Posted on Oct 28, 2016
Parris Island abuse scandal: Lawmaker demands military hazing review
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A prominent lawmaker is urging Congress to investigate how pervasive hazing is in the military after shocking allegations that some drill instructors abused recruits and even fellow DIs at the Marine Corps' storied training ground.
“It is incumbent upon us in our oversight role to determine the extent to which this is a systemic problem and make sure the military is doing everything in its power to prevent cases like this from happening again,” Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., wrote in a letter Friday to the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services committee.
Speier wrote she is concerned about media reports “depicting a culture of hazing and abuse” at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, where recruit Raheel Siddiqui died in March when he fell nearly 40 feet in a barracks stairwell.
Siddiqui, 20, was assigned to the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at the time. A command investigation into his death found that drill instructors in the battalion slapped and choked recruits. Siddiqui had threatened to kill himself five days before his death, saying his drill instructors were hitting him, according to the investigation.
Up to 20 Marines at Parris Island are under investigations for allegations of abuse. These allegations stem from the Siddiqui case and other reported incidents. As of Friday, none of the Marines under investigation has been charged or received punishment or disciplinary action.
“Unfortunately, for all the tragic examples, we still lack a clear understanding of hazing and the military’s response,” Speier wrote on Friday. “According to the [Government Accountability Office], the Department of Defense does not even know the extent of hazing in the organizations because they have not conducted an evaluation of its prevalence, nor developed a unified system to track the instances of hazing department-wide.”
Holding a congressional hearing into hazing in the military would provide lawmakers with a greater insight into the problem and allow Defense officials to explain the actions they are taking to prevent further abuse, Speier wrote.
“We are deeply concerned about this issue,” a spokesman for House Armed Services Democrats said Friday. “Hazing has no place in our armed services. We have been conducting oversight on it, and additional oversight would be very welcome.”
The House Armed Services Committee has held hearings about military hazing in the past, said a spokesman for Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who chairs the committee.
“Chairman Thornberry will certainly consider them as part of our oversight program on this important issue going forward,” said Claude Chafin.
The Marine Corps has already taken several actions to prevent the type of hazing alleged to have occurred at Parris Island, including preventing a Marine from being able to train recruits if he or she is under investigation.
One of Siddiqui’s drill instructors had been accused of hazing another Muslim recruit. After making the recruit exercise in the shower, the drill instructor allegedly ordered him to get in to a commercial dryer and turned it on several times while making disparaging comments about his religion, an investigation found. At one point, the drill instructor asked the recruit if he was part of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller has said most drill instructors at both the service’s East and West Coast training depots are training recruits properly.
“Recruit training is designed to be tough and demanding,” Neller told Marine Corps Times on Sept. 16. “That’s why young men and women join the Marine Corps, because they want to be challenged and tested. I have every confidence that the drill instructors that are out there both at Parris Island and San Diego understand that.”
“It is incumbent upon us in our oversight role to determine the extent to which this is a systemic problem and make sure the military is doing everything in its power to prevent cases like this from happening again,” Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., wrote in a letter Friday to the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services committee.
Speier wrote she is concerned about media reports “depicting a culture of hazing and abuse” at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, where recruit Raheel Siddiqui died in March when he fell nearly 40 feet in a barracks stairwell.
Siddiqui, 20, was assigned to the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at the time. A command investigation into his death found that drill instructors in the battalion slapped and choked recruits. Siddiqui had threatened to kill himself five days before his death, saying his drill instructors were hitting him, according to the investigation.
Up to 20 Marines at Parris Island are under investigations for allegations of abuse. These allegations stem from the Siddiqui case and other reported incidents. As of Friday, none of the Marines under investigation has been charged or received punishment or disciplinary action.
“Unfortunately, for all the tragic examples, we still lack a clear understanding of hazing and the military’s response,” Speier wrote on Friday. “According to the [Government Accountability Office], the Department of Defense does not even know the extent of hazing in the organizations because they have not conducted an evaluation of its prevalence, nor developed a unified system to track the instances of hazing department-wide.”
Holding a congressional hearing into hazing in the military would provide lawmakers with a greater insight into the problem and allow Defense officials to explain the actions they are taking to prevent further abuse, Speier wrote.
“We are deeply concerned about this issue,” a spokesman for House Armed Services Democrats said Friday. “Hazing has no place in our armed services. We have been conducting oversight on it, and additional oversight would be very welcome.”
The House Armed Services Committee has held hearings about military hazing in the past, said a spokesman for Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who chairs the committee.
“Chairman Thornberry will certainly consider them as part of our oversight program on this important issue going forward,” said Claude Chafin.
The Marine Corps has already taken several actions to prevent the type of hazing alleged to have occurred at Parris Island, including preventing a Marine from being able to train recruits if he or she is under investigation.
