West Point Bans Cadet Pillow Fights After 30 Injured

[IceWizard]

NOV 27 2015, 2:14 AM ET
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEST POINT, N.Y. —
Cadet pillow fights like the bloody one that left 30 injured this summer will be banned and actions are being pursued against many of those involved, U.S. Military Academy officials said.

First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the annual pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training. But the pillow fight on Aug. 20 escalated into a free-for-all with plebes being hit from behind and knocked to the ground.

Injuries included a broken nose, a fractured cheek and 24 diagnosed concussions. One cadet was found unconscious, according to a report on the pillow fight released Wednesday.
"While never officially sanctioned, it is now
officially banned, and we will take appropriate
action to ensure that all faculty, staff, leaders,
the Corps of Cadets and everyone at West
Point knows that it will not be tolerated," West
Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen said in a statement.

There were reports that some cadets were
injured by hard objects placed in pillow cases
after photos and video of the melee circulated
on social media. But the Army report said many injuries were caused instead by elbows and falls to the ground.

One cadet was identified by military police as striking another cadet with a hard object in a pillow case. The report said upper-class cadets did not take proper control of the fight to ensure the safety of plebes.

It said that upper-class behaviors "ranged from throwing items such as small milk cartons, water balloons, fruit and glow sticks from barracks windows to yelling at plebes and encouraging them 'get back into the fight.'"

A number of plebes said they were hit when
they weren't looking or from behind. Many
cadets wore body armor, which officials believe
may have encouraged aggressive behavior.

One cadet broke his nose when a blow from
behind caused his combat helmet to rotate forward, according to the report.

Though the pillow fight is cited as a tradition,
the report suggests it dates back no further than 2001.

There was no pillow fight in 2013.


Comment
I was under the impression that "girls" had pillow fights at slumber parties?!! Now they have them at our military academies?

[Charon]

yes, i know all men's fantasies include that all we catholic school girls would do cheerleading.  and, at our slumber parties we all get naked and have pillow fights.

well, yes of course we were like twelve yrs old.  we wore what we called baby doll pajamas.

but, we talked, and did joija? boards in violation of all religions and to scare ourselves.  i had a seance and two guests whom pretended they were not coming, were hiding in the room.  those girls were crying cuz catholics definitely know that evil exists.

most PJ parties are harmless.

but, big surprise they loaded their weapon of choice, the pillow case, with heavy, blunt objects.  i have not studied this in awhile, but maybe that form of hazing is thought to be less visible on the body.

hazing is barbaric.  ok, i went into a sorority and i quit on hell nite when i made it in.  just to prove i could do it.

but, my town was innocent.

that was a no holds barred beating of those cadets at West Point.

I hope they put an end to this perversion.

No one should have to be beaten in order to join an alleged honorable group.  And, most kids join sororities cuz parents tell them do.  That they can network and make friends and find jobs.  But, it has become far more brutal, I believe.

Academia covers it up.

It is atrocious.  Idiots.

[Charon]

i agree.

i have heard from soldiers that we use the 20 yr old man to do our fighting because he is not fully capable of understanding what he is doing. he is said to have no conscience at that age. As he does age, he sees the faces of the people he took down in warfare.

maybe they don't feel like such jerks when they achieve a few years under their belt.

but, who cares by that time. barbaric is barbaric and it would not continue if the schools stepped up to the plate and really banned hazing.

morning laizer.