That evening after final formation, Sergeant Ellery had 5th Platoon stand fast. “Specialist Wilson! Front and center!”
“Moving, Sergeant!” said Wilson enthusiastically, taking one step backwards out of his squad line and then double timing to face Ellery.
“Parade, REST!” Ellery commanded as the rest of the company began to drift away for the evening.
“5th Platoon,” Ellery said loudly, “You are here after everyone else has gone home today because of Specialist Wilson. You can blame him for what happens next.” Wilson, and the rest of the platoon, looked at Ellery in confusion. Wilson NEVER got in trouble.
“Specialist Wilson,” Ellery continued, “Is out of uniform. What are we going to do about that, sir?” he called back to Lieutenant Faith.
They had rehearsed this with the other NCOs prior to formation. Faith knew his lines: “Well we better get his entire chain of command up there to fix it, Sergeant!”
“Roger that, sir. Platoon—Atten…tion!” Ellery bellowed. When the still-confused platoon snapped to rigid attention, Ellery executed a crisp about-face. Faith marched around the left side of his platoon on a position in front of Ellery. Ellery saluted and Faith returned the salute. “NCOs, take your post!” Faith ordered. This was a non-standard drill and ceremony order, but because of the rehearsal the NCOs knew what to do. The lined up behind Wilson, who was facing Faith and had no idea what was happening behind him. “Specialist Wilson,” Faith called out, “About… FACE!” Wilson executed the ordered movement and found himself face to face with a line of three men: his team leader, his squad leader, and his platoon sergeant. A smile began to creep over his face as recognition of what was happening started to sink in.
“Attention to orders,” Faith intoned, “The Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and professional excellence of the Specialist Jason A. Wilson. In view of these qualities and their demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the United States Army, they are, therefore, promoted to the rank of sergeant, effective today.” He did it from memory, with no notes.
As Faith spoke, the NCOs in front of Wilson removed the new NCO’s specialist insignia and tossed it over their shoulders. It made a faint *ting!* noise when they struck the asphalt. Sergeant Ellery motioned for Faith to join the line, and Specialist Wilson’s platoon sergeant and new platoon leader pinned on his triple-chevron insignia of a buck sergeant. Faith went to put the metal backings on the sharp pins of the insignia, but Ellery waved him off. “Not yet, sir,” he whispered.
“5th Platoon,” Ellery stated, “Fall out and join me in congratulating the Army’s newest NCO, Sergeant Jason Wilson!” The platoon erupted in cheers. Wilson was a popular and well-liked junior leader within the platoon. A line formed to congratulate Wilson. Faith was first. He exchanged salutes with Wilson and shook his hand. “Congratulations, Sergeant,” he said.
Ellery followed Faith. Faith watched as Ellery squared up to Wilson. “Are you ready, Sergeant?” he asked.
“Roger, Sarn’t,” Wilson said, enthusiastically but with a little uncertainty. The rest of the platoon seemed to know what was about to happen, even if Faith did not.
“Oh damn, you’re going to get it now!”
“Get ‘im, Sergeant Ellery!”
“Time to bring the pain!”
Without further warning, Ellery brought down both hands in a thunderous thud onto Wilson’s collar, directly onto the pins which Faith knew due to the fact that they were still in his hand, did not have the metal backs over the sharp pins.
Having experienced “blood pinning” many times in college and in Army schools, Faith imagined he felt the pins going into Wilson’s skin when he heard the whump made by Ellery’s hands. Wilson took a step back with one foot after the impact and looked a little surprised but otherwise seemed fine. Ellery popped up the collar of Wilson’s uniform and motioned for Faith. “Sir?” he asked. Faith handed over the metal pin backs and put them on the pins. He then smoothed out Wilson’s collar. “OK,” he said, beckoning to the rest of the platoon.
Having seen the walloping that Wilson just received from Ellery, most of the rest of the platoon simply shook his hand. A few, however, clapped Wilson on the collar in the same manner that Sergeant Ellery did. But with the back on the pins, the blows were harmless. For his part, Staff Sergeant David, Wilson’s squad leader, patted him lightly on the collar. “Good job, Sergeant. I’m proud of you.”
The last group of soldiers waiting to congratulate the Army’s newest sergeant was a group of specialists, Wilson’s now-former running buddies within the platoon. They were clearly planning… something.
“You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain,” one of them joked. “You are hereby excommunicated from the Spec-4 Mafia!” exclaimed another. “You’re one of them now, sergeant,” said a third. While they all tried to carry a menacing tone, it was clear that they were happy that Wilson was getting promoted. One of them went up to Wilson and began removing the backings from his sergeant rank. They clearly wanted in on the blood pinning.
“If you take those backs off after Sergeant Ellery put them on, the next thing to come off is your head,” warned Corporal Laser. After considering it for a moment, the specialist decided that discretion was the better part of valor on this issue. “You’re lucky,” he said to Wilson with a wink. “OK everyone, let’s head to the all-ranks, drinks are on Sergeant Wilson!”
“Not so fast,” said Sergeant Ellery. “Fall back in.”
After the platoon was re-assembled, Sergeant Ellery addressed the troops. “Men, this is a great occasion. I’m proud to have Sergeant Wilson as a fellow NCO. The last event to take place during an NCO promotion is a recitation of the NCO Creed. I invite all NCOs to say it with me:
“Sir, you have anything?” he asked of Faith.
“Negative, Sergeant,” Faith responded.
“Platoon… dis-missed! Make good decisions tonight. Remember the rank that the Army gives on Thursday can be taken away on Friday.”
“Sergeant Ellery fucked you up, Wilson!” Faith heard one of the specialists say as they walked off towards the all-ranks club. “That’s SERGEANT Wilson to you!” another specialist jokingly corrected.
After the promotion, Faith and Ellery headed back to their shared office to finish up a few loose ends. Faith was slightly troubled by the blood pinning. Ellery seemed like such a by-the-book kind of NCO. But blood pinning, while widespread and, honestly, even expected in the Infantry, was also specifically banned as hazing. More out of curiosity than anything else, he decided to ask Ellery about it.
“So blood pinning is a thing here?” he asked.
“Not really, sir,” Ellery responded.
“Do you worry that you might set a bad example to the troops by blood pinning someone in front of the who platoon? Or that someone might dime you out to the sergeant major over it?”
“I’ve never ‘blood pinned’ anyone in my entire life,” he countered.
“I just saw you do it, Sergeant Ellery!” Faith exclaimed.
“Did you, sir?” Ellery inquired. “If there’s nothing else, I think I’ll head home. It’s been a pretty long day. See you at PT tomorrow?”
Faith nodded.
“Never blood pinned anyone?? WTF was THAT supposed to mean?” Faith wondered as he went to the car and headed for the Officers’ Club and a much-needed beer.
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1) Blood pinning: have you done it? Have you had it done to you? Do you consider it hazing?
2) Faith clearly believes that this was hazing. What, if anything, should he do about it? Does this diminish the regard with which he formerly held Sergeant Ellery?
3) Memorizing things like promotion orders and the oath of enlistment… does it mean something to the troops or is it a waste of time?
