AWR — (Alpha Whiskey Romeo) Allah's Waiting Room. When engaged, insurgents*have a tendency to flee to the same building (the AWR), at which point the troops radio in an air strike
ATFU — Ate the Fuck Up. To be blamed with something that went wrong
BCD — Birth Control Device. Refers to the standard issue eyeglasses, generally not known for being exceptionally stylish.
BCGs — Birth Control Glasses; see BCD
BFE — (Bum Fucked Egypt) An extremely remote location
BOB — the sun. Stands for Big Orange Ball
BOG — Boots On the Ground. Number of soldiers available
BOHICA — Bend over, here it comes again
BTDT — Been There, Done That
BTDTBTTS — Been There, Done That, Bought The T-Shirt
CDAT — Computerized Dumb-Ass Tanker (in the era of modern weaponry)
CF — (Charlie Foxtrot) Cluster Fuck
DH — Darling Husband (used almost exclusively by dependent spouse types)
FISHDO — Fuck It, Shit Happens, Drive On (military equivalent of "par for the course.")
FNG — Fucking New Guy. Soldier coming to a unit straight from AIT
FODA — Fuck Off and Die Asshole //Foda is also Portuguese for fuck. When said by itself, it can have the same connotation as "Fuck off and die, asshole." This would make it a recursive slang in two languages
FTA — Fuck The Army
FUBAR — Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition/Repair
FUBIS — Fuck You, Buddy, I'm Shipping. Used toward the end of a tour of duty to indicate an attitude of general apathy and contempt. (see also FIIGMO)
FUGAZI — Fucked-up, Got Ambushed, Zipped-In (as in zipped into a body bag)
GI — Government Issue; originally used for government supplied equipment, often used by soldiers to refer to themselves
InI — Intoxication and Intercourse (also I&I). Used to specify activity during leave/time-off; see RnR
JAFO — Just Another Fucking Observer. Aviation slang for the co-pilot or observer on an aircraft
JANFU — Joint Army-Navy Fuck-up
KMAG YO-YO — Kiss My Ass, Guys, You're On Your Own
KP — Kitchen Patrol. Periodic one-day duty assignment for lower-grade soldiers to do mess hall work, ranging from helping to prepare food to cleaning out the grease traps
LPCs — Leather Personnel Carriers, or combat boots. Generally used when describing a mode of travel (i.e., "We'll be taking our LPCs over to the range.")
MRE — Meal Ready-to-Eat (sometimes referred to as "Meals Rejected by Ethiopia")
NCO — No Civilian Opportunities. This is a jab at non-commissioned officers who are said to stay in the Army because they couldn't get another job, not because they want to be soldiers or are good at their job
NDG — No Damn Good
NFG — No Fucking Good aka, busted, non functional, broken. also "new fucking guy"
NG — No Go
NPGs — No Pussy Getters; see BCD
OBE — Overcome By Events. When plans made in the past are no longer applicable in the present due to changes in conditions
POG — 1) People Other than Grunts (US Army Infantry) or 2) Permanently On the Ground (US Air Force, US Naval Aviation and US Army Aviation)
PCP — "Pork Chop Platoon" Physical Conditioning Platoon
REMF — Rear-Echelon Mother Fucker. A term of derision used by front-line soldiers to describe those in cushy jobs in the rear
RHIP — Rank Hath Its Privileges
RLO — Regular Line Officer
ROAD — Retired On Active Duty (i.e., "ROAD warrior)
RnR — Rest and Relaxation (also R&R). Used to specify activity during leave/timeoff; as in, "I need a little RnR."
SNAFU — Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
SOS — Shit On a Shingle. Creamed chipped beef on toast/biscuit, a breakfast staple. Can also be Same Old Shit
SSDD — Same Shit, Different Day
SSND — Same Shit, New Day
SST — Slang for the vehicle used to remove human waste from the Port-A-Potties meaning "Shit-Sucking Truck."
SWAG — Scientific Wild-Ass Guess. A close approximation
TAMFR-This Ain't My First Rodeo. Often used by newly promoted captains
TWAT — Tanker Without A Tank. Used for tankers who are performing infantry duties. Mainly used by Infantry in Iraq.
WOJG — Warrant Officer, Junior Grade. Informal reference to lowest grade of Warrant Officer (WO1). Also called "spot" or "crouton" because of the insignia of grade (a single black square on a silver bar.)
WOPA — Warrant Officer Protection Agency. An informal tongue-in-cheek reference to the fraternal tendencies of the Warrant Officer Corps.
WTF — Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (What The Fuck)
Branch Acronyms[]
ARMY — Ain't Really Marines Yet
MARINE — Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Essential
MARINE — Math and Reading Is Not Essential
MARINE — My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment
NAVY — Never Again Volunteer Yourself
US ARMY — Uncle Sam Ain't Released Me Yet
US ARMY — Uncle Sam Ass Raped Me Yesterday
USMC — Uncle Sam's Misguided Children
USMC — U Suckers Missed Christmas
USMC — U Signed the Mother-fuckin' Contract
USMC — University of Science and Mystical Culture
USMC — U Suck My Cock
YMRASU — Yes, My Retarded Ass Signed Up (US Army backwards)
Ranks[]
1-Star — A Brigadier General, who has a single silver star for their insignia
2-Star — A Major General, who has a two silver stars for their insignia
3-Star — A Lieutenant General, who has a three silver stars for their insignia
4-Star — A General, who has a four silver stars for their insignia
Bird Colonel — A full Colonel, from the eagle insignia of grade, to distinguish from the one-grade-lower Lieutenant Colonel, whose insignia is a silver leaf; also known as a "Full-Bird" Colonel, or simply, a "Full Bull"
Black Diamond — A first sergeant, for the black diamond between the chevrons and rockers of subdued rank (Army)
Black Hat — Airborne Instructor
Brass, Brass Hats — Colonels and Generals
Butter Bar — A Second Lieutenant, as well as their rank insignia; from the appearance of the yellow rectangle of the rank
Buck Sergeant — Sergeant (E-5) [Army], Sergeant (E-4) [Air Force — until the rank as eliminated in the 1990s]
Cherry — New recruit or private; see E-fuzzy.
Chicken in a Frypan — A Specialist (E-4) rank insignia, which has an eagle inside a shield
Chief — The unofficial form of address for any Warrant Officer (CW-2 to CW-5)
Company-grade (officer) — The ranks of Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, and Captain
Command Sergeant Major — E-9, most senior enlisted rank. Senior enlisted in all units from battalion up. Acts as the senior enlisted advisor to the unit commander (LTC, COL, BG, MG, LTG)
Command Specialist Major — Corporals (Specialist and Corporal are both E-4s, but Corporals are NCOs, and Specialists are just enlisted.)
E-Fuzzy — With the introduction of the ACU, used to describe an E-1 Private. There is no rank insignia for an E-1, and as the ACU's rank patch is velcro and goes on the chest, E-1s have the fuzzy velcro exposed.
Enlisted Personnel (man or woman) — Generic term for anyone who is not a Warrant Officer or commissioned officer
Field-grade (officer) — The ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel
First Lieutenant, Second Award — A Captain, so named because the insignia of grade consists of two parallel silver bars
First Daddy — First Sergeant
First Shirt — First Sergeant
Fresh Meat — Second Lieutenant, The lowest Officer grade.
