Portale
Lo staff
Sigle e Espressioni in uso nell'U.S. ARMY
official acronyms and initialisms
5-ton - refers to any tactical truck with a cargo capacity of 5 tons.
aafes - army and air force exchange service
aam - army achievement medal; air-to-air missile; automated acquisition module
aar - after-action review (formerly after-action report); air-to-air receive; air-to-air refueling; aircraft accident report
abn - airborne
ac - aircraft commander; active component; alternating current; aircraft; aircraft carrier; air conditioning; air controller; aircrew; armament computer; associate contractor
acu - army combat uniform; assault craft unit; annunciator control unit; automatic calling unit; administrative control unit
ait - advanced infantry training; advanced individual training (specialty training post-bct); aircraft interface tester; automated interactive target; autodin interface terminal; automated identification technology
alice - all-purpose lightweight carrying equipment
amf - army modular force
an - army/navy; see jetds
ao - accounts office; acquisition objective; action officer; aircraft operator; oiler (underway replenishment); administration officer; air officer; area of operations; aviation ordnance person
aoc - air and space operations center; air operations center; army operations center; air/oil cooler; approach on course; auxiliary output chips; aviation ordnance chief
aoo (ao) - area of operations; aviation ordnance officer
aor - area of responsibility; allowance overrides; annual operating requirement; area of operations; replenishment oiler (underway replenishment)
apc - armored personnel carrier; acquistion professional community; accelerated provision concepts; account processing code; activity process codes; agency program coordinator; air project coordinator; aerial port commander; assign pre-programmed conference (list); air program coordinator; approach power compensator; approach power control; approach control; assistant project coordinator
apft - army physical fitness test
arcam - army reserve component achievement medal
arcom - army commendation medal
arforgen - army force generation
asap - as soon as possible (pronounced ay-sap), but usually meaning, "do it right now."; army streamlined acquisition process
ascc - army service component command
asi - additional skill identifier, such as f7 (pathfinder) or w5 (jumpmaster). used at the end of an mos code to designate skill-trained personnel. example: 11b4vw5= 11b (infantryman) 4 (skill level 4 or sfc/e-7) v (an sqi or skill qualification identifier of v equaling airborne ranger) w5 (jumpmaster); airspeed indicator; authorized shipping instructions; automated shore interface; assign (and display) switch initialization
asoc - air support operations center
ast - area support team
asw - anti-submarine warfare; average surface wind
avf - all-volunteer force
awol - absent without official leave. not at one's place of duty, and not authorized to be absent, for more than 24 hours.
bah - basic allowance for housing (formerly baq)
baq - basic allowance for quarters; basic aircraft qualification
bcd - bad conduct discharge; binary-coded decimal; battlefield coordination detachment
bdu - battle-dress uniform; bomb dummy units
bct - basic combat training (familiarly basic training or basic), brigade combat team (see also hbct, ibct, sbct); best conventional technology
beq - bachelor enlisted quarters
bluf - bottom line up front (i.e., get to the point)
b/n - bombardier/navigator. the observer on a us air force fighter-bomber.
bog - beach operations group
boq - bachelor officers' quarters
brm - basic rifle marksmanship
bsb - base support battalion
bx - base exchange. air force name for a px (see below.)
cab - combat aviation brigade; cabin; centralized accounting & billing (navy); contract adjustment board; cost analysis brief; combat action badge
casevac - casualty evacuation
cav - cavalry (armored cavalry regiment); cavalry fighting vehicle
cbr - chemical-biological-radiological (see nbc); charger battery relay
centcom - united states central command (afb macdill, fl)
cib - combat infantryman badge; combined information bureau; controlled image base
cif - central issue facility
co - commanding officer (also conscientious objector); certifying officer; change order; contracting officer
coa - course of action
cob - close of business. the end of the day or duty shift. meaning: by the end of the duty day. usage: "get that to me by cob today!!!"; collocated operating base
conus - continental united states
cpx - command post exercise
cq - charge of quarters. a company-level position of responsibility for units who house troops in their areas. given to a mid-level or junior nco who is responsible for the company's barracks and area during off-duty hours when the company commander and/or first sergeant are not present. lasts from cob (usually 1700 hours) to first formation (usually 0600 hours) the next day during the work week. on weekends, the duty hours are adjusted accordingly.
