the true horrors of military hazing hazing is a tried tested and plain awful ritualistic practice that takes place in all branches of the military all across the world military hazing is when fellow comrades or commanding officers Force others in uniform to go through horrific and humiliating events under the GU of training often ignored and brushed under the carpet even when the results in ramifications have been truly horrific from psychological suffering to actual death hazing is now banned and the United States military has a zero tolerance policy toward it although that doesn't prevent it from taking
place those caught however can face severe punishment including discharge or in the most severe cases dishonorable discharge and imprisonment but what actually is hazing despite being seen as all in good fun by some hazing is a very real and dangerous problem it often hides under the guise of being a way to welcome newbies into the fold as an initiation right or ceremony that all must endure but in reality can have far more Sinister undertones in 2018 the United States undertook its first ever Pentagon wide survey on hazing the report found that nine out of 10
hazing reports came from the Marine Corp that's 90% of all cases of hazing across the entire US military the Marines were followed by the Navy then the Army and finally the air force of the complaints examined The Hazing was divided into physical verbal psychological non-verbal and written abuse this 2018 survey also suggests the number of hazing complaints examined is a vastly incorrect number with the actual amount of hazing potentially stretching into the tens of thousands that's because things such as informal Hazen complaints weren't taken into account not to mention the potential Under reporting by the
victims themselves even more recently in 2023 a study published by the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry found that military hazing led to an increased risk of Suicidal Thoughts a higher chance of PTSD and depression and an increased likelihood of violent Behavior given their careers and increased likelihood of developing mental health issues anyway hazing just adds the cherry on top for these poor men and women who have been subjected to it examples of hazing firsthand accounts of hazing can be quite horrific and in some cases these practices have even resulted in the death of the
victim of hazing in other cases there are firsthand accounts of soldiers being duct taped held upside down and dunked repeatedly in water on their birthdays or the act of blood wiing where they pound newly trained Cadets badges into their chest so the pin goes straight into the skin or the more extreme cases of ripping off a soldier underwear to expose them before hitting them repeatedly in their most sensitive of areas but one of the worst examples of widespread and malicious hazing comes from Paris Island a Marine Corps Recruit Depot in South Carolina it's recognized as
one of the places in the core where hazing was most systemic and in many ways the most horrific recruits were forced to strip naked and run back and forth before being jammed against shower walls suffering frequent abuse from drill instructors and in some cases were even found to suffer chemical burns that were so severe they required skin graphs but the worst offender was one Joseph Felix a gunnery sergeant and instructor at Paris Island Felix allegedly liked to single out Muslim men for his hazing rituals among racially motivated statements he slapped hit and choked recruits and
even forced one into an industrial dryer not letting them out until he said he was no longer Muslim other alleged incidents included forcing Muslim recruits to simulate beheading calling them terrorists or Isis as they did so it was purely and simply racially motivated hate crimes under the guise of instruction and Military hazing eventually Felix's hazing cruelty took one deadly step too far in 2016 rahil sadiki was just 20 years old and a fairly fresh recruit who suffered from a sore throat during his first weeks at Paris Island's boot camp when he asked to visit the
Sick Bay and was UN able to give Felix his appropriate morning greeting the sergeant retaliated by ordering him to instead run multiple Sprints across the squad Bay due to being ill sadiki collapsed and in response Felix slapped him leading to sadiki to get up and run out of the door to a stairwell where he tragically went over the railing falling 38 ft onto concrete he did not survive although his death was later ruled as suicide his family felt that the hazing and cruel behavior of Felix was to blame for his death and the courts somewhat
agreed concluding that maltreatment directly contributed to sadiki's death Felix was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his crimes on Paris Island Joseph Felix is one of the most recent examples of what can go wrong during hazing but he's not alone in 2005 a group of Airmen took part in ritual hazings in Germany known as The one- Hitter quitter where people were knocked out in one punch and jump in with six of the group would assault a new member for 6 minutes leading the charge Rico Williams led a jump in hazing on Purple Heart recipient
Sergeant Jaan Johnson later that night Johnson collapsed from his injuries and died in hospital in another case that proves hazing is still very much alive in the military a special Warfare operator Chief Tony doal and three others wanted to attack and humiliate Green Beret Logan Melgar after he ditched them during a night of drinking this case has also been described as a murder because Melgar had caught them hiring prostitutes and skimming funds their plan was to break into his room and render him unconscious before using duct tape and filming him in a compromising position but
things went tragically wrong after they realized they couldn't wake Melgar who had sadly died from the choke hold dlph administered deal was initially given 10 years behind bars for his actions that night while Felix Williams and dlph actions may be an extreme example of hazing it serves to highlight what can happen in a culture where degradation and humiliation are considered an almost ritualistic part of service while it can be seen as all in good fun and a way to accept another into the fold it does far more harm than good arguments that it's a tradition
and isn't meant Cru doesn't work on those who take it too far and harmless jibes can quickly turn into more sinister hazing activities like the destruction of property forced acts of service threats or sexual assault when the no big deal hazing like name calling and sillier rituals occur it perpetuates the systemic issue that leads to the extreme and cruel acts committed under the same guys while some will claim hazing no longer takes place court cases studies and reports all show this is to the contrary strong combatants who insist otherwise show that there's still a dissonance
between what is and isn't considered hazing and that the issue isn't as widespread or prevalent as it has been in the past how the military is trying to prevent hazing in 2018 the Department of Defense issued a new prevention and response program to address the need for leadership commitment and accountability in 2020 this was updated to add responsibilities for the 43 States and territories of the non-f federalized National Guard and to state that leaders at all levels must be held accountable for creating an atmosphere of inclusion free from harassment as part of this the Army
introduced and updated not my squad awareness campaign developed new data collection and tracking methods refined reporting procedures and investigation times and worked on improving annual training and accountability measures all this shows that despite the military's checkered past with hazing in The Last 5 Years in particular great strides have been taken to reduce the likelihood of hazing in all its branches despite that as shown by recent reports hazing has not been eradicated and continues to play a significant role in the US military indicating even greater measures are required as was said by the Secretary of Defense
William Cohen in 1997 treating each other with dignity and respect is essential to morale operational Readiness and Mission accomplishment hazing is contrary to these goals at simple hit history we've been working with talented artists on something truly special a collection of official premium wall art that captures history's most incredible characters these aren't just amazing pieces of art they're Timeless Treasures designed to inspire and Spark conversations for years to come as a thanks to you our amazing simple history Community we're offering an exclusive 25% off these prints unlike fleeting Trends or short-lived crazes these prints are
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