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Getting medals pinned on

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EA-6B1

PLC Jrs 1st Inc. Kilo-3
So I was talking with my roomate who's a LCpl in the Reserves, and we were just talking about Marine stuff. Then he made a comment about getting promoted and getting medals (decorations would be the correct form I guess). He said, that they when you get promoted or get a medal that they take the back part off and 'jab' the medal through your blouse and into your skin. Is this "old corps" myth, or does this really still go on?
 

confused_pilot

Registered User
This is called "pinning" and is a form of hazing. I am not sure what has been done to stop it but I did hear of a SGTMAJ who was discharged by a general for simulating pinning by laying his hands over newly pinned on chevrons. As far as I know ever since the " blood wings" video came out, it has put quite a stop to this.
 

RyanVR

Registered User
i don't know exactly what happened in the video, but from what i understand, blood wings refers to after you get you jump wings , they are pinned on by something "pounding" them into your chest near the collar bone.
In the book, Sergeant Major, US Marines it talks about it happening in several places. It was/is a traditional thing but like some people have mentioned, it may be discouraged heavily.. I don't know though. This is the just the information i have gathered from reading.
Ryan
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
It's definitely a no-go. In the Navy, they used to do it when you got your warfare pin, according to one of my ROTC instructors. Marines also used to do the same with bloodstripes, or so I'm told. I have it from multiple sources that it's now verboten, though. Never heard of it being done with medals, besides which they pin on the wrong way (sideways) to do that anyway. Granted I've only got the obligatory NDSM; maybe multiple mounted ones are put together differently. And I've been to several promotions of Navy officers and Marine enlisted and none of that stuff ever occurred. So if your roommate's seen it happen and is only a LCPL, he probably saw something that officially shouldn't have happened.
 

Crowbar

New Member
None
Originally posted by RyanVR
it may be discouraged heavily.. I don't know though. This is the just the information i have gathered from reading.
Ryan

Why don't you try reading Marine Corps Order 1700.28 and Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1610.2 (links provided above). "Discouraged heavily" is an understatement.
 

Elder

US Coast Guard C-130 Demonstration Team
hazing.jpg


Yeah, that looks cool.

Note that the video was taken in 1991, the story made headlines in 1997... that's been awhile ago.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9701/31/hazing/

The video was, well, sorta horrible.

It wasn't just pushing it through the shirt into the skin.. it was 20 guys lining up to punch those pins in. Some guys running 30 ft and jumping towards the guy punching the pins in.

Hazing is still around, just not as bad, or perhaps not as obvious, as it used to be.
 

EA-6B1

PLC Jrs 1st Inc. Kilo-3
Wow! I remember seeing something about that now that you bring it up. That's definately not cool. I understand the Marine Corps' steep tradition and 'esprit de corps', but, in my opinion, this has nothing to do with letting someone feel good about earning something. Thanks for the gouge on it, Crowbar.
 

E5B

Lineholder
pilot
Super Moderator
Yeah, when I got promoted to PFC in early 95 I had my cheverons pounded into my collarbone. That was about the time the hazing issue was really being pushed but not THAT big of a deal YET, and when I got promoted to LCpl later on that year "pinning" was no longer authorized, but punches in the arm wasn't "pinning" so it was overlooked (not for long), then when I picked up Cpl in 97, new promotee's weren't to be touched. Later on that year we were on float in the Gulf and Comm Plt promoted one of their guys to Cpl and they pinned and bloodstriped him and the wrong person saw it. They all went to Bn NJP and lost rank and pay. They mean business now!

Personally I thought it was cool to go through that kind of "rite of passage", but someone higher ranking than me thinks other wize, so I highly discourage it and if you know about it put a stop to it or it'll end your career!
 

regimechanger

Registered User
All of this stuff used to go on a lot more often. My first promotion, 10+ years ago, the pinning of chevrons was so common that it was done to me right in front of the battalion formation (with civilian guests and all). At the time (I was 18) I thought it was cool, a right of passage, a sign of toughness.

When I was an NCO I wasn't a real zealot about these so called tradidtions, but I still thought banning them was indicative of some overall softening of mindset, as long as no one went overboard what was the harm right? after all aren't we fighting men? It seemed like it was "a Marine Corps thing, you wouldn't understand."

I was wrong though. The more experience I gain as a Marine, the more I don't understand pinning. I have been a Marine on active duty for 11 years, mostly in "frontline units". I have been in combat. Certainly any softening of Marines concerns me and I attempt to develop an inner toughness in my Marines. But all the outcry from the "Old Corps" about this issue being about an toughness and tradition was driven, I believe, from an overall aversion to change and does nothing to lend credit to the "tradition" of pinning. In fact pinning is just an excuse to pick on someone, and that is the opposite of tough.

So sure the advice on this issue can be to stay away for the sake of your career, or read such and such order, both of which are valid points. However, the real takeaway is if you remove yourself and take a rational man perspective on the issue pinning is just the wrong thing to do and just because it went on for a long time doesn't make it right.

(stepping off soapbox)
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
I think people are confusing medals with badges. I've never heard of anyone getting a medal pounded on. Getting punched in the arm with one's new rank insignia, yes. I've, um...heard of some newly promoted enlisted Marines getting that done. As far as blood pins go for qualification badges, a single good pop is cool, but stuff like bending the prongs like fish hooks and grinding them in is crazy, and I think is pretty much dead.
 

dvl_dog_2531

Registered User
Personal awards (i.e. medals for personal conduct vs. group awards like the NDSM) are usually awarded in a public forum to recognize the person before their peers. Would it be career suicide to blood-wing someone getting their GCM or a NAM? Of course.

Do people still get their chevrons "pinned" on or perhaps their blood stripe? Of course. Just not as bad as it once was.

I'm with E5B--I never had a problem with getting pinned or blood stripes. I was proud of my accomplishments and looked forward to it in a sadistic type of way. I did not feel it was "picking on" anyone. You had to be a have grade to take part so in a way you've earned it. Plus the people who tend to take part are your buddies who are welcoming you to the club. And in most cases those people will gladly kick your ass any time you start acting the fool (promotion or otherwise).
 

reapergm

Member
Im not gonna lie... Im a pretty tough kid, but thats some sick $hit. I dunno man. I guess Im just not too sadistic. I can handle pain pretty well, but I wont go lookin for it. Atleast not like getting a pin in the chest by my friends. Thats seems dumb. Maybe Ill go out with my friends and drink some of their urine after the pinning, that sound like fun! Is that part of the "tradition"? lol. Whatever, I guess Ill never know the mentality of someone in that situation until I get to be in that situation. I just need to work on getting the bars on my shoulders first.
 
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