Annual pillow fight at West Point turns violent; 30 injured

[Lite Beer]

Annual pillow fight at West Point turns violent; 30 injured

WEST POINT, New York (AP) — An annual freshman pillow fight at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point turned bloody this year when cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects, injuring 30 cadets, according to a newspaper report Saturday.

Two dozen cadets suffered concussions in the Aug. 20 bedding melee, though all have since returned to duty, West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told The New York Times for a story published Saturday. While photos and video of the episode have circulated online for some time, West Point officials didn't confirm what had happened until Thursday, the newspaper said. The phone rang unanswered Saturday at the academy's press office.

First-year students, known as "plebes," organize the pillow fight as a way to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point, Kasker told the Times. The elite academy has trained generations of Army leaders and counts U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower among its graduates.

"West Point applauds the cadets' desire to build esprit and regrets the injuries," Kasker said, adding that the school is investigating what happened. No cadets have been punished thus far.

He said upperclassmen overseeing the fight required cadets to wear helmets. However, online video showed many bare heads.

Some cadets swung pillowcases believed to have been packed with their helmets, the Times said.

There are no plans to end the annual pillow showdown.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-06

[Kerryd]

Got to wonder about the morons who think "hey, I should take off my hard, heavy helmet and put that in my pillowcase and then try to hit other people with it".

Oh wait. Never mind. The same types seem to show up here every Songkran. "Hey wouldn't it be awesome if we fired these high powered water cannons directly into the faces of people riding motorcycles to see if we can knock them off ?" "Gee I don't know Billy-Bob - don't you think we should add pepper sauce (or piss) to the water first to make it even more fun ?" "What a great idea Bobby-Bill because then there's an even better chance that they'll crash !"

In Basic Training if we'd caught someone doing some bulls*** like that they wouldn't have had to worry about being arrested and charged, we'd have kicked the crap out of them ourselves.

[vogie]

Apparently the Navy Seals were sent in with bolsters to quieten the melee down.

[TPI]

Boys and their toys? Considering the performance of the army over the last couple of decades maybe it's a good thing they were concussed?

[Ulic]

The future generals and leaders of the US armed forces. They should probably send this class home along with those responsible for supervising this event.

[Usernames]

Boys and their toys? Considering the performance of the army over the last couple of decades maybe it's a good thing they were concussed?

No, it's girls, too, now. Wonder what the breakdown (so to speak) of the injuries was by gender?

[Nemesis7]

What a shame for Military Academy like Wrst Point.

[gaijinsomchai]

Had no use for the ring knockers when I was in the army. Almost to a man they were arrogant pricks that treated the enlisted like crap. OCS officers were so much better to work for. They understood what it was like to be a grunt. Send all these plebes in as privates. They may learn something about leadership the hard way.

[hakuho]

Well, things are getting better, or at least different. In the OLD days, recruits into the Roman Legions ("Be All That You Can Be, Aurelious") had to endure painful Sodomy as one aspect of a 'freshman' initiation. Even Ovid, the first Roman openly metrosexual poet advised on the use of perfume to enhance the male-to-male experience. West point is like all testosterone-laden locker rooms- male enclaves; lurking beneath is a putative homo swap-meet. (just IMO)

[Seastallion]

And these morons are supposed to be the next up and coming leaders.

After one or two were injured, you'd think there'd be at least one non-moron who'd be alarmed and stop things.

USA USA USA! Cream of the crop.

[JHolmesJr]

Bloody millenials.

[Usernames]

Well, things are getting better, or at least different. In the OLD days, recruits into the Roman Legions ("Be All That You Can Be, Aurelious") had to endure painful Sodomy as one aspect of a 'freshman' initiation. Even Ovid, the first Roman openly metrosexual poet advised on the use of perfume to enhance the male-to-male experience. West point is like all testosterone-laden locker rooms- male enclaves; lurking beneath is a putative homo swap-meet. (just IMO)

Over 23 percent of the incoming plebe class in this article apparently are women.