Full-Bird Colonel — See Bird Colonel, above
Full-Bird Private — Specialist, from the eagle on the Specialist's insignia patch; similar to Full-Bird Colonel, see above
Full Bull — see Bird Colonel, above
Grade — Pay-grade of military personnel, currently E-1 — E-9 for enlisted personnel, W-1 — W-5 for Warrant Officers, O-1 — O-10 for Officers; each grade may translate to several ranks; i.e., Grade E-4 may be a Corporal (command position) or Specialist (Spec-4) (non-command)
Half-Track Captain — First Lieutenant, who has a single silver bar for an insignia
Hard Stripes — Used to describe Corporal (CPL) stripes
Hershey Bar — Second Lieutenant, due to the single gold bar they have for an insignia (see Fresh Meat above)
Light Bird — Lieutenant Colonel; contrast with Bird Colonel, above
Light Colonel — Lieutenant Colonel; contrast with Full-Bird Colonel, above
Mosquito Wings — E-2 rank insignia (Army and Air Force)
Platoon Daddy — Refers to the Platoon Sergeant, who is the lead NCO in a platoon
Private Major — Private or Specialist who tries to act with authority they do not have
Private Velcro — E-1 rank initially had no Velcro tab for the ACU uniform to cover the exposed loops, soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood referred to themselves by this name; i.e., "PFC? No, I'm a Private Velcro".
Rank — Named title of soldier with a particular grade and responsibility, such as Private, Specialist, Staff Sergeant, Captain, etc; see also grade, above
Recruit — New soldier in training, esp. basic training; once the description of the lowest rank, which is now simply Private
Sergeant Major — The First Sergeant's wife or an E-9 staff position (see Command Sergeant Major)
Slick Sleeve — Private E-1. Had no rank insignia on sleeve
Sham Shield — Specialist rank insignia, derived from Specialists typically receiving less work than other lower enlisted, as well as the shield-like shape of the rank insignia
Short Colonel — Older reference to a Lieutenant Colonel, esp. when casually discussing Unit Organization
Smaj — Sergeant Major
Smoke — Platoon Sergeant (Artillery)
Spec 4-ever — Soldiers of the rank of Specialist (E4) referring to the extended length of time at this rank prior to promotion to Sergeant; i.e., "I'm going to be a Spec 4-ever."
Spec 4 Mafia — Group of Specialists who use unorthodox methods to help NCOs improve soldiers that are deficient in their duties
Top — A First Sergeant (E-8), who is the top ranking NCO in a company size unit.
Top Kick — First Sergeant
Train Tracks — Captain's rank insignia (it looks like two pieces of railroad track)
Wobbly One — Warrant Officer First-grade, WO1
Equipment[]
Battle-Rattle — Combat gear
BCGs — Birth Control Glasses — The 50's style black or brown horn-rimmed glasses that were formerly standard issue, currently still standard issue in basic training. Named for their ability to make anyone sexually unattractive.
Brown Round — Drill Sergeant's hat
Brain Bucket — Kevlar Helmet. See Kevlar
Bunk — bunk bed
C-Rations or C-Rats — Field rations used during 1970s and 1980s (replaced by MREs)
Catch Me Fuck Me Glasses — Sleek-looking durable military glasses available through military specialty stores. The name comes from the Army term "high speed" for a good soldier; i.e. the soldier is so high speed you have to catch him to fuck him. Also known as "fuck me go faster" glasses.
Chocolate Chips — The 5-color variety of desert color BDU's
Chrome Dome — Chrome plated parade helmet.
Civvies — Civilian clothing
Class-A Uniform — The dress uniform (jacket and tie) sometimes worn in office-type work, always when wearing a uniform on leave
Class-As — Class-A dress uniform
Cracker Box — An ambulance mounted on a pick-up truck frame
Cunt Cap — A garrison cap or flight cap, due to its shape
Dash-Ten — An operator's manual for any piece of military equipment, vehicle or aircraft; all operator's manuals' reference numbers end in "-10."
Deuce — Common utility truck (2-1/2 ton truck; from "deuce-and-a-half"); same as "six-by"
Digitals — The new ACU and MARPAT digital camouflage uniforms, which consists of a pattern of pixelated squares
Dome of Obedience — Slang for a Kevlar helmet
Donkey Dick — Slang for the flexible metal hose that fits in the 5 gallon metal fuel cans
Farmer Armor — See Hillbilly Armor
Fart Sack — A sleeping bag
Fast-Mover — A jet aircraft, especially one equipped to make bombing and/or strafing runs
Fatigue Jacket — The shirt of the fatigue uniform; the outer jacket is called a "field jacket"
Fatigues — An archaic term for the work/combat uniform
Flak Jacket — A vest first introduced in WWII for bomber crews, designed to protect the torso against shrapnel
Full Battle-Rattle — The complete set of combat gear
Gay Pride Ribbon — The rainbow colored Army Service Ribbon awarded to everyone who graduates basic training. Also known as the "Thank you for stopping my basic training" Ribbon
Gore-Tex — The camouflaged, hooded outer jacket which has largely replaced the traditional field jacket, so named because of the material used in construction
Hillbilly Armor — Improvised vehicle armor
John Wayne Bar — Chocolate and toffee candy bar found in C-Rations/MREs
John Wayne Key — A small handheld manual field can opener. Commonly referred to as a "P-38". jdm.
John Wayne Toilet Paper — Standard issue toilet paper found in latrines and heads on every U.S. military base around the world. Comes from the filked advertisement, "John Wayne Toilet Paper. It's rough. It's tough. And it won't take *shit* off nobody".
Jump Boots — Combat boots with a capped toe and a flat sole developed for Airborne troops in WWII. Jump boots are generally worn in one of two situations: 1) By Airborne personnel in lieu of "low quarters" with the Class-A/dress uniform; or 2) By "legs" (see below) with their everyday utility uniforms. Most present-day paratroopers prefer jungle boots or standard infantry boots for everyday wear, especially for parachute operations
K-Pot — The ground troops' ballistic helmet; a contraction of "Kevlar" and "pot," the material it is constructed from and an archaic term for helmet, respectively
K-Rations or K-Rats — Field rations used during WI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam (replaced by C-Rations)
Kevlar — See K-Pot, above
Ma Deuce — The Browning .50 caliber machine gun; from the weapon's M2 designation
Mess Dress Uniform — Formal uniforms that look similar to tuxedos
Mickey Mouse Boots — 1) A WWII Army term for the early issue lined combat boots; 2) Inflatable black or white rubber boots used for very extreme cold weather, mostly in Fort Drum, Fort Carson, in Germany, and in Korea
MRE Bomb — Using the chemical heating pouches from a field ration MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) by inserting them into a bottle, adding water and/or glowstick fluid and closing the cap. The bottle eventually expands and explodes. Can be left inside portajohn tanks and a number of other locations as a prank
Ninja Suit — Black insulating underwear issued when deploying to OIF/OEF that consists of long sleeve shirt and pants.
P-38 — Can opener included in C-Rations and K-Rations
Pig — An M-60 machine gun
Pisser, Piss-Tube — Urinal
Pussy Pad — A foam bed roll, used for sleeping on the ground. Named so since tough soldiers supposedly didn't need it.
Rubber Duck — A non-functioning rubber and metal M16 rifle replica, used for training where a functioning weapon is not needed.
Salad, Fruit Salad — Ribbons and medals, named for the color differences, just like a salad
Shitter — Toilet
Steel Pot — Old style steel helmet & plastic liner helmet system that was used from WWII to the 90's before being phased out by the Kevlar helmet.
