Horse Playing in the Army

Horse play is defined as Rowdy or boisterous play; gay or light hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement, typical on many construction sites between fellow workers, usually within a familiar team or crew and can often result in unintentional physical harm. Some other common names used for horse play are goofing off, playing around, and rough housing. There is a very thin line between harmless play and dangerous horse play. In most situations, even the most seemingly harmless joke or action can result in serious injury or worse. To safety conscious companies, horse play can be defined as any distracting or frivolous activity deviating from the task at hand. Horse playing no matter what you might call it, is wrong. Yes it is fun but it is also dangerous, it can lead to problems such as rivalry, hate crimes and even death. What might have started as “horse play” for two people could end up as something more than what you might want.
Just about 80% of the time during horse play, one of the people involved ends up getting angry, and with what just started as horseplay ends in a fight or someone getting injured. If you Google "horse playing in school" you will see many accounts of how horse playing has led to serious injury and even death. Some of the victims had absolutely nothing to do with the incident. A student trying to walk past others who are just horse playing is just as likely to be injured like the people involved in the horse play.
Horse playing in the Army can make not just one soldier look bad, but the Army as a whole. Horse playing in uniform can make you look very unprofessional. It will make you look like less of a leader and make you look childish and unfit for the Army. One day here at Echo Company, everyone got into a lot of trouble because two soldiers decided to piggy back and horse play in formation. It made the whole company look undisciplined and as if we had poor leadership. In most jobs in the army, horse play could cause a lot of soldiers to lose their lives. There is no place in the army where horse playing is okay. The army is a place where a lot of weapons are used, if soldiers were to horse play wile weapons are being used they could take their innocent battle buddies’ lives or even their own life. Avoid practical jokes or other behavior which might confuse, startle or distract other soldiers.
In summary, I have learned how Horse playing could not only cause people to lose their lives, make you look unprofessional and childish, but can even make the Army as a whole look bad. Horse playing should be left to children. I have learned that it is not okay to horse play with my battle buddies and I will not do it again because that may lead to worse consequences and could really hurt someone.