West Point Bans Annual Pillow Fight After 24 Cadets Found to Have Concussions

— -- What started as a lighthearted tradition meant to build camaraderie, transformed into chaos on Aug. 20 when the United States Military Academy at West Point’s annual pillow fight turned bloody, leaving 30 freshmen injured, investigators said Wednesday.

Nicknamed “plebes,” first-year students are responsible for organizing the pillow fight, held almost every year since 2001.

The list of injuries at this past gathering, included a broken nose, fractured cheek and 24 concussions.

The investigators stated in the report, that one cadet was knocked unconscious before the pillow fight ended and was treated by a certified emergency medical technician.

The unconscious student may have been the victim of what is called a “Blue Falcon” move. A maneuver where cadets are hit from behind and knocked to the ground, the investigation explained.

“Many injuries were the result of cadets having been hit by elbows or other body parts during the scuffle of the pillow fight or from simply falling or being knocked to the ground,” the report said, adding that several participants wore body armor and helmets to the fight.

But, military police say that one cadet is facing discipline after he was seen striking another with a hard object inside a pillow case. The victim of his crime did not receive medical attention at the time, the release stated.

Administrators listed on the report said, the event will no longer take place because of insufficient planning, lack of supervision from upper class men and insufficient communication by academy leaders.

Both senior military members and cadets will be punished for failing to live by the army’s values, the release said.