Tanker Boots — Combat boots that close with straps and a buckle instead of laces
Thought Suppressor — Joke term for the kevlar helmet
Tool of Democracy — Joke name for the M-16 rifle.
Personnel[]
11 Body-Bag, 11 Bullet-Catcher, 11 Bang-Bang, 11 Boom-Boom, 11 Bush — terms for MOS 11B, Infantry Rifleman, sometimes used pejoratively by other soldiers
11 Chump — Term for MOS 11C, Mortarmen, refers to the idea that only a chump would carry heavy mortar equipment; usually used by 11B and 19D (Cavalry Scouts)
12 Bang-Bang — Slang for MOS 12B, Combat Engineer, who was attached to a unit without heavy or medium equipment (earth movers, trucks or tracks, etc.) & would operate much like a light Infantry unit
5-Jump Chump — A soldier who graduated from the US Army Airborne School with five qualifying jumps, but who has never subsequently been on active jump status. A majority of the officers who went through the training as ROT*or service academy cadets fall into this category.
Barracks Lawyer — Someone who claims to know all the regulations and UCMJ by heart and threatens to use them against the chain-of-command regularly; similar to a "jailhouse lawyer" or a "shithouse lawyer"
Barracks Rat — Someone who stays at the barracks and never goes out
BB Stacker B soldiers involved with ordnance
Black Hat — Airborne instructor
Blue Falcon — Someone that screws others over for their own comfort or convenience; a more acceptable way of calling someone a "Buddy Fucker" (See below)
Bravo Foxtrot — Phonetic spelling used to describe a "Buddy Fucker" (see below) or someone who does things to screw over fellow soldiers
Brokedick — A soldier who is accident-prone and seemingly is always on sick call or has a profile limiting what he/she can do. Also a generic term for anyone on light duty due to illness or injury
Broke, Lame, or Lazy, The — a list of soldiers who, for either age, medical profile, or any other reason, are restricted to light or no duty
Brown Hat — Drill Sergeant
Buddy Fucker — Someone who does things that either intentionally or unintentionally get other soldiers harmed in some way
CAB Chaser — Someone who leaves the FOB only to try to get his combat action badge. As soon as he gets it, he reverts to standard "fobbit" activity, and never again leaves the FOB
Cadidiot — Derogatory term for West Point and ROTC cadets; from the combination of the words "cadet" and "idiot"
Cannon Cocker — Artillerymen
Cannon Fodder — Infantrymen
C.B. — "Commo Bitch", derogatory term for communications soldiers.
Chair-borne Ranger — 1) A paper-pusher with Jump wings; or 2) A REMF who pretends to be a grunt (See below) or a snake-eater when on leave
Commo — The communications officer or soldier.
Cookie — Mess Sergeant
Crunchie — Mechanized infantry, because when they get run over by their APCs, they make a crunch sound.
Desert Dime — A female soldier that is seen as a ten only because she is Down range (see below) Also See Desert Fox
Desert Fox- A female soldier that is considered more attractive now that she is down range (see below). See also Queen for a year
Dick — self-deprecating name used by Infantry troops to refer to themselves
Dirtbag Airman (DBA) — The chaff that fell through the cracks. The Dirtbag Airman has no regard for regulations, dress and appearance, customs and courtesies, or even personal hygiene. It shows up late with Starbucks cups and takes the most breaks while doing the least work.
Dirt Dart — USAF term for a paratrooper
Doc — a term of respect for medical professionals; generally used for medics, it also applies to actual doctors and (rarely) physician's assistants
Drill — Drill Sergeant
Fast Tracker — Term used for soldiers who ascend rank/pay grades unusually quick Can be a negative term used to denote inexperience related to leadership roles of noncommissioned officers
Fobbit — Term used for soldiers that never leave the FOB (Forward Operating Base). The term came into use during the Iraq War. It is used with some condescension
Friendly Fire — Term commonly used for any soldier, NCO or Officer widely disliked. From the root term Friendly Fire — the act of shooting, injuring and/or killing a fellow soldier on the battlefield. When used toward another, it serves as a warning that "accidents" happen, i.e., better shape up or ship out before we get deployed to battle or you'll find yourself the victim of Friendly Fire... nothing Friendly about it
Geardo — a soldier that spends a large amount of his money on military or paramilitary equipment, regardless of whether or not it is ever put to good use
Go-Fasters — running shoes
Green Beret — United States Army Special Forces Soldier. So known because of their distinctive head gear. The "Green Beret" was awarded to the United States Army Special Forces by President John F. Kennedy. A Special Forces soldier must earn the right to wear the "Green Beret" through successful completion of the SFQC (Special Forces Quallification Course).
Ground-Pounder — (See Grunt, below) Also used self-referentially by Civil Air Patrol ground search teams.
Grunt — Infantryman; historically associated with the sound a soldier makes when shouldering his field pack. Alternatively associated with a supposed Vietnam-era acronym for hastily assembled recruits and reinforcements, "Ground Reinforcements UNTrained." Grunts takes immense pride in the nickname. To non-infantrymen, grunts are often referred to as "crunchies," "nugs," or "ground-pounders." The last three are never used self-referentially by grunts.
Gun Bunny — Artilleryman
Hemorrhoid — Derogatory, an army truck driver
Joe — 1) Generalized term for any or all soldiers. Can refer to individuals: "I need four joes for KP." or all soldiers in general: "Joe likes to drink beer." 2) In basic training, an incompetent or clueless recruit
Lawn Dart B A pejorative term for cherries in Airborne school, for the obvious results if they screw up their first jump.
Lawn Dart of Liberty — any Airborne soldier
Leg — derogatory term used in Airborne units meaning a person or a military unit that is not qualified for parachute operations; the "sanctioned" term is NAP (Non-Airborne Personnel)
Lifer — career military person
Meat Gazer — An appointed urinalysis NCO who observes as the soldier urinates during a drug test, staring at the genitalia to prevent any foul play with the sample
Mortar Maggot — Derogatory, an 11-*infantryman, trained to carry and use mortars
Mud Puppy — Military policemen
Muzzle Monkeys — Pejorative term for Artillerymen; derived from the fact that Artillerymen would sometimes have to hang from the Howitzer barrel as a counterweight so the gun could be turned; usually used by Infantrymen
New Boots — Term used when referring to new soldiers fresh from training, denoted by their newly issued, unscuffed boots.
PF*- Derogatory term for a Private First Class at a cross-road who has either had enough of the Army in one enlistment & wants out, Praying For Civilian; or is bucking hard for a promotion, Praying For Corporal. Professional Fucking Cleaner describes the constant cleaning details they are assigned
Poge, Pogue — Pronounced with a long "o"; a derogatory term for a soldier who spends all his time back at camp and never on maneuvers. Alternately, any noncombat arms soldier, and to Infantryman, any one who isn't infantry; see also POG *PowerPoint Bitch — Military IT specialists who are forced to make PowerPoint slide shows for officers who believe that IT technicians are also secretaries.
PX Ranger — An individual who buys medals and badges he/she did not earn at the post exchange. Wearing unearned awards (or even possessing them) is a serious offense
Queen for a year — A female soldier who is being considered much more attractive due to being at a duty station with fewer civilian females. Especially used by soldiers in South Korea. See also Desert Fox
Ring-Knocker — A West Point graduate, from the large class ring that many wear
Round Brown — A Drill Sergeant, or his/her hat
SLJO — A junior officer that has been relegated to taking care of the multitude of additional duties that abound in the military. Stands for "Shitty Little Jobs Officer".
