Military Hazing Has Got to Stop

LAST fall, at an outpost in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Danny Chen, a 19-year-old Army private, was singled out for hazing by Sgt. Adam Holcomb and five other soldiers, all of whom were senior in rank to their victim. They believed Danny was a weak soldier, someone who fell asleep on guard duty, who forgot his helmet. So for six weeks, they dispensed “corrective training” that violated Army policy. When he failed to turn off the water pump in the shower, he was dragged across a gravel yard on his back until it bled. They threw rocks at him to simulate artillery. They called him “dragon lady,” “gook” and “chink.”

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http://chu.house.gov/press-release/reps-chu-cummings-honda-and-others-introduce-legislation-prevent-hazing-military

Lawmaker tells military officials to end culture of hazing

WASHINGTON — Military officials testified Thursday that hazing is not and will not be tolerated by the services, but lawmakers questioned whether recent high-profile incidents of abuse indicate deteriorating leadership in overtaxed, war-weary units.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., whose nephew committed suicide last April after being hazed by members of his Marine Corps unit, pleaded for an end to the culture of hazing.

“Although the military has policies in place, they’re not being enforced,” she said during a hearing held by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. “While people on the outside are horrified by these stories, usually the rank and file say that hazing is a necessary tool … to ensure everyone’s safety.”

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Lawmakers Blast Culture of Military Hazing
Marines Update Hazing Policy