ctc - combat training center
cwo - chief warrant officer; communications watch officer
da - department of the army; data adapter aerospace drift; data administrator; direct action; directorate for administration (dia); decision agent; developing agency; design agent; development activity; disbursing advisory notice; drift angle
dcm - distinguished conduct medal; data channel multi-plexer; deputy chief of mission; data communication module
dcu - data control unit; document control unit; desert camouflage uniform (not official)
dd - destroyer (navy ship); defense department (see "department of defense")
dfac - dining facilities administration center (i.e., mess hall or cafeteria)
dfas - defense finance and accounting system
dod (dd) - department of defense (defense department, see "dd")
dpicm - dual-purpose improved comventional munitions (i.e., an artillery round)
dru - direct reporting unit
dx - direct exchange (of damaged equipment)
eod - explosive ordnance disposal
efp - explosively-formed projectile
emt - emergency medical technician; emergency medical treatment; elapsed maintenance time
ets - expiration of term of service (scheduled date of separation from active duty); electronic time keeping system; emergency temporary standard; engineering (and) technical services (request); engineering time standards; estimating tracking system; estimated time of separation
eucom - united states european command (stuttgart-vaihingen, germany)
exsum - executive summary
farp - forward arming and refueling point/forward-arming replenishment package
feba - forward edge of battle area
flot - forward line of own troops
foa - field operating agency
fob - forward operating base; forward operations base
forscom - united states army forces command (ft. mcpherson, ga)
fouo - for official use only
ftx - field training exercise
gfoq - general/flag officers' quarters
gmc - general military course
gcm - good conduct medal; general court-martial; guidance section
halo - high-altitude low-opening parachute technique (type of parachute jump, self-explanatory); high altitude learjet observatory
hbct - heavy brigade combat team
he - high-explosive; handling equipment; housing expense; heavy equipment
hemtt - heavy extended-mobility tactical truck
hmmwv - high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle
hq - headquarters
hvt - high-value target
iaw - in accordance with
ibct - infantry brigade combat team
idp - imminent danger pay
ied - improvised explosive device
ig - inspector general
iobc - infantry officer basic course
irr - individual ready reserve
jetds - joint electronics type designation system (e.g. an/prc-xx)
kia - killed in action
lbv - load-bearing vest. used for carrying ammunition, water, and other tactical loads while in the field, or during an assault.
lz - landing zone
medevac - medical evacuation to an aid station or field hospital, usually by air ambulance.
mia - missing in action. missing in a battle situation, not known if alive or dead.
mlrs - multiple-launch rocket system
metl - mission essential task list
mm - military medal
moab - officially, massive ordnance air blast (slang: mother of all bombs - a dig at saddam hussein's characterization of his defeat in the first gulf war as the "mother of all battles")
mob - short for mobilization. also, demob - short for demobilization.
molle - modular lightweight load-carrying equipment
mos - military occupational specialty. formal job classification, usually expressed as a number or number/letter combination (e.g., 11b infantryman.)
mopp - mission-oriented protective postures. established procedures to deal with the effects of cbr/nbc weapons use. chemical protective suits are called "mopp suits."
mp - military police
mre - officially, meals, ready to eat; (slang: meals rejected/refused by everyone/ethiopians, meals rejected by the enemy, meals refusing to exit, meals regurgitated by everyone, materials resembling edibles, etc.)
nco - non-commissioned officer. an enlisted person with command responsibility; corporal to command sergeant major ; see also specialist.
nbc - nuclear-biological-chemical weapons, equipment, environment, and procedures
o/a - on or about
o/o - order of operations
oconus - outside continental united states, includes alaska and hawaii
ocs - officer candidate school
olc - oak-leaf cluster (signifying subsequent awards)
opord - operations order
opsec - operational security
optempo - operational tempo. the pace of an operation or operations; includes all of the activities the unit is conducting; can be a single activity or series of operations.
osd - office of the secretary of defense. also, secdef.
osut - one-station unit training. combination of bct and ait, where the soldier remains in the same unit for both training portions.
pci - pre-combat inspection; an inspection of equipment before a mission
pcs - permanent change of station. reassignment to a different duty station.
perscom - personnel command, short for united states army personnel command. now known as hrc, or the human resources command.
perstempo - personnel tempo. refers to the unit workload level and number of deployed days per year.