Shadow Clerk — A non-clerk serving unofficially as a company clerk
Shammerai/Shammerai Warrior — Any soldier particularly adept at dodging work.
Shitbird — A completely worthless soldier
Short/Short-Timer — Soon to be released from service; usually 90 days or less; i.e., a "two-digit midget"
Shower Shoes — 1) Soldiers who have just come to the forward unit from basic training; 2) Flip-flops
Sick-call Ranger — Any soldier who constantly goes to sickcall, even if there is nothing wrong with him, in the hopes of getting out of work
SIGO — Signal Officer
Smokey The Bear — a term for a drill sergeant based on their hat
Sparky — Radio operator
Speaker-monkey — Psychological Operations soldier
Spoon or Shit-Slinger — Cook
String-puller — Derogatory, an artillery soldier
TA*Officer — Training, Advice and Counseling Officer. This is an instructor at the Warrant Officer Candidate Course in Ft. Rucker Al.
Treadhead — A tank driver or crewman, usually derogatory
Trooper(s) — Used in lieu of "soldier" when referring to Airborne soldiers or Cavalrymen
Turtle-Head — New recruit; still in training
Turtle-Shell — A recruit in basic training who has not qualified with their weapon yet. This refers to troops being able to put on the camo cover for their helmets after they qualify and the turtle-shell like appearance of the helmet without the cover
Weekend Warriors — National Guardsmen and Reservists
Zoomie — Pilot, ground support, usually A-10; also, an affectionate/derogative term for Air Force Academy cadets, used by cadets at the other academies
Common Terms[]
AFI 36-2903 (formerly AFR 35-10) — This is the regulation for Air Force Dress and Appearance Standards, and is usually the only Air Force Instruction most Airmen actually know, can remember when asked, or have ever read
Airman Basement — A derrogatory term for the lowest rank in the USAF (Airman Basic, E-1)
Ammo Puke — A Munitions Systems Specialist
Army Proof — Derivative of “Fool Proof,” this is how Airmen lord our higher ASVAB score requirements over the Army. Every time a grunt says “Chair Force,” an Air Force member gains one of their IQ points
Breaking Red — Walking outside the designated personnel areas (marked in red) on the flightline or not using designated entry and exit control areas. Breaking Red will result in youtr face pressed to the ground with a boot on your back and an M-16 pointed at your neck (aka Eating Ramp). Security Forces love it when people do this
BRRRRRRRRRRRRT — The sound an A-10 Thunderbolt II aka “Warthog” makes when projecting freedom
BTZ — Means “Below the Zone” promotion from E-3 to E-4, or getting that extra stripe before your regular time in service promotion. Squadrons sometimes groom Airmen for this
DFAC — The Air Force does not have Chow Halls or Mess Tents. It has Dining Facilities (or DFACs). Referring to the building in which Airmen who do not have the time to go to the BX Food Court or Burger King as a “Chow Hall” actually offends senior enlisted Food Service Craftsmen
FOD Walks — FOD is Foreign Object Debris, anything on the flightline that doesn’t belong there and could damage the aircraft. Entire units sometimes walk shoulder to shoulder picking up whatever FOD they find. Airmen in non-flightline roles will sometimes be assigned to augment FOD walks
The Gauntlet (aka “Tacking On”) — Enlisted Air Force personnel wear their rank on the sleeves of their ABUs. When they are promoted, their new rank is “tacked on.” The Airman’s peers stand in two lines, the new rank patches are pinned to the Airman’s uniform, and the promotee walks down the line as his coworkers punch them as hard as possible in the rank
IYAAYAS — Every career field and unit has its own slang, motto, and/or culture. IYAAYAS is the most widely-known and is the official rally cry of the USAF Munitions Specialists and means “If You Ain’t Ammo, You Ain’t Shit.” Others include “Who the hell, POL” (fuels) and “No Comm, No Bomb” (Communications)
JP-8 — Jet fuel. Smells like freedom
Load Toad — A Weapons Loader. He or she sometimes drives a “Jammer.”
LOX — Liquid oxygen used in aircraft oxygen systems, run by fuels management techs. Sometimes used to cool beer
Operation Golden Flow — Being “randomly selected” to have someone watch you pee for drug use testing
Port Dawg — Aerial Porters who rig cargo, parachutes, prepare airdrops and load/unload aircraft are technically “Air Transportation Specialists” but are referred to as Port Dawgs
Prime Beef — Not an actual hunk of meat. A Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force is a rapidly deployable, specialized civil engineer unit. If you’re deployed in an austere location, you want them to be your best friends
Prop Wash and Flight Line — A fool’s errand given to new enlisted airmen, similar to a snipe hunt or the Army’s “box of grid squares.”
Pull Chocks — Refers to pulling the wedges used to prevent a stationary aircraft from moving while parked on the flightline. Also known as “Let’s go” or “Let’s get out of here,” in Air Force parlance, because you have to pull the chocks before the plane can leave the base.
Squawks — Notes made by USAF pilots and left for maintenance crews to fix. Because aircraft maintainers are, for the most part, funny, sometimes the crews’ responses are worth compiling.
Wing King — The Wing-level Commander — usually the base commander — who is always 0-6 or above. The highest ranking person on the base, though some bases have multiple wings
Whole-Airman Concept — An enlisted performance review system designed to keep you from earning a perfect rating (and ultimately a BTZ promotion) despite being the best performer in your unit at your actual job function, because you didn’t volunteer to pick up trash at the squadron commander’s mandatory fun burger burn
Why Not Minot? — Universally regarded as the most unpleasant duty station due to its extreme remoteness, Minot Air Force Base’s staff use this phrase to laugh at their situation because otherwise the terrorists win. The entire Air Force recognizes this phrase and it’s reply: Freezin’s the reason for the frozen chosen! In the SAC days, they would say “there’s a woman behind every tree!” There were no trees
Basic Training[]
341 — Excellence Discrepancy Report (AF Form 341). Every Airman in Basic Training and Technical School must carry at least three of these small forms on their person at all times. When you screw up, one will be demanded of you and turned into your training unit. The 341 is an excellent way to introduce Airmen to the primary Air Force disciplinary system – Paperwork. Rumors of this form being used to report excellence are unsubstantiated.
Airman Snuffy — The original Dirtbag Airman, he’s an example Air Force instructors use to train Airmen how not to do the wrong things in hypothetical situations. The difference between the example and the real Airman Snuffy is the real Snuffy is a Medal of Honor recipient. He tried to put out a deadly aircraft fire by pissing on it while simultaneously shooting down Nazi fighter planes.
House Mouse — Never to be referred to as such – it is technically the Flight Office Technician, aka the MTI’s assistant. See also: Snitch
The Nutri-Grain Bar Prank — More advanced basic trainees will sometimes tell newer trainees they can’t eat the Nutri-Grain Bars at breakfast unless they take the bar, slam it on the Snake Pit’s table and shout out what flavor it is, then stand at parade rest until given permission to digest.
The Snake Pit — Where Air Force MTIs eat, usually right at the end of the chow line, so every Airman trainee has to walk by to get to their table
Rainbow Flights — Before basic trainees get their first uniform issue (aka “slicksleeves”) at Lackland, they’re usually walking around in the civvies in which they first arrived. In formation, they look like a dirtbag rainbow and probably smell bad because they have been wearing these clothes for 2-4 days.
