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LIMITED HUGS CROP UP IN ARMY
NOAH SHACHTMAN, DANGER ROOM - Man-on-man touching is not exactly
encouraged in the U.S. armed forces. But, in the Pentagon, at least,
there's been a sudden outbreak of all-male embraces; the boys in the
five-sided building have started hugging.
"During my first tour of duty in the Pentagon, from the middle of 2002
through the end of 2004, there was no such phenomenon," says Danger Room
pal Lt. Col. Bob Bateman. "Although the 'guy hug' had become fairly
common in the civilian world (I suspect it leaked over from professional
sports) by the late '80s and early '90s, mine is a somewhat more
restrained sub-culture. Indeed, there are aspects of Army culture that
are clear throw-backs to the 1950s."
"So why the sudden change in the Pentagon? Why has our culture made this
leap? . . . There are certain rules that seem to apply, and I should
note that I am speaking only of what I have seen, and that is only
within the Army.
"Rule #1: A hug is only appropriate between two men who have not seen
each other in at least a year. It only occurs on the first meeting of
those two after such a gap.
"Rule #2: During that period one or both of them have been to combat in
Iraq or Afghanistan. Neither has died or was crippled beyond repair.
Both now know too many who have been so.
"Rule #3: The hug occurs in conjunction with a forearm gripped
handshake. It is brief. Right arm in shake, left arm over the other
man's shoulder, two or three hearty slaps or punches to the back. No
more. Release. The sentiment is as direct as the action, 'I am glad you
are not dead.'"
http://blog.wired.com/defense/
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LIMITED HUGS CROP UP IN ARMY
NOAH SHACHTMAN, DANGER ROOM - Man-on-man touching is not exactly
encouraged in the U.S. armed forces. But, in the Pentagon, at least,
there's been a sudden outbreak of all-male embraces; the boys in the
five-sided building have started hugging.
"During my first tour of duty in the Pentagon, from the middle of 2002
through the end of 2004, there was no such phenomenon," says Danger Room
pal Lt. Col. Bob Bateman. "Although the 'guy hug' had become fairly
common in the civilian world (I suspect it leaked over from professional
sports) by the late '80s and early '90s, mine is a somewhat more
restrained sub-culture. Indeed, there are aspects of Army culture that
are clear throw-backs to the 1950s."
"So why the sudden change in the Pentagon? Why has our culture made this
leap? . . . There are certain rules that seem to apply, and I should
note that I am speaking only of what I have seen, and that is only
within the Army.
"Rule #1: A hug is only appropriate between two men who have not seen
each other in at least a year. It only occurs on the first meeting of
those two after such a gap.
"Rule #2: During that period one or both of them have been to combat in
Iraq or Afghanistan. Neither has died or was crippled beyond repair.
Both now know too many who have been so.
"Rule #3: The hug occurs in conjunction with a forearm gripped
handshake. It is brief. Right arm in shake, left arm over the other
man's shoulder, two or three hearty slaps or punches to the back. No
more. Release. The sentiment is as direct as the action, 'I am glad you
are not dead.'"
http://blog.wired.com/defense/
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