[hakuho]

they have female genitalia but is a stretch to call them women...hormonal distribution is a spectrum, and those two Army rangers have the bodies of male wrestlers...so OK, let them go over to the M.E. and die for Mr Shwartz and Mr Rothschilds.-it's their karma.

[ggt]

There are no plans to end the annual pillow showdown.

It seems obvious to me that fostering a culture of violence is considered a good thing at the Academy...

Any wonder America has been branded a "bully" by those who have to deal with their hubris...

[Gandtee]

Officers and gentlemen?

[farangmick]

It's the US, so maybe they will get a purple heart to go with their "tie my own shoelaces" ribbon

[farangmick]

Just hope that if they ever have to lead troops in combat the other side uses conventional weapons and not pillows.

[copa8]

Just hope that if they ever have to lead troops in combat the other side uses conventional weapons and not pillows.

Needn't worry, since they'll likely be the type to lead from behind.

[HerbalEd]

Silly "boys."

[Kerryd]

I hear that in the Annapolis Naval Academy the annual ritual is the "drop the soap in the shower" party !

(I'm ex Army so yeah, I believe every word of that !)

[captspectre]

Got to wonder about the morons who think "hey, I should take off my hard, heavy helmet and put that in my pillowcase and then try to hit other people with it".

Oh wait. Never mind. The same types seem to show up here every Songkran. "Hey wouldn't it be awesome if we fired these high powered water cannons directly into the faces of people riding motorcycles to see if we can knock them off ?" "Gee I don't know Billy-Bob - don't you think we should add pepper sauce (or piss) to the water first to make it even more fun ?" "What a great idea Bobby-Bill because then there's an even better chance that they'll crash !"

In Basic Training if we'd caught someone doing some bulls*** like that they wouldn't have had to worry about being arrested and charged, we'd have kicked the crap out of them ourselves.

these are the "future" officers and leaders of the U.S. Army? god help us! what a bunch of ass holes!

[Misty]

they have female genitalia but is a stretch to call them women...

Do you know any?

[hakuho]

study biological morphological distinctions, Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph...then recuse yourself from the discussion.

[Misty]

study biological morphological distinctions, Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph...then recuse yourself from the discussion.

Guess you don't know any, then?

[Basil B]

And to think those "Plebs" are trusted with live ammo...

Could have been a lot worse.

[capcc76]

A lot of old, unhappy judgmental types in here just looking to be irritated and cast aspersions. 18 year olds, boys will be boys, having some fun. Pillow fight with just pillows is something you would expect at the Delta, Delta, Delta sorority house.

[bendejo]

At 18 I worked in a factory. There was a lot of heavy-grade aluminum foil, shredded, laying around, and sometimes we'd have 'snowball' fights with it. Some of those minor pokes and scratches, long forgotten, have resulted in facial scars in my old age. Wasn't that a time! Youth is about being young and stupid, and if you can't understand that...

On the other hand, this says something about the US soldier: even in a pillow fight they'll bust you up! When they get to the Middle East it'll be jihadi heads in those pillowcases.

[F430murci]

At 18 I worked in a factory. There was a lot of heavy-grade aluminum foil, shredded, laying around, and sometimes we'd have 'snowball' fights with it. Some of those minor pokes and scratches, long forgotten, have resulted in facial scars in my old age. Wasn't that a time! Youth is about being young and stupid, and if you can't understand that...

On the other hand, this says something about the US soldier: even in a pillow fight they'll bust you up! When they get to the Middle East it'll be jihadi heads in those pillowcases.

Yep, they are tough unlike a lot of wussies on here . . . winning over someone else getting a busted lip. Sheeshkabobs . . .

[Langsuan Man]

This Superintendent (Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr.) is toast, this is his second incident since being named. The first one related to the football team recruiting violations and subsequent scandal

Don't think he is going to recover from this debacle

Maybe they will put him in an inactive post