One of Siddiqui’s drill instructors had been accused of hazing another Muslim recruit. After making the recruit exercise in the shower, the drill instructor allegedly ordered him to get in to a commercial dryer and turned it on several times while making disparaging comments about his religion, an investigation found. At one point, the drill instructor asked the recruit if he was part of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller has said most drill instructors at both the service’s East and West Coast training depots are training recruits properly.
“Recruit training is designed to be tough and demanding,” Neller told Marine Corps Times on Sept. 16. “That’s why young men and women join the Marine Corps, because they want to be challenged and tested. I have every confidence that the drill instructors that are out there both at Parris Island and San Diego understand that.”
Parris Island abuse scandal: Lawmaker demands military hazing review
Posted from marinecorpstimes.com
MCRD Parris Island
Marines
Hazing
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 7
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I experienced intense hazing when I was in bootcamp. It certainly wasn't because I was a woman, or because I was white or because I was Christian. It was because I was a recruit going through Marine Corps Bootcamp.
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
When I was a recruit I distinctly remember two instances where I was simply in the PROXIMITY of Female recruits. I was in 3rd Bn, which at the time was separated from the other Bns, so we rarely saw other Bns, much less Females.
The first instance was when we went over to the main Parade Deck for some reason. We used to carry our ponchos rolled up and attached to the back of our cartridge belts with two "boot Bands". One of mine came up missing and my poncho came lose and started dragging, so I was trying to hold it up. WE got to our destination and Im standing there trying to hold this now open poncho around my waist without drawing attention from the DI.
Of course he saw it and allowed how I looked like a little B$%th trying to hold up my skirt. At the same time a WM platoon was marching by and he ordered me to go fall in with them.
Needless to say the female DI chased my ass off and the two DIs had a great deal of sport making me run back and forth, much top the merrment of both platoons.
The other incident I remember is going to Dental real early and passing A WM platoon that was in "the pit" geting thrashed.
' Two things I remember their DI's saying was " Faster you %^^&! I don't want to hear anything but 63 #% sucking wind!" Then another one was yelling " Just think,, there is a mile of $^&%& on this Island and you #$%^^ ain't getting an inch!!"
The first instance was when we went over to the main Parade Deck for some reason. We used to carry our ponchos rolled up and attached to the back of our cartridge belts with two "boot Bands". One of mine came up missing and my poncho came lose and started dragging, so I was trying to hold it up. WE got to our destination and Im standing there trying to hold this now open poncho around my waist without drawing attention from the DI.
Of course he saw it and allowed how I looked like a little B$%th trying to hold up my skirt. At the same time a WM platoon was marching by and he ordered me to go fall in with them.
Needless to say the female DI chased my ass off and the two DIs had a great deal of sport making me run back and forth, much top the merrment of both platoons.
The other incident I remember is going to Dental real early and passing A WM platoon that was in "the pit" geting thrashed.
' Two things I remember their DI's saying was " Faster you %^^&! I don't want to hear anything but 63 #% sucking wind!" Then another one was yelling " Just think,, there is a mile of $^&%& on this Island and you #$%^^ ain't getting an inch!!"
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Capt Tom Brown
1stSgt Eugene Harless I went through MCRD San Diego so never had any personal experiences such as yourself. But, coincidently enough, once while my plt was taking a short break, I overheard our two DIs talking and one was remembering his days at PI, either as a recruit or a DI, couldn't tell which. But the thing is he made the same comment as you about 'a mile....' as he recalled a female DI chewing out her platoon. So that is the first time I have heard that repeated by anyone in 50 yrs. I believed it at the time and even more so now..
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MAJ Raymond Haynes
Sgt Hall, That is why you will always be a United States Marine. It was an honor to read your post, and a sad day for my beloved Corps when you left active duty. Smooth seas and fair winds for the remainder of your journeys
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SFC Michael D.
1stSgt Eugene Harless - Wow that last part is just totally rediculous. There is no need to degrade a person to teach them something. And your situation with the pancho. I've seen that so many times happen to some young private and I would just tell them "Private, fix that shit". If I had time they may have to drop and give me twenty but that was the end of it. People don't realize that you may be deployed with one of those young soldiers one day and they may save your life. Or not..............
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It is a tragedy. I am sure it will be covered and published in the Marine Corps times and on rallypoint. I didn't know this kind of hazing still existed. In Army basic training 22 years ago drill sergeants did not hit recruits. The Hazing that they gave was tone down significantly after the shark attack days of the first week. It's too bad this small group of drill instructors were allowed to do this. I am sure ninety-nine percent of Marine drill instructors are the best example of a good Marine.
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