Tag Archives: mess night

Marine Grog, Sailor Wogs, Soldier Spurs… Hazing?

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 Read more