradition. I got my 6's punched into me his morning

I was proud to of this tradition. We had the common sense to not let anyone get a running start. There was more pride in this part of the promotion that the promotion itself. I have a hard time dealing with the soldiers who come in with " fragile, Handel with care" on their backs.

When I got pinned SPC I got hit so hard I couldn't breath. I had to take a seat. When I get pinned SGT noone touched me. haha

The pinning/pounding of rank on someone for promotion is a tradition. It is when you have people that take it too far and try to hurt the person that it becomes a problem.

Yes....it depends on who it is and what they feel. If they feel it is tradition then it is. If they feel like it is hazing then do not do it. It is all in knowing your Soldiers.

Using anything but your bare hands constitutes hazing in my book. So does striking someone to produce grave injury. When I was in BDUs I had my new rank pounded on to include the soft cap. I was okay with that, but it is probably considered hazing in today's Army.

I would consider it hazing. The question that I pose is that would such an action be tolerated in a professional civilian organization or would it be something you would perform in public for all to see. If you would not you may be fooling yourself. Back when I was a Squad Leader I stopped any who tried striking my soldier in the chest. You may call it what you want but you are in fact striking a lower enlisted soldier. I went to airborne and didn't get blood wings. I have nothing else to prove. I made it to SSG before going to OCS. No punched me with my rank. Would a CSM strike a newly minted SFC. No, because he is a professional. In my platoon no such activities are allowed. I see it as a break down of professionalism and it may lead to more severe issues if it gets out of hand as it did for that Fort Bragg Soldier. Calling it hazing or not but I would not be proud of doing such an act to a subordinate.

With velcro rank, I'd think it would be pretty painless.

I say Tradition ..how ever there are to many cry baby's in our ranks that have no place in out armed forces. but I am old school....