Crossing the Equator

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

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Is this going to be as bad as I'm imagining it to be? Or is this a kinder friendlier Navy? Or is it top secret?

 

[BomberDoc]

Is this going to be as bad as I'm imagining it to be? Or is this a kinder friendlier Navy? Or is it top secret?

Heh heh... I crossed in an airplane dozens of times. It wasn't a big deal. I think the Navy does things differently, though. Say hi to King Neptune for me.

 

[deegs]

Is this going to be as bad as I'm imagining it to be? Or is this a kinder friendlier Navy? Or is it top secret?

Depends heavily on the CO, and the imagination of the senior enlisted. I've seen the gambit from pretty tame to outright hazing. Lacking any formal instruction, the line crossing ceremonies are very personality driven....

 

[Perrotfish]

Please update us as soon as you recover.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Please update us as soon as you recover.

If he learns the mysteries of the deep in an appropriate fashion, this soon-to-be Shellback will tell you nothing you slimey wog.

(seriously, that is part of the tradition and my experience was "fairly old-school" according to the HTCS I talked to later).

 

[Gastrapathy]

Depends heavily on the CO, and the imagination of the senior enlisted. I've seen the gambit from pretty tame to outright hazing. Lacking any formal instruction, the line crossing ceremonies are very personality driven....

There is an instruction (if you ever have to help set this up). Its from 2nd fleet. The biggest thing is they want to see what you're planning to do and you have to tell them if you have any injuries (DON'T, even if you do).

Oh, and one piece of advice for Mr. Big. You'll write a number on your shirt for the number of years you were in the Navy. The higher the number, the better you are treated so I'd recommend counting those 4 years from HPSP. 😉

 

[colbgw02]

If you guys don't explain this, then I'm just going to keep assuming it's some sort of actualization of a collective homoerotic fantasy.

 

[Two-Bit]

If you have to ask, you don't need to know.

 

[Milamber]

There will be uses for hot sauce and ketchup like you have never seen before in your LIFE!

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

You've all pretty much affirmed what I'm expecting. Bring it!

 

[orbitsurgMD]

You've all pretty much affirmed what I'm expecting. Bring it!

Then you can look forward to being a bluenose.

 

[TX_NFS]

I know this is a relatively old topic, but an episode for the "Carrier" mini-series on PBS seems to also talk about this ... ceremony.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/the_film_episode_descriptions.htm
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Episode 7, "Rites of Passage".
The last day in the Gulf is the last chance to drop bombs before the Nimitz heads home. The jets take off, laden with ordnance, and return hours later, still carrying the same bombs. As the Nimitz crosses the equator, the entire ship takes part in the Crossing the Line Ceremony, an ancient maritime ritual. In the middle of flight operations, a storm arises in the South Indian Ocean. The deck pitches violently, turning the already dangerous task of landing on the carrier into a nail-biting, heart-pounding drama.
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At least where I live, it will be airing on Thursday. But fear not! If one misses it (like I have with the entire series so far), the full episodes are also online...though for how long, I have no clue.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/full_episodes.htm

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

I looked it up. Sounds bad.

 

[Mirror Form]

I have a hard time beleiving that the O-3 physician is going to get hazed the same as the privates. Afterall, you have so many options for revenge.

 

[Kingfisher]

I have a hard time beleiving that the O-3 physician is going to get hazed the same as the privates. Afterall, you have so many options for revenge.

Even if you are the "Old Man" (CO of the ship) you will go through the same ceremony and treated the same as the lowest of wogs. Unless he/she decides to hide away in his/her stateroom. Everything is "optional", so you don't have to play if you don't want to. Of course, nothing will destroy any chance of building comraderie and being labeled a wuss faster than trying to slime out of the hazing.

 

[Kingfisher]

Then you can look forward to being a bluenose.

I think I still have shrinkage.

 

[TX_NFS]

Oops, the episode showed today. Still will be online by tomorrow though.

 

[Gastrapathy]

.

 

[SirGecko]

Anyone know what kind of proof one can get for this? I became a shellback last summer but as an NROTC Midshipman I really don't know what kind of proof I can get for it. I've heard of people being assumed to be a wog again even though they have become a shellback before because it was improperly documented.

 

[BlueIsis]

You need the scroll signed by King Neptune.

 

[Candlemaker]

Is this going to be as bad as I'm imagining it to be? Or is this a kinder friendlier Navy? Or is it top secret?

It was ten years ago when I crossed the equator and the Greenwich Meridian. We didn't do anything different. No hazing, nothing. We were in a hurry though due to some coup d’état in the Zaire- typical Wednesday. I did get the Emerald Shellback Certificate though.

Seven months prior to that when my unit crossed the Arctic Circle, they had the festivities. I missed it all. I flew in to the destination advance party. So no blue nose for me.

BTW, I was USMC riding on Gators.

 

[FNU LNU]

I crossed the equator as a midshipman too. Luckily for me, the CO of the carrier was a wog and they had just integrated women into the ship's crew so no shelaighies or other really weird stuff. Anyway, just get in touch with the ship's officer that was coordinating midshipmen activities. He should be able to have admin make out a certificate for you and just send it through the mail.