Lite Beer Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerryd Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vogie Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Apparently the Navy Seals were sent in with bolsters to quieten the melee down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPI Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulic Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usernames Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis7 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 What a shame for Military Academy like Wrst Point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaijinsomchai Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakuho Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seastallion Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHolmesJr Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Bloody millenials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usernames Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakuho Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggt Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandtee Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Officers and gentlemen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangmick Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 It's the US, so maybe they will get a purple heart to go with their "tie my own shoelaces" ribbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farangmick Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Just hope that if they ever have to lead troops in combat the other side uses conventional weapons and not pillows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copa8 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Silly "boys." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerryd Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 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 !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captspectre Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 they have female genitalia but is a stretch to call them women... Do you know any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakuho Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 study biological morphological distinctions, Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph...then recuse yourself from the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 study biological morphological distinctions, Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph...then recuse yourself from the discussion. Guess you don't know any, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 And to think those "Plebs" are trusted with live ammo... Could have been a lot worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capcc76 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendejo Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F430murci Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 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 . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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