Navy says 8 sailors discharged for hazing

KRNV-TV ^ | 2/5/2012

[SoFloFreeper]

The Navy says eight sailors have been discharged after a hazing incident aboard a San Diego-based amphibious assault ship.

Navy spokesman said Saturday the eight received general discharges following allegations they assaulted and choked a fellow sailor aboard the ship, the Bonhomme Richard, on Jan. 17, as part of an initiation rite. He said the assault was videotaped, and the victim treated for injuries they received.

The action follows recent congressional hearings on hazing in the military, including the case of Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who shot himself in a foxhole in Afghanistan last year after he was beaten, forced to do repeated pushups and fed mouthfuls of sand.

[SoFloFreeper]

I saw a tv report on this story...it appears as though all or most of those involved called it play wrestling, and that when these events are over, the men bond and create strong friendships...of course, the Obama supporting "journalist" went through a litany of other good military men and women booted from the service since Obama took over. I wanted to throw a brick at the television.

My opinion is this is another example of political correctness and wussification of the military.

No wonder we cannot fight two wars at one time anymore...Obama and the liberals have made our defenses a site for social engineering.

[napscoordinator]

First of all, military personnel need to stop video taping things. That is the first problem. Second of all, as most of you know I did 24 years in the military and went through “initiation” twice in my first two commands and it is so true that you really become part of the team after going through it. I still have very many of the friends who put me through this today. It is very sad what is happening to our military. The only investigations that should be held are ones that include rape and direct assault. I just retired in June so this occurred in the late 80’s and early 90’s and I survived and thrived. The kids coming in now were coddled all through their lives and can't handle ANYTHING. It is a bad direction the military is going.

[maine yankee]

So what happens now when a ship crosses the equater ?

Everbody goes up on deck and sings a chorus from HMS Pinnafore ?

[struggle]

This is nothing.

My dad said that when he was in the Navy boot camp (1970’s), one of the recruits didn’t want to shower with the rest of the guys.

They stripped him naked and scrubbed him with Comet.

[tarawa]

Shellback ceremony? I think that one is one of the few left. Most of the other ones have fallen to the wayside, other than when you make Chief, I suppose.

[joe fonebone]

The only hazing I ever went through in the navy was having my crow “tacked on”......

[joe fonebone]

that happened to one guy abord ship that refused to shower.... they threw him a blanket party... then used a wire brush to clean him... he showered every day after that..

[PzLdr]

Nope. “Circle of Life” followed by a rousing “Kumbayah”

[NavyCanDo]

Back in the Navy of the late 1970s, most of the hazing I remember was summer-camp like pranks. Wrapping a sleeping recruit in his rack with dental floss and then yelling “attention on deck” was a good one. Or sending one out on a mission to bring back bulkhead remover or relative bearing grease. But once we got on a ship some guys got brutal. Sticking a grease gun tube up someones bum and greasing him was a practice used by some jerks my weapons department. They were selective who they targeted. Mostly the timid and youthful, but those are also the ones most impacted by what really is rape.

[Lou L]

The only hazing I ever went through in the navy was having my crow “tacked on”......

I was in one of those advanced electronics ratings where we got our third class crows out of A School, after being in the Navy for a whopping six months or so. They lined up every instructor in that place, and we walked through them. Some were congenial, and only gave us an easy-going punch on the upper arm, but other instructors were siginificantly more punishing. After one particularly burly first class "tacked" my crow, I became light-headed. My arm was sore for the rest of the day, but it was all in good fun. Wide-spread video-taping was not available!

[pfflier]

Every military organization has it's unit pride. To me it was not only an expectation but an honor to go through some "initiations".

The feminization then the "gay-ification" of the military has really broken up unit cohesion. Now nearly any action can be perceived as some form of discrimination by anybody that wants to manipulate the system. If you do it right, you can ruin careers of people you don't like and get a pension for life.

