'Racial Thursdays' Alleged at Alaska Army Base, Report Says | World Defense

'Racial Thursdays' Alleged at Alaska Army Base, Report Says

Redheart

SENIOR MEMBER
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
1,239
Reactions
319 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
'Racial Thursdays' Alleged at Alaska Army Base, Report Says - NBC News

The U.S. Army has reportedly opened an inquiry into an alleged practice among some soldiers in Alaska of holding "Racial Thursdays" — when racial slurs were allowed without consequences.

The Army Times reported the allegations from two anonymous soldiers at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in an article posted online Wednesday evening.

U.S. Army Alaska spokesman Lt. Col. Alan Brown confirmed to NBC News that a complaint was made and he said the command launched an investigation late last week. "There are allegations, and like any type of allegations of something like this, we take it very seriously," Brown said. "That's exactly what the command has done very quickly."

Brown said he was not aware of any other complaints of the behavior alleged in the report. "The nature of those allegations are not at all commonplace about how soldiers behave and how they're treated up here," he said.

The soldiers told the Army Times that the practice was considered a "tradition" and that although it was forbidden it still goes on. The Army Times reported that the platoon allegedly involved is part of a unit that is part of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

Chinese-American Danny Chen was also assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division before he apparently committed suicide while deployed with that unit in Afghanistan in 2011, the military has said. Chen's family has said he was subjected to hazing and abuse by other soldiers, NBC New York reported.

Eight soldiers were court martialed. Two received prison sentences, two were discharged, and others were demoted and docked pay.

Brown said the recent inquiry "is in no way connected" with Chen, and that there have been several leadership changes in the years since his death
 

vegito12

MEMBER
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
349
Reactions
41 0 0
Country
New Zealand
Location
New Zealand
Racial slurs or talks can be hurtful as, the person will be angry and can react in a violent manner so you got to be careful with how you talk and what you say as it can be hurful to the other person if you are not careful. So it looks like, it was happening on thursdays and now that it is being investigated will be seen who else is involved in this and others will know not to do this. Let's hope it is done well and anyone even if they are a higher up will be investigated, as they may tend to try to do the blame game.
 

Scorpion

THINK TANK: SENIOR
Joined
Nov 27, 2014
Messages
3,868
Reactions
3,197 56 0
Country
Saudi Arabia
Location
Saudi Arabia
If something that is going to destroy the US is the amount of racism growing in it.
 

DancingLady

MEMBER
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Messages
125
Reactions
18 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
I am glad they dealt with it the way they did. Deliberate racism should never be tolerated. The members of our military already deal with so much, they deserve to be respected to matter what their race or background. You never know who might have already dealt with severe bullying from early childhood and still be struggling with self esteem. Whether or not this tradition contributed to Chen's suicide, the correlation should get our attention. Far too many members of the military commit suicide as it is.
 

kana_marie

MEMBER
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
273
Reactions
45 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
I doubt this will be the popular opinion, but it seems like if it were that big of an issue they would have gotten more than 2 complaints,(unless I read that wrong). Maybe the soldiers stationed there find are accustomed to it... Or maybe it's all in good fun and they do it to lighten the mood. There are racial slurs for EVERY race. Theres no way can some people aren't falling victim to it. My friends and I use to make fun of each other's race on Thursdays... And every other day of the week. Until you are there witnessing it yourself I don't think it's right to commend OR condone it.
 

gmckee1985

MEMBER
Joined
Jan 23, 2015
Messages
97
Reactions
17 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
I really don't understand the overwhelming focus on race in some quarters these days. Growing up, I never even thought about it. Had friends and acquaintances from all races. Never uttered racial slurs. Now I'm seeing a growing focus on race, as an increase in hostilities between the races. It's really bizarre to me. As it is something as a young person I've never really experienced.
 