pir - parachute infantry regiment
pldc - primary leadership development course
plf - parachute landing fall
pmcs - preventive maintenance checks and services
poc - point of contact
pog - psychological operations group
pom - program objective memorandum
pov - privately-owned vehicle. a soldier's personal automobile.
pow - prisoner of war
pw - prisoner of war
pt - physical training. used in the plural (pts), it refers to the pt uniform.
px - post exchange. a multi-purpose store which usually includes a barber shop and a convenience store.
qrf - quick reaction force
radc - regional air defense commander
rfi - rapid fielding initiative
rio - radar intercept officer, or "rio". an observer on a us naval aviation two-seater fighter.
rpg - rocket-propelled grenade
rotc - reserve officer training corps, often pronounced ("rot-see")
sbct - stryker brigade combat team
sbf - support by fire
sdo - staff duty officer. same duty as cq (see above) but done by a senior nco at battalion-level or above.
sitrep - situational report
sme - subject matter expert
socom - special operations command. this is the military organization that oversees the activities of such elite units as the us navy seals and us army delta force, among others.
sop - standard operating procedure
sol - solenoid
sptt - security policy translation table
srs - strategic readiness system. an integrated strategic management and measurement system that was developed by the army g-3 at the direction of the chief of staff of the army (csa).
ssc - supply service center. located in all major dod buildings, sscs provide a full range of common use, expendable supplies and forms, as well as reproduction services. expendable supply items normally not stocked will be procured on special order if requested. special supply items urgently needed may be procured on short notice if circumstances justify.
strac - strategic army corps; strac units were those designated to be on high alert to move anywhere in 72 hours or less; as slang, means tight, together, by the book; when said with sarcasm by a combat unit about a remf unit it refers to stupid troops running around in circles.
stx - situational training exercise
tacsop - tactical standard operation procedure. the “game-plan” that units follow when conducting tactical operations. similar to sports team and “secret” plays, most units have a pre-determined default method for initiating attacks and solutions to problems that could arise.
tc - tank commander
tdy - temporary duty
tf - task force
toa - transfer of authority
toc - tactical operations center
tradoc - us army training and doctrine command
ua - unit of action
usareur - us army europe (hq: heidelberg)
uxo - unexploded ordnance
xo - executive officer. officer second-in-command to the co.
v/r - very respectfully. the standard closure line on official mail/e-mail.
vbied - vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
vdm- visually-distinguishing mark
wilco - will comply
wo - warning order
wp - white phosphorous
wso - weapon systems officer, or "wizzo". the observer in a us marine corps two-seater fighter.
zi - zone of interior, the united states. see also conus, which is more commonly used.
slang acronyms
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. when someone/thing is not up to the army standard.
bcd - birth control device. refers to the standard issue eyeglasses, generally not known for being exceptionally stylish.
bcg - birth control glasses; see bcd
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
dat - dumb-ass tanker (in the pre-computer era)
fiigmo - fuck it, i've got my orders (aka "short-timer's disease")
fishdo - fuck it, shit happens, drive on (military equivilent of "par for the course.")
fng - fucking new guy. soldier coming to a unit straight from ait.
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)
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.
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.")
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.
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).
remf - rear-echelon mother fucker. a term of derision used by front-line soldiers to desribe those in cushy jobs in the rear.
rhip - rank hath its privileges
road - retired on active duty (i.e., "road warrior)
rnr - rest and relaxation (also r&r). used to specify activity during leave/time-off; as in, "i need a little rnr."
snafu - situation normal: all fucked up
sos - same old shit; shit on a shingle. creamed chipped beef on toast/biscuit, a breakfast staple.
ssdd - same shit, different day
ssnd - same shit, new day
sst - slang for the vehicle used to remove human waste from the port-a-johns meaning "shit-sucking truck."
swag - scientific wild-ass guess. a close approximation.
twat - tanker without a tank. used for tankers who are performing infantry duties. mainly used by infantry in iraq.
us army - uncle sam ain't released me yet
usmc - uncle sam's misguided children
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.
non-acronym slang and expressions
terms involving rank
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"
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)
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 (wo-1 to cw-5)
company-grade (officer) - the ranks of second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and captain
command specialist major - corporals (specialist and corporal are both e-4s, but corporals are ncos, and specialists are just enlisted.)