[jmax]

>>>> "But once we got on a ship some guys got brutal. Sticking a grease gun tube up someones bum and greasing him was a practice used by some jerks my weapons department." <<<<

During my time in the Navy, 'greasing' was routine, BUT never with a grease gun....only grease on a rag. And, the grease was always Extreme Pressure Grease, because it was so slimmy and black. Was some tough stuff to get off.

Who got greased? In the gun gangs it was a new Gunners' Mate "A" school grad who came on board, a Deck Seaman who was brought into the Gun Gang and, lastly, when a Gun Striker made Third Class. This was done by the other strikers so the brand new P.O. would remember he was once one of them and where he came from. This was a humbling experience and kept a lot, but definately not all, of the sparkling new P.O.'s from getting a big head and becoming complete a$$holes. It was ALWAYS taken in both jest and stride. At the time, it was the accepted thing to do.

[matginzac]

Just need to add my two-cents as being a female, serving officer in the late 70’s - 80’s...and watched the “chickification” and now “gayification” of our beloved military...
I knew how things rolled when I joined up and had no problem with it. I had a 0-6 ask me who issued my “chest” when I was in ranks, was ordered to “brace up and fin out” in various offices, was thrown into foam during fire fighting exercises, was asked to be in a number of Chief’s initiations (yes, I broke an egg with my teeth in various body orifices...)and re-upped a first class on the top of a radio tower...and I loved every minute of it and NEVER thought to run to a jag officer to file charges...
My Navy is gone forever and our country is poorer for it.

[jmax]

In 21 years, I only worked with one female officer and it was, at first, rough from time to time, as she had a big head (and, I had an equally big ego). In the end, we worked it out. But, of course a lot of M-A-L-E shiney-barred Ensigns had the SAME problem.

Here it is, 37 years later, and though separated by 1200 miles, we still do the Christmas card thing, every-few-weeks email and a couple of phone calls every year.

Got a feeling you and I would have gotten along pretty well, too. After your making jg, though. LOL

[stbdside]

I remember during my time in the Navy mail buoy watches, sending someone out to get a stanchion jack, or the keys to the ship the night before getting underway from the CDO. Also, we used shillelaghs during the shellback initiations back in the day.

[stbdside]

I remember during my time in the Navy mail buoy watches, sending someone out to get a stanchion jack, or the keys to the ship the night before getting underway from the CDO. Also, we used shillelaghs during the shellback initiations back in the day.

[gandalftb]

I was on the BHR two years ago, good thing they didn’t go into the Marine berths.

[matginzac]

Thanks and nice that you stay in touch...I found it hard to with many I served with.

I think we would have gotten on too...I never took my position all that seriously. I loved wearing the uniform, working with great guys (no other women at my command initially) and having fun...as time went on, I worked with more women and it really started to be crap...I wasn’t that squared away so was told to be more like “her” - who would screw over any other officer she could for advancement.

Recently, I found out through Google that two of these women made 0-6: one who literally hung me out to dry to my boss; the other who put in her bio she served at the SWO school right out of USNA - but didn’t add, she was pregnant in the academy, didn’t get caught then had to bilge out of SWOS and go admin...then she came to our command and made my life a living hell...the “new” Navy....

Hey, as an ensign, some of my best friends were Master Chief Boats!!!!

[Drew68]

The only hazing I ever went through in the navy was having my crow “tacked on”......

I got my 3rd and 2nd Class crows "tacked on" pretty good. By the time I made 1st, a couple of years ago, nobody was doing this anymore. Too many people were getting kicked out. Honestly, there were always a few people who took it too far. I knew a 3rd Class who had his arm broken when a couple of 2nds laid it across a table and jumped on it. Completely unnecessary.

[GATOR NAVY]

So what happens now when a ship crosses the equator?

I'm sure the sailors of my father's time in the Navy would have said my first crossing in 1985 was lame, but that 1985 ceremony was hard core compared to the pathetic lameness of my final crossing with a mixed gender crew in 2006. And I crossed the line on every ship I was on so I had a front row seat for the decline of the ceremony. The aftereffects of Tailhook and women on ships were the primary reasons for the decline.