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 Wednesday.
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, 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 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. One cadet was found unconscious.
The report said upper-class cadets did not take proper control of the fight to ensure the safety of plebes. Caslen said the incident could have been prevented with better communication between cadet leadership and senior military personnel before the pillow fight.
“I’m troubled by the failure to mitigate and lead, and by the conduct of those whose actions contributed to this incident,” Caslen said. “I am taking appropriate action based on these findings — to include administrative actions against senior military members and cadets alike — to send a clear message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated at our nation’s premiere military academy.”
" West Point Bans Pillow Fight After Dozens Injured "
WTF ??
What are these guys going to do in combat, call "time out" if they get a scrape?
Back in my day, we did bayonet training with padded sticks, don't remember what they called them now. Maybe Pete remembers. I remember one guy got a couple of broken ribs.
What this report fails to mention is that some of the cadets replaced pillows with helmets . The injuries occurred when those objects were used. Not sure if that is part of the unwritten rules ,or using them was out of bounds . I suspect it was part of the unwritten rules of the ritual .
now you see why your army has no guts the officer class can't even loose a pillow fight without turning into a debacle
You look at that video and you see a lot of guys who just look lost
I did not go to WP. Academies have some traditions that are similar to civilian fraternities.
I was an ROTC RA commissioned officer. Served 25 years. Served with some of the best, and helped jettison those who could not measure up.
It's a stupid pillow fight. These are young college age people. They do stupid things at that age. I know. I'm sure there are a few things you did at that age you look back on and say "that was unwise of me to do so."
Believe me...I served with some of the best officers commissioned out of all three service academies. WP in particular does a very good job preparing young people for military service.
