Posted on 11/02/2012 8:47:21 AM PDT by Renfield
From the Military Times: An Air Force Academy tradition of throwing cadet first sergeants into the season's first snowfall ended in a brawl that left 27 cadets in need of medical treatment for everything from concussions, bitemarks, and cuts, according to an internal academy email obtained by the Air Force Times.
This ritual has devolved to become increasingly violent, with significant numbers of cadets requiring medical care over the past two years," Dean of Faculty Brigadier Gen. Dana Born wrote in an email sent to Academy department heads.
She said the tradition of throwing cadets into the snow "has turned into a brawl between upperclassmen defending the first sergeant and the four degrees trying to capture the first sergeant."
Obviously, this has gotten out of hand and cannot be repeated, Born wrote. There is no way we can condone or defend this.
The article noted that the new Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Greg Lengyel also found the brawl unacceptable, although -- as Born noted in her email -- he might be amenable to allowing cadets to keep some version of the tradition if they presented him a proposal for how it could be executed with good order and discipline and proper risk management.
sigh. Can only shake my head at the poor behavior of the USAF cadets.
Some of ‘em grow up and get real after academy life; others stay as locked up as they were when they were at the academy. Ring knockers...some are good, some are terrible.
All brawls and riots must be conducted with ‘good order and discipline’! You’re in the military! When your commanding officer orders you to riot....
Well, they are being trained to kill people... Probably good training for the real world.
Bite marks?
From girl cadets, maybe.
;-)
The article refers to this as a “ritual” and a “tradition”.
Bull-loney.
It is hazing. And it is illegal. I would wonder who will get the sack, but I’m sure this will all be swept under the rug rather nicely.
Could be the gays...
"You brute! You brute! You vicious brute!"
There are cadets. There are thugs. These jerks need to decide which they group they want to be in.
now the idiot young people think it is a right for them to abuse someone else
I don’t recall this so-called “tradition” during my time at the Zoo and am curious when it started. I know of one celebratory tradition that was banned after a lot of injuries but not this one.
Part of the problem.
That’s funny, but I don’t recognize the movie!
Throwing guys in the Air Garden fountains?
I thought knowing every line in Blazing Saddles was a prerequisite to becoming a Freeper. ;)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.