West Point to ban pillow fight event

The superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy disclosed Wednesday that he would ban pillow fights like the one in August that left two dozen freshmen cadets with concussions and six with other injuries.

The pillow fights at West Point, N.Y., have long served as a way for new cadets to build camaraderie at the beginning of their grueling plebe year. But the event three months ago appeared to set records for aggression.

The wounds included a fractured cheek and a broken nose. The latter was caused, an Army investigation said, by the helmet one cadet was wearing “rotating forward and striking him in the nose” after he was struck by a pillow. Another cadet was found unconscious.

In addition, the superintendent, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., said in a statement that the academy was pursuing unspecified administrative disciplinary measures against those involved in the fights, including “senior military members and cadets alike.” Caslen did not identify or provide ranks of those who could be punished but said he intended “to send a clear message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

The Army investigation said the pillow fights dated to 2001, but congressional testimony suggested they dated back more than a century.

Cadets said in interviews that in at least a few cases, helmets or other “hard objects” were stuffed into pillowcases, which would help explain the number of concussions. The Army report confirmed that one video showed a cadet striking another “with a pillow case that clearly contained a hard object and knocking him to the ground.”