While elements of things some call “hazing” are supposed to be removed from the military, some traditions seem to survive in the Marine Corps Mess Night, among other places:

During the multiple course dinner, Marines can call out each other for infractions, whether comical or serious. Marines guilty of infractions are “fined” and must then pay and small fee, usually about three dollars, and drink from the “grog”, a mixture of liquids, the elements of which are a mystery. The evening continues with amusing skits enacted by predetermined groups.

The Navy Times frames the Navy’s anti-hazing efforts as awkward to the point of being ineffectual, noting that being sprayed with a fire hose is only hazing if the water pressure is too high, for example. The Navy even officially released an article noting the USS Bonhomme Richard continued the tradition of ‘initiating’ Sailors who crossed the equator for the first time — though the words “strictly voluntary” were repeated more than once.

The Army also continues its spur rides (which have been discussed before) were highlighted in a local paper, with these quotables:

Some soldiers get a slap in the face with a raw steak and the phrase “spur maggot” hurled at them when they join the cavalry. They get that treatment until they demonstrate they belong with their fellow cavalrymen by “earning their spurs” in the field…

Some of the recent Afghanistan veterans found the tests they faced impractical compared with what they experienced at war. In that sense, training with practice rounds running into impossible scenarios does not live up to the expectations of young men who have accomplished the real thing. They’re still adjusting to life after a combat tour.

Also at the Stars and Stripes.

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