Reporting Statement — “Sir/Ma’am, Trainee ________ reports as ordered,” the phrase you give an MTI anytime you need to respond to an inquiry.
Short-Sheet - To fold a basic trainee's sheets in half, yet make it appear that the bed is made. When the airman tries to get into bed, the folded sheet prevents him or her from stretching out, so they have to re-make the bad.
Stress Cards — The most persistent myth about the Air Force. Other branches think we get these during basic training in case we need “to take a moment.” These have never existed and never will, but because of the Air Force’s old six-week basic training length, it sure sounds plausible. If the USAF ever did try this, the ghost of Curtis LeMay would burn the Air Force Secretary’s house down.
What the Piss — This is the trademark, go-to phrase said (yelled) by Air Force Military Training Instructors (MTI). From Zero Week until graduation, anytime you forget where you are, you’ll hear this phrase right before you get a reminder. Only MTIs know why they chose this. It could be a tribute to Airman Snuffy
Other Terms[]
... and a wake-up — The day you leave an ongoing duty assignment; usually in conjunction with leaving a combat zone or leaving the service. Used as a means of counting down to the transition. For example, if today is Monday and you leave the service on Friday, if someone were to ask when you get out, the answer would be, "Three days and a wake-up." (Tuesday to Thursday, with Friday being the "wakeup.")
AFSC — Air Force Specialty Code (USAF)
Alphabet — A term used by drill sergeants and other senior NCOs to refer to an enlisted man with a long or otherwise unpronounceable last name
Anal, cranial loopback — to have ones head up their ass
Army Brat — The son or daughter of a career soldier
Air Force Brat — The son or daughter of a career airman
Ate Up — Something that's messed up or not up to the standard
BA-1100-N — A snipe hunt for new soldiers, especially communication soldiers. BA refers to battery types; however, BA-1100-N spells "balloon." Can also be modified to require an "attaching strap"; in this case, a balloon on a string
Beat your face — To do push-ups
Beer Vouchers — Money
Bennie — A benefit, a good surprise
Big Chicken Dinner — Bad Conduct Discharge
Blast — A parachute jump; the first parachute jump after Parachutist (Jump) School; i.e., the sixth parachute jump is a "cherry blast." A person qualified to wear the Master Parachutist Badge is a "Master Blaster." "Hollywood blast" is a parachute jump, usually done simply for pay purposes, without all the encumbering equipment necessary in real or simulated airborne assaults
Blanket Party — The act of beating someone senseless in their bunk after lights out by throwing a blanket over their head so they can not identify the perpetrators
Blood Wings/Blood Pin — originally, to force the pin backing of Airborne wings directly into a soldier's chest. Now, blood-pinning refers to pinning anything into a soldier's chest, as well as the shoulders in the case of rank
BMT — Basic Military Training (USAF)
Bo-Koo — A lot (from the French word beaucoup)
Bolo — To fail a test or qualification
Boogie Dark- Expression used in Afghanistan to quantify the complete darkness found at night there. A blackness that seems to swallow light. Used widely in Bagram AFB
Brasso Promotion — The act of a Second Lieutenant shining their "butter bars" so much that they appear to be the silver bars of a First Lieutenant.
Bugout — A hasty retreat
Chaff-ass- Refers to the chafing that occurs from the inner thighs. Caused by skin rubbing together and becoming irritated and slightly raw. Can advance into Monkey butt (see below)
Chicken shit -This term started during the second world war. It is used to either describe the abuse an officer gives his enlisted subordinates or to describe the officer himself. examples "That was really chicken shit what he did." "That LT is chicken shit, through and through".
Chow — Food, or "breakfast/lunch/dinner," as in, "Is it time for chow yet?"
Cluster Fuck (also Clusterfuck, Charlie-Foxtrot) — Apocrypha has it that this term originated from situations where groups of United States Marines were too large or disorganized to be able to successfully defend themselves from enemy fire, but in modern meaning it has evolved to mean any set of circumstances in which massive disorganization has the potential to cause serious damage. This term has passed into civilian usage as well, most notably The Daily Show.
Class 1 Download — Defecation
Class 6 — Refers to the base liquor store. Also refers to female entertainment and companionship.
Cock Holster — Term used to refer to someone's mouth, as in, "Shut your cock holster."
Combat — Used in lieu of a soldier's name to get their attention; i.e., "Hey Combat, get over here."
Cover — A hat, flight cap or helmet
Cranial Rectitus, Cranial-Rectii Syndrome — term for soldiers who have their head up their rectum
DA Form ID-10T — A snipe hunt for new soldiers. New soldiers are told to get a DA Form ID-10T from an NCO. Invariably, the soldier says he/she doesn't know what that is, and is told to just write it down, and show an NCO. The new soldier usually doesn't realize he has written "IDIOT" and proceeds to show it to an NCO and asks where he can find one
Di-Dee/Di-Dee Mao — Retreat, run away; originally from Vietnamese forces
Dickskinner/Dickbeater — hands
Dirty Bird — Used to describe soldiers with personal hygiene issues; i.e., soldiers that don't shower after PT, soldiers that don't wash their clothes, soldiers with messy or dirty barracks rooms
Down-range — Physically in a combat zone; also used to describe any destination a group of soldiers are headed to. Generally, the term refers to Iraq itself; i.e., moving from a base in Kuwait to Iraq is moving "down-range."
Eleven Up, Three Down — Adds up to "eight up," i.e. "ate up," a term for a bad soldier
EOD — Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Fobbit — A soldier who rarely leaves the perimeter of his Forward Operating Base; Portmanteau of "FOB" (see above) and hobbit.
Fort Living Room — Civilian life; usually referred to as a fictitious duty assignment when leaving the service; as in, "My contract runs out in two months, then I'm being transferred to Fort Living Room."
Fourth Point-of-Contact — As in, "You guys had better get off of your fourth points-of-contact." A reference to the buttocks, which impact the ground following the feet, calf, and thigh when properly executing a Parachute Landing Fall (see PLF, above); term comes from Airborne units, but is understood by all
Front-Leaning Rest — The push-up position
Freeballing — Not wearing underwear in the field or on a long march to prevent chafing or "monkey butt" (see below).
Gaggle or Gagglefuck a group of soldiers standing about in an unorganized fasion. Also, to move as a group in an unorganized way. (See also "Clusterfuck")
Galloping-Trots, Trots, Quick-Step, The Shits — Army slang throughout the ages for dysentery.
Garritroopers — 1) Soldiers who enhance or lie about their combat experience; or 2) Rear-echelon troops who try to dress and act like combat grunts
...getting a range named after you — Usually used sarcastically to describe someone who tries to be a hero; this is because rifle ranges are often named after soldiers who get killed in combat or Medal of Honor-winners; i.e., "Don't you go trying to get a range named after you."
Gold Brick — Someone who habitually avoids work details
Golden Boys — A commander's favorite subordinates or subordinate unit
Good-Ol' Boys — A group of senior soldiers that are on friendly terms with each other and tend to look after each other, whether or not it benefits their unit; can be used derogatively by soldiers that are not on friendly terms with one or more members of the group
GI Party — After-hours barracks cleaning detail
Grab-ass — A term for general horseplay.
Gut Truck — Food vendor on wheels, esp. in training areas
Gut Bomb — Heavy food, like eating a greasy hamburger after a long road march, where a soldier can sense that (s)he'll be sick later from eating it.
Grub — Slang for food, chow.
