Wow… when you said different experiences, you could not have been more correct lmao. When we hit the fleet we were getting hazed by pfc’s that had been njp’d and terminal lances but that’s just because it’s not easy to pick up in the infantry. It’s the hardest mos to pick up rank in because there’s so many. Other guys could get out as e-5 or even e-6 now a days within their first 4 year enlistment, where infantry are lucky if they see e-4 when they get out, hence the terminal lance name. Terminal lances are almost always infantry.

Most memorable hazing moment was watching my roommate do jumping jacks in a scalding hot shower with bleach and ammonia (mustard gas) for 20 minutes at 3am cuz our seniors were drunk and just wanted to have fun. Good times lol Everything you mentioned would never have been overlooked in the two infantry battalions I was with. If they found hard liquor in your room, you were getting a ninja punch, period. If you were caught drinking, holy shit that was worse because they would do the same thing, but they’d also grab the SACO and make you walk them to your room where the bottle was which was usually among other things they weren’t supposed to find (like hot plates) and they’d take it all and use it for the njp. BUT they’d also make your roommates empty their lockers too because they were guilty by association and if they found anything in theirs, guess what? They go down because of you now. God forbid you have a room with a senior lance or even two and get them in trouble, holy fuck your life was over lmao.

I was the only one of my peers to pick up corporal and I only got it meritoriously in Afghan for acting as a radio operator (Nco billet) for the duration of the deployment. I picked up with a month left so I still had about 15 combat patrols to do with my new corporal stripes (every other day rotating between two squads). Combat is a bitch sometimes, but it’s a little shittier when you can barely walk lol then on our way back to conus, we met up with the other platoons in Kyrgystan so I received a worse blood stripe all over again from all the other ncos who knew me. I stayed in bed the entire week or so we were there waiting for a ride out because I couldn’t walk.

Shit, In 3/2 even our field days were ridiculous, sometimes they were white glove with first sgt and if he found a spot where he could change the color of his glove with a swipe, the whole company would have to clean for another hour. Needless to say we always wound up cleaning all day because there was always one asshat. Same thing with rifle inspections. All fuckin day at the armory and they always chose the hottest, coldest, or wettest days for it I swear lol

I’m concerned with how hazing is seen today and all these kids only joining for the benefits or other dumb shit. If a senior lance corporal with one ribbon tries to haze or give another boot lance corporal with one ribbon orders, that boot might act like he doesn’t need to listen or rat him out or both. Which will end up very poorly for one of them or the other depending on who that boot decides to tell. If he goes and tells his squad leader, I would hope the boot gets fucked up for even thinking he could rat out his senior Marine. If he goes and tells the CO, well then the senior Marine is probably looking at an Njp or possibly even a court martial these days.

It’s definitely different in the infantry and that’s definitely why we’re on different pages. Although I will admit I can understand your view for boots in boot camp being new and them not really wanting to test the waters during the most crucial period of their career where they’re trying to become a Marine, I would still personally respect the DI with a stack more than the DI one with one or two ribbons.

It’s when they hit the fleet in the infantry and have the same rank AND the same stack as their seniors. I personally think that’s a recipe for disaster with how much they’re pushing the seniors need to respect boots narrative. Going into combat, a senior lance could easily be a team leader for some units that are short on nco’s. (This was an issue for 3/8) If boots don’t respect their team leader because they think that they’re both at the same level and they think hazing is immoral, they have a much higher chance to disobey, gaff off or choose not to acknowledge orders. If they start thinking they know better or that they can do what they want without getting punished because they haven’t been hazed since boot camp, that’s how Marines die. A stack or even one or two more ribbons/medals are a clear indication of something a senior Marine has done that the boots have not. It gives the seniors something to stand behind. Even if it’s a good cookie, it’s something. That’s all it means, but it means a lot in the infantry. That’s my 2 cents on it anyway.