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 shirt - first sergeant
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 a soldier, currently e-1 - e-9 for enlisted soldiers, 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)
hard stripes - used to describe corporal (cpl) stripes
light colonel - lieutenant colonel; contrast with bird colonel, above
mosquito wings - e-2 rank insignia (one chevron)
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
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
sham shield - specialist rank insignia, derived from specialists typically recieving 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
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
terms involving equipment
battle-rattle - combat gear
brown round - drill sergeant's hat
bunk - bunkbed
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
cunt cap - a garrison cap, due to its shape
cracker box - an ambulance mounted on a pick-up truck frame
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"* 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
fatigues - an archaic term for the work/combat uniform
fatigue jacket - the shirt of the fatigue uniform; the outer jacket is called a "field jacket"
flak jacket - a vest first introduced in wwii for bomber crews, designed to protect the torso against shrapnel
digitals - the new acu and marpat digitial camouflage uniforms, which consists of a pattern of pixelated squares
full battle-rattle - the complete set of combat gear
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 candybar found in c-rations/mres
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
kevlar - see k-pot, above
ma deuce - the browning .50 caliber machinegun, a staple of u.s. forces since wwii; from the weapon's actual designation, the "m2"
mickey mouse boots - 1) a wwii army term for the early issue lined combat boots; 2)inflatable black rubber boots used for very extreme cold weather, mostly in fort carson, in germany, and in korea
pisser, piss-tube - urinal
salad - ribbons and medals, named for the color differences, just like a salad
shitter - toilet
tanker boots - combat boots that close with straps and a buckle instead of laces
top/top kick - first sergeant
terms involving types of soldiers
11 body-bag, 11 bullet-catcher, 11 bang-bang, 11 boom-boom - 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)
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 rotc 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
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.
brown hat - drill sergeant
buddy fucker - someone who does things that either intentionally or unintentionally get other soldiers harmed in some way.
cadidiot - derogatory term for west point and rotc cadets; from the combination of the words "cadet" and "idiot"
cannon cocker - artillerymen
cannon fodder - infantrymen
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
cookie - mess sergeant
drill - drill sergeant
greenie beanie - green beret
ground-pounder - see grunt, below
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
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
doc - a term of respect for medical professionals; generally used for medics, it also applies to actual doctors and (rarely) physician's assistants
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
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 non-combat arms soldier, and to infantryman, any one who isn't infantry; see also pog
ring-knocker - a west point graduate, from the large class ring that many wear.
round brown - a drill sergeant, or his/her hat
shadow clerk - a non-clerk serving unofficially as a company clerk
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
sparky - radio operator
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
other terms
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
... 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 "wake-up.")
army brat - the son or daughter of a career soldier
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.
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 emcumbering equipment necessary in real or simulated airborne assaults.
blanket party - the act of beating someone sensless 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.
bo-koo - a lot (from the french word beaucoup)
bolo - to fail a test or qualification
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
chow - food, or "breakfast/lunch/dinner," as in, "is it time for chow yet?"
cluster fuck - an unorganized group of soldiers
class 1 download - defecation
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."
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 procedes 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."
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 fictious duty assignment when leaving the service; as in, "my contract runs out in two months, then i'm being transferred to fort living room."
front-leaning rest - the push-up position
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
gut truck - food vendor on wheels, esp. in training areas
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.
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 also, 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 is "rough, tough, and takes no shit off anyone's ass."
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.
mess - meal
mess hall - dining facility
monkey butt - raw skin on the butt or inner thighs caused by long runs or road marches
orderly room - administrative center of the unit; controlled by the chief clerk, the first sergeant/co's offices are normally close by
peter pilot - the co-pilot on an aircraft
pogey bait - 1) candy bar; 2) snack food; 3) someone frequently singled out for unwanted attention
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
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, perfoming 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
side-straddle hop - jumping-jacks
single man's paradise - an establishment filled with the wives and girlfriends of deployed soldiers
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.
stir-fried shit - when something is very unclean or unorganized
stir the shit - burning feces in a burnout latrine
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 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
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 it currently forbidden by regulation; however anecdotes suggest it is still in practice.
willie pete - white phosphorous
wolf pussy - the description for strong body odor, specifically after p.t. or a field exercise; i.e., "it smells like wolf pussy in here."
wub/wubbie - a poncho liner, often used as a blanket
yard bird - originally referred to a chicken; now, a soldier without direction or motivation
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)
blow off - to not worry about something; to not complete an assignment or homework; i.e., "i blew it off."
