Quote Originally Posted by sandbag View Post
...We used to beat Soldiers when I enlisted, but we stopped because it's just a plain stupid thing to do.
I first enlisted in the USMC in 1949, went to Parris Island. Not then noted as a vacation spot -- but beating troops was illegal. Totally -- and it did not happen in my observation.

Then I enlisted in the Army in 1956. Beating troops was illegal. Did someone go off the rails occasionally and lose his temper? Yeah, and more than one lost stripes over it. Generally, it did not happen and the better the unit, the less likely it was to occur. Stayed that way for the next 27 years 'til I hung up the war suit and the further 18 I was a DAC in close proximity to the working Army. If they were being beaten when you came in, you must be really old...
I guess the whole point of the exercise is that we as an Army should be constantly looking for ways to make things better for our people. If we're going to go down the road that only certain groups of people are worthy of respect and good treatment (regardless of rank, folks; tough, but I know we can do it!), how are we going to get people to do the jobs that aren't deemed worthy?
In my opinion, no one really went that far. He sniveled and sniveling will draw flies. Always has in my observation. Bitching is okay, sniveling gets flak. Difference? In the eye of the reader or listener. Solution? Try to avoid even coming close to it.

That seems to apply regardless of branch, experience, rank or whatever.