Hooah — Pronounced "Hoo-ah" or "Hua", a common exclamation with seemingly endless uses. See link to separate article.
High-Speed — A highly-motivated and skilled soldier; often used sarcastically when a soldier is motivated but doesn't really know what he's doing, as in, "Slow down, High-Speed." Often used in conjunction with "low-drag," essentially meaning the same thing
Hoofing-it — Walking road march with full packs.
Humping — To march a long distance carrying heavy gear
Hurry Up and Wait — Describes the hurry to get ready and the early wake up times that lead to sitting around for hours with nothing to do. Many times the waiting is caused by "the word" not coming down from command; see also, The Word
Klicks — kilometers; .6214 mile each
Jesus Cruisers — Flip-flops; (see Shower Shoes below)
Jody — 1) Slang term for a civilian; 2) Individual who steals a soldier's wife or girlfriend while he is deployed; 3) A cadence which is chanted or sung while on marches or runs in formation
John Wayne — 1) The act of improperly wearing a helmet with the chinstrap unfastened; 2) A can opener, especially the old C-Ration P-38 can opener; 3) Someone who tries to be a hero; 4) Shooting a rifle from the hip; 5)the toilet paper from the MRE because "it's rough, it's tough, and it don't take shit from nobody."
Kill Zone — An area that can be fired upon, but commonly used to describe an area that lower enlisted troops are not supposed to be; i.e., on a floor that is highly-waxed and not supposed to be walked on
Land of the Big PX — refers to the United States of America; the main motivation/reason foreign-national women marry military men -- the women wait for a PCS to the USA, receive a "green card," then divorce the husband
Leather personnel carrier — slang for a road march or dismounted maneuvers rather than reaching a destination in an armored personnel carrier or truck
Maggot — A derogatory term used for enthusiastic personnel (see High-Speed)
Mess — Meal
Mess Hall — Dining facility
Mike — Minutes, "See you in a few Mikes"
Monkey Butt — Raw skin on the butt or inner thighs caused by long runs or road marches
MOS — Military Occupation Code
Orderly Room — Administrative center of the unit; controlled by the Chief Clerk, the First Sergeant/CO's offices are normally close by
Navy Brat — The son or daughter of a career sailor
PEN-15 Report — A snipe hunt for new soldiers. Military reporting forms are alphanumerically coded; however, PEN-15 spells "penis." As in, "go get the PEN-15 Report from the Sergeant Major."
Peter Pilot — The co-pilot on an aircraft
PRC-E7 — A snipe hunt for new soldiers. The prefix PR*refers to radios and is pronounced "prick" and E-7 is the paygrade for a Sergeant First Class. The soldier is literally trying to find a surly senior sergeant (and typically finds one). E7 is sometimes replaced by any other appropriate paygrades.
Pogey Bait — 1) Candy bar; 2) Snack food; 3) Someone frequently singled out for unwanted attention
PowerPoint Ranger — A term usually referring to a staff officer who spends their whole day giving presentations to the boss using MS PowerPoint.
Pull a Jody — To have sex with another soldier's wife or girlfriend
Quarters — 1) Military family housing; or 2) Doctor's direction to stay home from work; i.e., "He went to sick call and got quarters."
Re-up — To re-enlist
Real World — Return to civilian life; return to USA from overseas
Raoch Coach — The Mobile Field Kitchen Trailer brought on Extensive Field Traning Mission (Another name for the Gut Truck)
Roach Wagon — (see Roach Coach)
Roger — "I understand," used for radio communication, but also used in ordinary conversation
Sandbox or Box — Training area
Sandbagger — Someone who lets others do his/her work for him/her; see also shamming, below
Shammer — (See Sandbagger), (See also Shamming below)
Shamming/Sham Out — Goofing off, feigning illness, performing a task slowly, so as to have others do most of the work; i.e., "We are going to sham out for awhile."
Shitbag — Highly pejorative term for a soldier that is not performing as expected
Shit tickets — Toilet paper
Shit in your own mess kit — A WW2 expression for a soldier that does something to cause his own troubles
Shit on a shingle or SOS — Slang for the old Army meal in the field of creamed chipped beef on toast. Although the menu item is rare today, SOS can mean breakfast in general
Side-Straddle Hop — Jumping-jacks
Single-Digit-Midget — Refers to the soldier that has less than 10 days left at his present duty station. Some times accompanied by "I'm so short Y" jokes.
Single Man's Paradise — An establishment filled with the wives and girlfriends of deployed soldiers
Slicky Boy — A civilian who may be attempting to steal US military equipment to sell on the black market, especially during field training exercises in Korea.
Soup Sandwich — When something is messed up or not to standard; as in, "This formation looks like a soup sandwich."
Spotlight Ranger — Soldier who seeks attention and self-promotion, and generally does not support others; a non-team player who enjoys the "spotlight" and puts personal interest ahead of the unit's. This behavior is often observed during competitive training against peers, such as ROTC camps.
Square Away — To get something organized, cleaned up, functioning or looking strictly to military standards. Also used as an adjective for anything which is in such a form.
Stir-fried Shit — When something is very unclean or unorganized
Stir the Shit — Burning feces in a burnout latrine
Sucking Wind — Literally, breathing heavily. Usually meant to describe an inabilty to keep up with a difficult physical task.
Summer wrinkles — Refers to a very wrinkled uniform, one that looks like it was pulled directly from a duffel bag. Some are here and some are there wrinkles
Swass and Swalls — Combination of "sweaty ass and sweaty balls,"; as in, "It smells like Swass and Swalls in here."
The "B's" — The barracks, or apartment-type rooms for single soldiers
The Good News- i.e., "giving or receiving the good news" — The art of beating or getting beaten senseless
The Shit — A soldier who is in or has been to combat. Can also mean that someone knows their job well or is the real deal, "he's the shit, he knows his shit." Shit can also be a reference to a soldier's equipment & personal things, "grab your shit & get out of here."
The Word — 1) Used to describe commands from higher, sometimes in a derogatory way; 2) The official end of the duty day, signifying when soldiers can go home and relax; as in, "I am waiting on the word." (See also Hurry Up and Wait)
Time hack — A rough schedule of the day's events, e.g. "before you go back to get that gear, let me figure out what our time hack is"
Tube Steak — Penis, or (less common) hotdog
Turtle-Fuck — To strike someone's Kevlar helmet with yours
Un-Ass the AO — To quickly leave the immediate area
Un-Fuck — To fix something or someone
Wall-to-Wall Counseling — To physically beat a subordinate in order to impress upon them a mistake they have made; thought to have been derived from slamming a soldier into opposite walls, repeatedly. It is currently forbidden by regulation; however anecdotes suggest it is still in practice.
Wood-Line Counseling — Same as Wall-to-Wall Counseling (see above) with the exception of surroundings, i.e., Wall-to-Wall Counseling while in Garrison, Wood-Line Counseling while out in the Field. To take a soldier to the trees (off site and out of sight) and deliver physical correction.
Willie Pete — White phosphorus
Wub/Wubbie — A poncho liner, often used as a blanket
Yard Bird — Originally referred to a chicken; now, a soldier without direction or motivation
Zero dark thirty, zero beer thirty — Slang terms for having to wake up very early in the morning and quitting time, respectively.
Zero dark stupid — Same as Zero dark thirty, but MUCH earlier
West Point Slang[]
Area Bird — A cadet candidate who is serving punishment by being obliged to walk on the "GO ARMY"
Beast — "Old Corps" slang for Cadet Basic Training; a phonetic pronunciation of the acronym, BCT.
