Originally Posted by
Tweetdrvr
Breaking of Wings Ceremony
Since man started flying, he has taken to the air with a certain amount of risk. To counter that risk, a tradition was established years ago when the Army Air Corps first started issuing pilot wings to their young aviators. This tradition is called “Breaking of Wings.” At every Undergraduate Pilot Training graduation, the Air Force issues the pilots their first pair of wings. As tradition has it, that first pair of wings should never be worn by the pilot. To bring good luck, the pilot should break the wings into two parts. One half should be kept by the pilot, the other half should be given to the pilot’s best friend or relative. To preserve the good luck, the two halves should never be brought together while the pilot is still alive. After death, the two halves are once again united with the pilot for good luck in the next life.
That is actually very nice - but not a Navy/Marine tradition that I'm aware of at least in recent times. Leave it to the Sea Services to take something like that and turn it into brute force and pain
USMCFLYR