Blood Pinning - A Rite of Passage
Taiwan Naval Underwater Operation Brigade Training Class No. 115
ABOVE: Author’s Collection. Cold War patch for Taiwan Navy Salvage Diver Unit.
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12 March 2025 (Wednesday)
Blood Pinning - A Rite of Passage
Taiwan Naval Underwater Operation Brigade Training Class No. 115 (2025-02-27)
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - This is not a “special forces” unit per se, but a Taiwan navy unit training for a variety of underwater missions, including salvaging and underwater demolition.
This unit should not be confused with the Taiwan Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Group (Amphibious Reconnaissance Patrol I/II) nor the Army’s Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion 101 (Army Frogmen).
You will notice the “blood pinning” where the graduates have the unit insignia that is attached to the uniform, forced into the bare skin of the chest causing bleeding. This is a common tradition in a variety of military special units around the world, including Taiwan’s ARB/ARP graduation.
Those photographs will be provided first, then the training photographs. These photographs were made available by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) via the Military News Agency (MNA).
You will note that a woman graduated from this unit and was also “pinned” with the insignia. The U.S. military banned “blood pinning” after allegations it was a form of hazing by outside civilian groups. “Blood pinning” is considered a rite of passage and goes back to World War II for many military units who are designated special operations.
Those who find “blood pinning” primitive and/or infantile are neither “special” or “informed” of what it takes mentally and physically to graduate from a discipline that confronts death directly.
All 44 photographs below are available for use to write academic papers/books/articles.
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