Naval Academy's tradition might change..

[Gwydion]

Navy ritual scrutinized -- baltimoresun.com

It's one of the Naval Academy's most enduring traditions: Hundreds of shirtless plebes mark the end of their first year by swarming a grease-slicked, 21-foot-obelisk, climbing over one another in a race to the top.

Now, academy officials are asking: Is this safe?

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

Navy ritual scrutinized -- baltimoresun.com

I remember the big stink when some Chief initiations got outta hand and so they were all pretty much suspended because of a few crybabies. For crying out loud, these are going to be military officers, not newspaper editors!

 

[smcop]

I remember the big stink when some Chief initiations got outta hand and so they were all pretty much suspended because of a few crybabies. For crying out loud, these are going to be military officers, not newspaper editors!

Officials said they know of no serious injuries incurred by midshipmen in recent years during the event.

"It's just political correctness gone wrong again," said Dwight Crevelt, who climbed atop the monument in 1976. "Everybody's so worried about everybody else - nonsense. It's a tradition, and no one's ever been seriously hurt doing that."

That says it all!

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

That says it all!

 

[RangerJohn]

There will be no fun in this world. If you aren't miserable, then you must be doing something unethical and possibly illegal.

All of the "initiation" traditions are going by the wayside....Chief's Initiation, Shellback Initiation....and all in the name of political correctness.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

There will be no fun in this world. If you aren't miserable, then you must be doing something unethical and possibly illegal.

All of the "initiation" traditions are going by the wayside....Chief's Initiation, Shellback Initiation....and all in the name of political correctness.

yeah, it was a pain in the butt, but something you were proud you did later.

 

[aps45819]

academy officials are asking: Is this safe?

It's got to be safer than getting your degree so you can lead a squad of Marines on a combat mission

 

[citysherry]

My Uncle climbed the monument in 1963, my cousin climbed the monument in 1983 and my cousin's son will, hopefully, climb the monument this year to mark the end of his plebe year! DON'T MESS WITH TRADITION.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

My Uncle climbed the monument in 1963, my cousin climbed the monument in 1983 and my cousin's son will, hopefully, climb the monument this year to mark the end of his plebe year! DON'T MESS WITH TRADITION.

hear, hear! God Bless your cousin's son.

 

[Ladybug76]

There will be no fun in this world. If you aren't miserable, then you must be doing something unethical and possibly illegal.

All of the "initiation" traditions are going by the wayside....Chief's Initiation, Shellback Initiation....and all in the name of political correctness.

We had a guy claim that wog day was comparable to slavery and wouldn't participate. That was a first for me.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

We had a guy claim that wog day was comparable to slavery and wouldn't participate. That was a first for me.

I participated in a Chief's initiation where one of the selectees didn't want to participate. Fine.


No khaki ever called him 'Chief'.

 

[Ladybug76]

I participated in a Chief's initiation where one of the selectees didn't want to participate. Fine.
No khaki ever called him 'Chief'.

As it should be! People don't forget things like that. I think that is so strange. My husband was pretty unhappy the whole month or so of initiation, but he learned a lot and would have never even considered not participating.

 

[Severa]

There will be no fun in this world. If you aren't miserable, then you must be doing something unethical and possibly illegal.

All of the "initiation" traditions are going by the wayside....Chief's Initiation, Shellback Initiation....and all in the name of political correctness.

*snort* I remember when my husband went through the Bluenose initiation on his first submarine deployment. His second encounter with the Bluenose saw him doing the yelling while the CO became a Bluenose.