The brutal military hazing caught on video
Disturbingly, one soldier celebrated a promotion by allowing his superior officer to deliver potentially fatal blows to his chest with a wooden mallet
The video: Promotions are usually celebrated with congratulatory drinks at a local watering hole, or at the very least, an enthusiastic handshake. But that wasn't the case for newly minted Army Sgt. Phillip Roach, whose superior officers at Fort Bragg marked his rise from specialist with what the Army now calls an "unauthorized hazing" ritual. The April 4 incident was captured on video that was only recently released. (Watch it below.) The disturbing footage shows a higher-ranking officer taking a few practice swings at Roach's gut with a large wooden mallet, then delivering "a brutal coup de grace" to his chest. Roach is sent reeling then crumpling to the floor, slicing his head open on a chair along the way. After the video ends, says Roach's father, Ken, his son suffered a seizure that could keep him from ever returning to active duty, where he was to have piloted unmanned aerial vehicles. The hammer wielder has been fined $1,000 and reprimanded, but Ken Roach, an Army veteran himself, wants a stiffer punishment. "It was assault with a weapon," he tells the AP. "He could have killed my son."
The reaction: Only in the Army would good news like a promotion be feted "with dangerous physical violence," says Gabriel Legend at Gather. But while the Army brass blames this hazing on a few bad apples, it sure looks like "another example of the Army's unofficial 'policy' of not only allowing soldiers to be victimized by other soldiers, but punishing victims when they do come forward." Roach really could have died, and other soldiers almost certainly have, through injuries from hazing or suicide afterward. Sadly, "promotion hazings in the service are common," says Geoffrey Ingersoll at Business Insider. But the good news is that "disturbing" videos like Roach's will probably put an end to these "twisted" rituals. Clearly, the public does not approve. See for yourself:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The next place you'll find Starlink tech isn't a war zone — it's your airplane seat
Under the Radar Several major airlines are offering free in-flight Wi-Fi through the technology
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The fishy diplomacy causing tensions between Bangladesh and India
Under The Radar Exports of a 'sacred' fish were recently suspended during difficult relations for the two nations
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 6, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Sunday scaries, in-fighting, and more
By The Week US Published