Big Brass Rocket — Cheer the Supe, Comm, Dean, BTO and Sergeants Major do with the cadets at the cadets' beckoning during sporting events.
B.J. — Fresh, lacking in respect; "Bold before June." (from the days when Plebe recognition was the day before June graduation)
Bogus — Uncalled for audacity
Boodle — Cake, candy, ice cream, etc.
Boodler's — The cadet snack store
BTO — Brigade Tactical Officer
Bust — To revoke the appointment of a cadet commissioned or non-commissioned officer
CME — Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Coastie — Any member of the Coast Guard Academy
Cold — Absolutely without error, as in "a cold max"
COM — The Commandant of Cadets
Cow — A member of the second class; a junior
Corps Whore — A civilian female who has dated several male cadets
Crab — (n.) One who attends the Naval Academy; also, SQUID or MIDDIE
C-store — Cadet Store
D — Deficient; below average, as in academics
DFL — Department of Foreign Languages
DMI — Department of Military Instruction
DPE&A — Department of Physical Education and Athletics
The Days — Required knowledge for Plebes; signifying the duration to the next major event for the upperclass, and "a finite number for the end of eternity" for the Plebes
Emerging Leader — Cadet who earns high positions of leadership; usually used sarcastically
Find — To discharge a cadet candidate for deficiency in studies, conduct, or honor
Firstie — A member of the First Class; a senior
Fried Egg — Insignia of the USMA, worn on the hat or tarbucket
Ghost — A Fourth Class cadet who hides in his/her room to avoid the upperclass or to shirk duties; also refers to an upperclass cadet who is rarely seen around a cadet company
GI — Government Issue (not to be used when referring to enlisted personnel)
Goat — A cadet in the lower sections; a cadet near the bottom of the class
Gray Hog — An extremely USMA/USMAPS-oriented cadet
Green Girl — Comforter
Green-Suiter — An Army officer
Gross — Blundering; disgusting
Held Report — Explanation of report
Hell Cats — Musicians who sound reveille and the calls
Hotel Night — One night a week when sheets are broken down due to laundry send-out
Ikette — A girl who frequents Eisenhower Hall for the sole purpose of picking up a helpless male cadet, impressed only by the "man in uniform" image; see also Corps Whore
IRP — A command: "Immediate Response, Please."
Juice — Electricity, Electrical Engineering
Limits — The limit on the reservation to which cadets are restricted
Max —Aa complete success, a maximum; (v.) to make a perfect mark in academic recitation; to do a thing perfectly
OAO — One And Only
O*- Officer in Charge
Old Corps — The way things used to be at USMA, i.e., "When dinosaurs roamed the plain..."; in reality, when the Firsties (see above) were Plebes (see below)...
Old Grad — Anyone who has graduated from the Academy
P — A professor; instructor
Plebe — A cadet of the Fourth Class; a freshman
Plebe Bible — "Bugle Notes", handbook of the Corps of Cadets
PMI — Afternoon (p.m.) Inspection; a state less than AMI
Poop — Information to be memorized
Poop-Deck — The balcony in the USMA Cadet Mess from which orders are published
Poopster — More commonly, Prepster; (n.) USMAPS cadet candidate/graduate
Pop-off — Sound off in a military manner
PRO — Proficient, above passing in studies of looks
Pull out — To barely complete an assignment on time and meeting only the minimum standards; also, SLUG-STOPPER
Quill — (2-1) A report for delinquency
Rock Squad — Remedial Swimming, an additional class for Plebe non-swimmers; derived from the term ROCK — an individual that struggles in academics and "sinks" to the bottom of the class. "Rock Math" is the lowest section in Plebe Math
Room Con — Confinement to quarters, as a punishment for breach of discipline
RD=FC — "Rough Draft Equals Final Copy"; the art of completing a paper or project in one sitting
SAMI — Saturday Morning Inspection
SF — Special Forces
Slug — A special punishment for serious offense; also, SLAM — (v.) to impose a special punishment on someone
Snake — One who will cut in at hops (see above); (v.) to cut in
Solids — Engineering Mechanics
SOD — Senior Officer Of the Day
SOG — Senior Officer Of the Guard
Spec — To memorize verbatim; as in, "to spec blind" (also, SPEC AND DUMP — to memorize material to pass a test, then forget it)
Squid — One who attends the Naval Academy
Star Man — An academically-distinguished cadet candidate
Striper — A cadet captain
Supe — The Superintendent
TA*- A tactical officer
Tar Bucket — parade hat
Ted — An intelligent person or one who learns quickly (also, GEEK)
TEE — Term End Examination; finals
Thayer Angle — The angle a saber makes on a female Firstie's hip while dressed under arms
Thayer Week — A week with numerous graded events
Tie Up — To make a gross error
Tour — One hour's walk on the area (punishment); a period of duty, as a guard tour
Trou — Trousers; also, a female cadet
Turnback — A re-admitted cadet
Went-off — Special attention from an upperclass cadet
Woo-Poo-U — USMA; also, WOOPS
Woops — Sound Squids (see above) make when they see USMAPS cadet candidates
Wopper, WOPR — Written Oral Partial Review
WPR — Written Partial Review; i.e., a midterm
Writ — A written recitation; an examination
Yearling — A member of the Third Class; a sophomore (also, YUK)
Zoomie — One who attends the Air Force Academy
Field Slang[]
Blue Canoe — A portable (chemical) toilet
Bug Dope — A insect repellent
Crowd Pleaser — A large bomb dropped from a fighter or bomber
...doesn't take a GED — A phrase used when instructing/training soldiers, implying that it doesn't require a lot of intelligence to understand. GED is the General Educational Development test taken in place of a high-school diploma
Down Range — physically in a combat zone, it is also used to describe an imaginary place all soldiers are headed to but never actually reach. Currently, the term refers to Iraq itself; moving from a base in Kuwait to Iraq is moving "down-range". In training, refers to the transition from reception battalion to the unit of training
Embrace the Suck — Fealing with a situation that places a soldier in a ridiculous position of misery or in harms way
Hooch — Soldier's dwelling in-country, from hut to barracks (originated in Vietnam)
Hajji — Any civilian or civilian item, eg., a civilian is a "hajji", a civilian vehicle is a "hajji car", a civilian house is a "hajji house." (Literally, "Hajji" means a Muslim that has gone on the Hajj, but U.S. soldiers use it for Middle-Eastern civilians, in general.)
Mad Minute — A Vietnam-era term for a furious minute of firepower used to discourage infiltrators around a defensive position, to do "reconnaissance by fire" or to clear a landing zone upon arrival. It is also called a "mike-mike" and can mean a furious session of test-firing weapons
In-Country — Physically in a combat zone; see also Down Range
Kurd Killers — Humanitarian relief pallets dropped from cargo planes. Kurds after Operation Desert Storm would get under the large pallets as they were parachuted down. Some Kurds were crushed
Rock-Eaters — A term used by troops during the Balkan missions to describe locals. It comes from the locals' tooth decay, which was explained by saying that they ate rocks, making their teeth fall out. It can also refer to a character under that very name in the 80s movie The Never Ending Story a giant with teeth that looked very much like badly decayed human teeth (his were made of stone, like the rest of his body)
Snake-Eaters — A term used to describe Special Forces personnel, referencing their often austere living conditions with native peoples.