jeremy2

MEMBER
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
84
Reactions
13 0 0
Country
Kenya
Location
Kenya
Racism exists in America and other European countries as well. That such vice can be tolerated within the confines of the highly military facilities is rather embarrassing. Immediate action should be taken against the culprits and whoever is found complicit should be made to face the full face of the law.
 

westmixxin

MEMBER
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
65
Reactions
5 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
All the different bases in Alaska have been known to do some incredibly outrageous things and that's simply because they are in such a remote location that they feel like they can do whatever they want. I remember a woman reported that she was repeatedly raped over and over again by her supervising officer in one of the bases and Alaska.
 

wahmed

MEMBER
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
45
Reactions
5 0 0
Country
United Kingdom
Location
United Kingdom
I'm sure this did not make the team cohesive at all. Racial slurs can be offensive and hurtful. They are things that need to be abolished not promoted in this manner. It may be funny to most people but some will get hurt. When it boils down to it we are all humans in the end.
 

Rowe992

MEMBER
Joined
Feb 6, 2015
Messages
279
Reactions
40 0 0
Country
Belize
Location
Belize
Well that is a dumb idea if it is proven to be true. Why would you offend your fellow soldiers when soldiers depend on having a strong bond and understanding when they go to war? Couldn't they come up with something which is positive like culture Thursdays or something?
 

DeltaForce103

THINK TANK
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
145
Reactions
62 2 0
Country
India
Location
India
Racial slurs, regardless of your views on their usage, fall under the category of insults. You can't predict the impact they can have on an individual and their psyche. Allowing a recurring day where people are encouraged to use racial slurs against each other, if it isn't obvious enough, is essentially condoning verbal and psychological abuse.
 

wahmed

MEMBER
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
45
Reactions
5 0 0
Country
United Kingdom
Location
United Kingdom
Well that is a dumb idea if it is proven to be true. Why would you offend your fellow soldiers when soldiers depend on having a strong bond and understanding when they go to war? Couldn't they come up with something which is positive like culture Thursdays or something?

I think that using this method will only result in the army getting worse rather than better. It will cause resentment and in a situation where they need to help each other things could turn horribly horribly wrong because if harboured resentment
 
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
184
Reactions
40 1 0
Country
Euro
Location
Euro
Ahh the lovely political correctness... the way I see this is that a soldier offended another soldier. It's just ridiculous in the US army these days... I don't know what it was like in the US army back in the day but in certain other units if a soldier would have a problem with another one (due to such comments or anything else) you would just go to the gym, put on a pair of boxing gloves and sort it out. Or just take the rank badges off and sort it out right there and then. Get a few punches in, shake hands at the end. Takes 10 minutes and gets the job done.

Now it's a 6 month investigation that is being followed on national media. Just a waste of time and resources because 2 guys need all this assistance to take care of an insult.
 

kana_marie

MEMBER
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
273
Reactions
45 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
Ahh the lovely political correctness... the way I see this is that a soldier offended another soldier. It's just ridiculous in the US army these days... I don't know what it was like in the US army back in the day but in certain other units if a soldier would have a problem with another one (due to such comments or anything else) you would just go to the gym, put on a pair of boxing gloves and sort it out. Or just take the rank badges off and sort it out right there and then. Get a few punches in, shake hands at the end. Takes 10 minutes and gets the job done.

Now it's a 6 month investigation that is being followed on national media. Just a waste of time and resources because 2 guys need all this assistance to take care of an insult.[/

I agree 100%. Why would they want to coddle our soldiers and then send them off to fight a war? What's going to happen on the battle field when someone calls them a name? Also, shouldn't someone ask a the other soldiers how they feel about it before possibly making a mountain out of a mole hill?
 

JPB_003

MEMBER
Joined
Mar 30, 2015
Messages
50
Reactions
9 0 0
Country
USA
Location
USA
I agree, I don't see this as a big deal. It is a way to release any tensions between groups living together. You are people who have likely fought in a war, but need sensitivity training!?! If the majority is fine with it, I don't see the problem. A lot of people will disagree of course.
 
Top