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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.

Have you ever been in the military? There is a thin line between "rituals" and "hazing."

In the Navy, both the Blue Nose (crossing the Artic Circle) and the Shellback (crossing the Equator) ceremonies are a form of hazing, but they are rich in their tradition. The people who typically get it the worst during these ceremonies, are those who complain, or attempt to fight back.

Of course, it's been years since I was in, and I'm sure the military is more enlightened now, especially with the current Commander-in-Chief. They probably don't even tack on crows anymore.

After my Shellback initiation aboard Kitty Hawk (pre-female at sea), we stripped to our union suits, threw the greasy, filthy clothes off the flight deck, and walked butt naked to the showers. Raw knees and hands from crawling on non-skid, getting whacked with pieces of fire hose, eating & wallowing in putrid stuff — but nobody complained. Too feminized and touchy-feely today.