What is the worst case of hazing or bullying you've seen, participated in, or been a victim of during your service?

COL Sam Russell I missed! SGT Polanchi(sp), did not! Drinks were on the NCO Club for new E-5s. He did not have to pay, even though he had one of everything! Until the next day! 1955, Korea, 7th Sig Co.

It depends on what the definition of hazing is. The Blood Wings thing as well as the pounding of SGT Stripes was voluntary when I served, if you didn't want it that's fine nobody forced it on you. I've seen Blanket Parties for fun (again kind of voluntary there with tacit permission). The problem I saw with the Blanket Parties is there were always 1 or 2 people that wanted to take it too far and actually injure the person or physically leave a mark and they had to be watched. Other than that, in all my military units.....too closely knit for anyone ever to get hurt in what is defined as a hazing incident today. It would be like turning on a family member to really hurt or injure someone. Even the Chapter cases who folks wanted to harrass, never anything harmful physically and it was generally an unwritten rule not to harm the Soldier but like I said above there were one or two people that wanted to go beyond that someone had to tell them enough and/or pull them away. So all that aside. Worst case I saw was a Drill Sergeant in Infantry OSUT in 1982 beat the living crap out of a recruit for mouthing off. Hit him so hard you could hear the thuds from the punches landing and the Soldier moaning. First punch sent his steel pot flying past the formation and I started to look but he had another Drill Sergeant watching for anyone turning their head to see it. Now the guy that was mouthy was from NYC and in my view had it comming after repeated times the platoon was punished for him. Second time same Drill Sergeant but his platoon only, he was PT'ing them so bad at night after my platoon was in the barracks sleeping that some of them were puking on the PT pad under the barracks, then he made them roll in it.....kind of gross. Third time, same Drill Sergeant came in completely drunk and started messing with his troops after lights out........that was the end of the other NCO's sticking up for him and he was gone a week after that last incident. So involuntary hazing......Infantry OSUT definitely, back then in 1982 you still couldn't challenge or question a directive from an NCO, and Drill Sergeants were feared. Started to change slowly after that in OSUT and Active Army.

COL Sam Russell The video did not come up. I believe there is a fine line between harassment, hazing and conduct detrimental to the force. You speak of growing a new mindset. I have not done so. Elite troops should be allowed to utilize "elite" rituals.

Someone must be in CHARGE! And held accountable!

Standard "Tacking on Crows" for advancement. Some people went extreme and would try to tack the device on ball-cap (that was why we bent pins vice capped pins). Last watch uniform tear-down.