Rite of passage

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 01:41:44 -0500

What was a rite of passage you endured, if you're willing to share. There are many rites in the Corps, and I won't share them all, but I will share something that borders on assault.
We call this the gauntlet: a group of Marines would line up facing eachother and when you promoted, everyone above you would make this 'gauntlet' and tou would walk between the Marines facing eachother, they would get to punch you once in the arm going and once in the arm returning. It hurt, after 6-7 hits, you'd start running...and then the punches come in quick succession but are not as accurate or hard. It isn't uncommon to get punched in the face, neck, shoulder, arm, stomach, or kidneys. Thank God this was only for the lowest 3 ranks, and again unfortunately you're in schools, so there are many people that form the gauntlet. I made it through and so can you...share your rite, if you dare.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2014 3:37 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 03:37:31 -0500

When I went through Undergraduate Pilot Training we were thrown into a cold dunk tank after our first solo in the T-37 jet. Obviously not as extreme as getting beat up during promotion.

Response by SFC Vernon McNabb made Nov 2 at 2014 9:52 AM

SFC Vernon McNabb — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 09:52:04 -0500

When I graduated AIT back in 1989 as a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic, we were awarded our crewmember badge (wings). These were placed on our uniform by the Drill SGT and he would leave the "damnits" off the back. When they were placed on the uniform, he would punch the badge, thus, we earned our "bloodwings"! Similar to getting promoted and we would have the rank pounded into our collar bones, by those that outranked us.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Nov 2 at 2014 10:01 AM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 10:01:10 -0500

When promoted to SPC back in 1988, I was given "blood-rank" by the CO followed by the "wetting down" of my rank; also as a PSG when anyone of my platoon was promoted, they walked the gauntlet afterwards. Was not an issue for me personally nor for anyone under me at the time, different Army, different breed of Soldiers I guess.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Nov 2 at 2014 2:04 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:04:17 -0500

In my opinion, to be an Military Police Soldier, you need to get tased and get OC ( sort of like peper spray but worse) in the face. Most installation require an MP to do both or one depending on what is used at that particular area of operation to perform law and enforcement operations. The OC spray is painful then and for the next two days or so you can still feel the sting. The taser is just shockingly painful as well but its only for 5 seconds.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Nov 2 at 2014 2:03 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:03:48 -0500

We should confuse a rite of passage with hazing. Something are just a tradition and some are actually a requirement like MPs getting OC and tased.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2014 2:26 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:26:51 -0500

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member, there was an uproar a few years ago about "blood rank." I think a Soldier was seriously injured by that practice, and there have probably been many more. And I read recently that the practice of blood rank or blood wings is punishable under the UCMJ. I don't know if that's true, but I read it.

The idea of rite of passage was just in the national news because of the hazing incident that resulted in the death of a Florida A&M University band member a couple years ago. The report I heard about what happened on the band bus sounds very much like the "rite of passage" you described in your post.

The other side of the "argument" is that this is military tradition, and no harm is meant. I get that, but if harm happens, then what?

One last example of this sort of behavior: At Miesau Army Depot, near Kaiserslautern, Germany, in the 1980s, a Soldier drowned in one of these rites of passage incidents. There was a tradition that departing personnel were thrown into the pond on the Depot, and one guy (who could not swim) was thrown into the pond and drowned. That was the end of that tradition and, sadly, the completely unnecessary end of a life.

The line between rite of passage and dangerous hazing is sometimes hard to distinguish.