Shallow Grave — Another name for "Hasty Fighting Position" which is a shallow, dug-in hole in the ground used to temporarily avoid enemy gun fire and establish a defensive line
The Sand Box — Iraq, particularly the southern part; also National Training Center.
Slicky Boys — Thieves that sneak into bivouac sites, mainly in Korea.
Spoon — A cook or someone who serves food as their job.
The Shit — Combat or a forward area; "I need to go to Iraq and get in the shit."
The Suck — A situation that places a soldier in a ridiculous position of misery or in harms way. Used as Jarhead's tagline
The Wire — Perimeter of any compound in a combat zone. IE: "If you are going outside the wire, you must do an equipment check"
TAMFR — This Ain't My First Rodeo: Often Used By Newly Promoted Captains.
Three Men in a Boat — Stop. The Arabic letters ÞÝý making the word 'stop' appear to be three men sitting in a canoe, with the two dots of the letter qâf and the one of fâ being their "heads."
When is this weekend going to end? — A complaint by a reservist or national guardsman while on deployment. Alternatively, "this is the longest weekend ever" or "is it at least Sunday yet?"
Wrong Answer — A response commonly used to dismiss explanation or excuses. Can also be used to answer one's own question or as a statement, as in, "Talking in the chow hall is the wrong answer."
Army Post And School Nicknames[]
Camp Bragg — Nickname for Camp Anaconda (Ballad Iraq) during OIF 3 when the majority of the camps' tennants were deployed from Fort Bragg, NC. Many of the stringent and often times pointless policies and rules followed them to Anaconda creating a Bragg-like atmosphere. "MortarVille" was a much more common name due to the daily mortar shell attacks fired by close-by enemies outside the perimeter fence
Defense Love Institute — Defense Language Institute (DLI)
Fort Beginning — Fort Benning — Trainees call it this because of the long wait to begin infantry school. Also called "Fort Bend Me Over."
Fort Blister — Fort Bliss, TX. Named this because of the intense heat of the region
Fort Cartoon, Port Carson — Fort Carson, CO
Fort Drunk — Fort Drum — in the 1990s, due to the high level of alcohol related incidents
Fort Hoochy Koochy — Fort Huachuca, AZ
Fort Knocks — Fort Knox
Fort Leisure — Fort Lee, home of the Quartermaster Corps, where cooks, supply, petroleum, and water specialists are trained. Name comes from proximity to D.C. area, VA Beach, other tourist attractions, also perceived loose standards for trainees.
Fort Lost in the Woods, Fort Misery — Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri due to its remote location in rural Missouri.
Fort Puke, Fort Poke, Camp Swampy — Fort Polk, due to name or location. The adjacent town of Leesville, LA is often referred to as "Sleazeville" or "Diseaseville".
Fort Sham — Fort Sam Houston — see shamming above.
Fort Silly — Fort Sill
Fort Useless — Fort Eustis Also stands for Even Uncle Sam Thinks It Sucks
Fort We-gotcha — Fort Huachuca, due to the long AITs for Military Intelligence MOSes. Adjacent town of Sierra Vista, AZ is often referred to as "Sorry Vista"
Fayette-nam — A nick name for Fayetteville, N.C., which is just outside Fort Bragg, N.C.
Relaxin' Jackson — Fort Jackson, for easy training standards
Mother Rucker — Fort Rucker, Home of the Army's Helicopter Flight School
School of Matrimony — School of Music, named as such because many couples get married while at the school so they can be stationed together. Also known as the School of The Perfect Fourth, in reference to the opening musical interval in Wagner's Bridal Chorus.
Fort Bragghdad — Fort Bragg, NC. The adjacent city of Fayetteville is frequently referred to as "Fayettenam."
Fort Drag — Fort Bragg, NC. Due to the lack of off post women and activities
PROM — Presidio of Monterey, California
The Planet — The now closed Fort Ord in Monterey, California
The Jew Gwangju Air Force Base, South Korea
Fort Marshmello--Fort Monmouth, New Jersey (CECOM HQ)
Fort Fumble---Fort Campbell, KY
Army Unit Nicknames[]
2nd Ass Crack Regiment — 2nd Cavalry Regiment, refers to the fact that the abbreviation for the units name is 2nd ACR
2nd All-Criminals Regiment — 2nd Cavalry Regiment, refers to the regiment's former name, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, largely due to the lack of entertainment/diversions in the regiment's former location at Ft. Polk. *10th Mo-Town — 10th Mountain Division
10th "We Don't Do Mountains" — 10th Mountain Division, from the fact inclusion of 'mountain' in the unit name is for purely historical reasons, much like the 'airborne' in the 101st Airborne Division
The 82d Airplane Gang — 82nd Airborne Division. In reference to the significant gang mentality of many military dependents at Fort Bragg
The Air Raft — 82nd Airborne Division From the stylized "AA" cypher (for "All Americans") on the division patch
Alcoholics Anonymous — 82nd Airborne Division From the stylized "AA" cypher on the division patch
All African — 82nd Airborne Division From the stylized "AA" cypher on the division patch. (WW2, pejorative)
BDO — 1st Infantry Division, from the abbreviation of its nickname, "The Big Dead One"
"The Band-Box Troop" — F Troop, 7h Cav (c 1876), for its spit-polish
"The Big Dead One" — 1st Infantry Division, a play on its more common nickname, "The Big Red One"
"The Big Red One" — 1st Infantry Division, from the shoulder patch
The Blackhorse — 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. In the early 1900s, the regiment was camped at the Presidio, and the residents of San Francisco nicknamed the regiment due to majority of their horses being black in color
Black Hearts — 2nd Armored Division, for their behavior during WWII
Bloody Bucket — 28th Infantry Division, named so by the Nazis, for their red keystone flash and vicious fighting tactics during the Normandy Campaign
BRO — 1st Infantry Division, from the abbreviation of its nickname, "The Big Red One"
Broken TV — 3rd Infantry Division, due to their patch being square and consisting of alternating blue and white diagonal lines, like a TV on the fritz
Choking Chickens, Puking Buzzards, or Screaming Chickens — 101st Airborne Division, from "Screaming Eagles" motto and the open-mouthed eagle on the unit patch
Electric Chili Pepper B the 25th Infantry Division, for their patch
Electric Strawberry B the 25th Infantry Division, for their taro-leaf shaped patch (that resembles a strawberry) with a lightning bolt in the middle
Exploding Asshole — the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
First Team — First Cavalry Division
Flaming Asshole — 40th Infantry Division, for the appearance of the sun symbol of their subdued patch
Gaggin' Dragon — The XVIII Airborne Corps, from their unit patch
Great Beret Give-Away — 82nd Airborne Division. Light infantry units typically used this, because previous to the army switching to berets, this was the only division-sized unit that wore berets. Infantrymen thought it insulting to warriors that even administrative clerks in the 82nd wore berets
"Gray Horse" — E Troop, 7h Cav (c 1876), for its preference in color of mount
"Hell on Wheels" — 2nd Armored Division for their bad behavior prior to WWII in Georgia
Ivy Division — 4th Infantry Division whose patch has four ivy leaves. Also described as "four 2LT's pointing north"
JJ/Jumping Junkies — late 1960s to 80s term for the 82nd Airborne due to the high amount of drug use within the unit
Leaning Shithouse — 1st Corps Support Command (now 1st Sustainment Command) units, due to the unit patch, an arrow pointing to the 11 o'clock position