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
butt - the remains of anything, as the butt of the month
circular file - trash can
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
hop - a cadet dance
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 - a complete success, a maximum; (v.) to make a perfect mark in academic recitation; to do a thing perfectly
oao - one and only
oc - officer in charge
od - olive drab
odin - a norwegian god to whom cadets appeal for rain before parades, inspections, etc.
old corps - the way things used to be at usma, ie., "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
pda - public display of affection
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
police - to throw away, to discard
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.
rack - cadet candidate bed; also, sack - (v.) to sleep
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
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
sound-off - a powerful voice; (v.) to use the voice so as to be heard, shout
spaz - to function improperly; (n.) someone who functions improperly
spec - to memorize verbatim; as in, "to spec blind" (also, spec and dump - to memorize material to pass a test, then forget it)
squid - ane who attends the naval academy
star man - an academically-distinguished cadet candidate
striper - a cadet captain
supe - the superintendent
tac - 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
unsat - unsatisfactory performance
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)
you fly, i buy - you pick the food up, and i'll pay for it
zoomie - one who attends the air force academy
field slang
blue canoe - a portable (chemical) toilet
...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. generally, the term refers to iraq itself; moving from a base in kuwait to iraq is moving "down-range".
fobbit - a soldier who doesn't leave the forward operating base (var. of "hobbit").
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 haj, 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 "reconnaisance 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
rock-eaters - a term used by troops during the balkan missions to describe locals. it comes from the locals' teeth decay, which was explained by saying that they ate rocks, making their teeth fall out.
snake-eaters - a term used to describe special forces personnel, referencing their often austere living conditions with native peoples.
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.
three men in a boat - stop. the arabic letters قف making the word 'stop' appear to be three men sitting in a canoe, with the two dots of the letter qāf and the one of fāʼ being their "heads."
geardo - any soldier who spends half of their paycheck on extra equipment, and never leaves the fob.
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."
nicknames for army posts and schools
defense love institute - defense language institute (dli)
fort beginning - fort benningtrainees call it this because of the long wait to begin infantry school
fort blister - fort bliss, tx named this because of the intense heat of the region
fort cartoon - fort carson, co
fort drunk - fort drum in the 1990's, 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.
fort silly - fort sill
fort useless - fort eustis
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".
relaxin' jackson - fort jackson
mother rucker - fort rucker, home of the army's helicopter flight school
nicknames for units
2nd all-criminals regiment - 2nd acr, refers to the former 2nd armored cavalry regiment (now simply 2nd cavalry), 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 that the inclusion of the word '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.used in refrerence to the significant gang mentality of many military dependants at fort bragg.
the air raft - 82nd airborne division from the stylized "aa" cypher (for "all americans") on the division's patch.
the blackhorse - 11th armored cavalry regiment, in the early 1900's the regiment was camped at the presidio, and the residents of san franciso nicknamed the regiment due to majority of their horses being black in color
bro - from an acronym for the first infantry division's 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 frtiz.
choking chickens, puking buzzards, or screaming chickens - 101st airborne division, from "screaming eagles" motto
the first team - the first cavalry division.
gaggin' dragon - the u.s. 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 that even admin clerks in the 82nd wore berets.
rock of the marne - 3rd infantry division, nickname earned in the battle of the marne, world war i.
the ivy division - the fourth (or iv) infantry division whose patch lookes like four ivy leaves. also described as "four 2lt's pointing north".
the jumping through our asses division - 82nd airborne division.
leaning shithouse - 1st corps support command (now 1st sustainment command) units, due to the unit patch, an arrow pointing to the 10 o'clock position [1]
nasty girls, nasty guard, no-go - national guard soldiers
t-patchers - u.s. 36th infantry division comes from the "t" on their shoulder patches.
the varsity - the fourth infantry division.
da:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_o...nd_expressions
...bhoo!!)
Non so cosa ci sia di male a dormire nelle oasi o tra le palme a me piace. Certo, io temo le noci di cocco tantissimo. Ma piace anche a me.
Originariamente inviata da Pj Tomahawk
