Paolucci1

TheStrangeBehavioroftheMilitary

Whenyouthinkaboutbullyingorhazingyourfirstthoughtsgenerallysurroundthe
happeningsofschools,andstudentsbullyingotherstudents.Somemayevengodirectlytothe
workplacewithbosseshoundingtheirpositionovertheiremployees.ThatisnotthedirectionI
tookwhenIthinkofbullyingorhazing.Iimmediatelythinkaboutmy11yearsinthemilitary,
andoneeventthatIwouldneverforget.ThereIwasafterthedayhadendedsittinginmy
barracksroomrelaxing.Aknocksoundedfrommydoor,Igetupandopenittoseemyteam
leadersstandingtherewithamischievousgrinsplayedacrosstheirfaces.Iknewfromthat
momentthattheyplannedonmessingwithme.Overallwhatotherscalledhazingdidnotbother
me.ThesewerecombatenhancedmarinesandIwantedtobeacceptedbythem,Ididnot
complainorreportthemregardlessofwhattheymademedo.Thisnight
thoughwassomethingthatenforcedthatideawithanamusingsetup.
Afterafewminutesofthemtalkingwithmewhilegoingthroughmy
things,oneofthemdecidedhehadaplan.AfterafewmomentsIwas
suddenlyrunningdownthehallofthebarracksinnothingbutanover
coat,dressshoesandafedora,screamingthetuneandlyricsofinspector
gadgetatthetopofmylungs.WhilethePersoninchargeofthebarracks
thatnightstoppedmeandtriedtogethimtotellmewhomademedothis,Irefusedtoanswer
him.Whilethismaynothavebeentheworstthingtohappentome,itbecameoneofthemost
memorable.

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Ifyoutakeintocomparisontheactsofhazinginthepastand
comparedthemtowhatIexperienced,youcouldsaythatitwasnotreally
thatbad.EspeciallywhenyoucompareittowhattheSpartansconsidered
commonpractice.Someactsofhazingendedindeathormaiming,
whichmakesithardtobelievethattheseactswereactuallyencouragedby
thestateandpopulace.Themostcommonformofhazingwasthe
diamastigosis.OneofSpartasmostbrutalpracticesinvolvedasocalledcontestofendurance
inwhichadolescentswerefloggedsometimestothedeathinfrontofanaltaratthesanctuary
ofArtemisOrthia
(Andrews).Laterthiswouldturnintoabloodsportinsteadofaritual.
OutsideoftheSpartans,theRomanarmyalsoparticipatedinactsofhazing.Whiletherewas
hazingthereisverylittlewritingsaboutitsinceitwasnotasingrainedintheRomansocietylike
itwaswiththeSpartans.OnethingthatRomansoldierswereknownforwasthenewrecruit
wastossedinablanketbyhiscomrades(Peck626).Whilebeingtossedinablanketdoesn't
seemthatbad,weareunsureofhowviolenttheygotwithit.Thesearejustafewoftheevents
thattookplaceinpastmilitaries,butarethereoccurrencesofviolenthazinginourmodernday
military?
Theanswertothatquestionisaresoundingyes,butwhilenotallareviolent,someendin
theworstpossibleways.Onesuchincidentwasthedeathof
PrivateDannyChen,whokilledhimselfwhilestandingguardin
Afghanistan.Dannywasbeinghazedinwaysthatrangedfrom
physicalabusetoracialprejudice.Afterameremonthof

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nonstophazingDannyChendecidedtotakehisownlife
insteadofdealingwithitanyfurther(Gonnerman).There
isoneincidentthatalwaysoccursduringaspecificevent
withintheNavy.Itisconsideredatimehonoredtraditionof
crossingtheequatorandtransformfromapollywogtoa
shellback.Theeventlastsaseriesofdayswherethosewho
haveyettocrosstheequatorprovethemselvesthroughdemeaningandsometimespainfultasks.
Attheendoftheendofthemultidayhazingeachpersonwhosuccessfullyprovedthemselvesto
theothersaregivencertificatestoprovethattheyhavebecometrustworthyshellbacksinsteadof
worthlesspollywogs(DavidMoore).Whilethisparticulareventmaynotbethemostviolentof
today'smilitaryhazing,theyarestillseenfromtheoutsideasbarbaricandsavage.
Thisviewhasbroughtmanycallstoenactantihazingpoliciesandenforcethemwitha
gauntletofsteel.Thesethingsforthemostparthavebeenoccurringwitheachbranchsettingin
itsownpolicy,persecutingthosewhobreaktherulesharshly.Thesearejustafewofthecases
thatarepunished.Amajorityofhazinggoesunreportedorevenjustdownrightignored.Whyis
thisyoumustbethinking.Theanswertothatquestionismuchmoresimplethanoneperson
maybelieve.Thatanswerbeingthatitisviewedasanactofbondingbetweenthosewhoare
doingthehazing.Thatthosebeinghazedendure,acceptanddonotcomplainthatthesethings
arehappeningtothem.Simplybecausetheybelievethatbydoingsotheywillbeacceptedintoa
groupthatexudesahighlevelofcamaraderie.IcannotthinkofasinglepersonIhaveserved
withovermy11yearswhohasnotbeenhazedduringsomepointintheircareer.Somehatedit

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andothersdidntmind.Theoverallconsensusthoughwasthattheywantedtobeacceptedbythe
elites,notshunnedbythem.

WorksCited

Andrews,Evan."8ReasonsItWasn'tEasyBeingSpartan."
History.com
.A&E
TelevisionNetworks,5Mar.2013.Web.19Oct.2015.
Gonnerman,Jennifer."Pvt.DannyChen,1992
2011."
NYMag.com
.NewYorkMedia,6
Jan.2012.Web.19Oct.2015.
Moore,David."PollywogorShellback:TheNavy'sLineCrossingCeremonyRevealed."
VeteransUnitedNetworkPollywogorShellbackTheNavysLineCrossingCeremonyRevealed
Comments
.25Mar.2013.Web.19Oct.2015.
Peck,Harry."HazingItsAncientOriginandModernDevelopment."
Munsey'sMagazine
1Oct.1908:624625626627.Print.