The idea of having your wings pounded into your chest is a long tradition. I know it is a play on words - but I'll bring it up in any case. You guys keep saying "YOU broke them" I take this to mean that you were wearing them and OTHERS pounded you on the chest so many times that the wings eventually broke in half. So in essence - others broke them - you didn't sit there and bend them back and forth in your fingers until they broke did you? This is what happened to mine and I still have them and will problably mount them here in a year or so to remind myself of the good times left behind Even in the video of my SOFT winging - the CO chastises my roommate for hitting me in the chest and he says "ha, ha, ha - just don't do that when you get the real wings" (kill joy)

In any case - for those that didn't have their wings broken - it likely came from the extinction of the act when HAZING became such a big deal in the military quite a few years ago and no form of HAZING in allowed - this includes the pounding of the wings onto your chest by your fellow aviators - or in the case of airborne or others who gain airborne qualification, the infamous 'Bloodwinging" of Marine Recon from a few years back in time.
Heck - even the hosing down with water and fire extinguishers after your last flight makes the radar screen sometimes. It shouldn't be a big deal - but some have made it a big deal and others have taken a time honored tradition and abused it and taken it too far and now you have to look over your shoulder every time and hope that someone important isn't going to take offense.

USMCFLYR