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GI or G.I. is a term describing members of the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 armed forces or items of their equipment. It may be used as an adjective or as a noun. The term is often thought to be an initialism
Acronym and initialism

Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. These components may be individual letters or parts of words ....
 of "Government Issue", "General Issue", or "General Infantry" but actually refers to galvanized iron. The letters "G.I." used to denote equipment made from galvanized iron, such as metal trash cans, in U.S. Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 inventories and supply records.






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GI or G.I. is a term describing members of the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 armed forces or items of their equipment. It may be used as an adjective or as a noun. The term is often thought to be an initialism
Acronym and initialism

Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. These components may be individual letters or parts of words ....
 of "Government Issue", "General Issue", or "General Infantry" but actually refers to galvanized iron. The letters "G.I." used to denote equipment made from galvanized iron, such as metal trash cans, in U.S. Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 inventories and supply records. During World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, U.S. soldiers sardonically referred to incoming German artillery shells as "GI cans"; it was assumed that "GI" stood for "Government Issue". The term was later applied to all military equipment, then to the soldiers themselves.

The term reached its apex with the deployment of American troops during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. However, the term G.I. was always used much more by civilians and the media than it was by Army soldiers themselves. By the time of the Korean War, the term was largely restricted to use by the press, war correspondents in particular.

See also

  • Dogface (military)
    Dogface (military)

    Dogface refers to a United States Army foot soldier serving in the infantry, especially in World War II....
  • Doughboy
    Doughboy

    Doughboy is an outdated slang term for a United States Army infantryman, best known from its use in World War I, although it dates back to the Mexican-American War of 1846-48....
  • G.I. Generation
  • G.I. Bill
  • G.I. Joe
    G.I. Joe

    G.I. Joe is a line of military-themed articulated "action figures" produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S....
  • G.I. Blues
    G.I. Blues

    G.I. Blues is a 1960 in film Elvis Presley musical film motion picture played as a romantic comedy. It was filmed while Presley was fulfilling his military service obligation with the United States Army in West Germany....
  • Folk etymology