This is a list of acronym

Acronym and initialism

Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...

s, expressions, euphemism

Euphemism

A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...

s, jargon

Jargon

Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...

, military slang

Military slang

Military slang is an array of colloquial terminology used commonly by military personnel, including slang which is unique to or originates with the armed forces. It often takes the form of abbreviations/acronyms or derivations of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, or otherwise incorporates aspects of...

, and sayings in common or formerly common use in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. Many of the words or phrases have varying levels of acceptance among different units or communities, and some also have varying levels of appropriateness (usually dependent on how senior the user is in rank). Many terms also have equivalents among other service branches that are not acceptable amongst Marines, but are comparable in meaning. Many acronyms and terms have come into common use from voice procedure

Voice procedure

Voice procedure includes various techniques used to clarify, simplify and standardize spoken communications over two-way radios, in use by the military, in civil aviation, police and fire dispatching systems, citizens' band radio , etc....

 use over communication channels, translated into the phonetic alphabet, or both. Many are or derive from nautical terms

Glossary of nautical terms

This is a glossary of nautical terms; some remain current, many date from the 17th-19th century. See also Wiktionary's nautical terms, :Category:Nautical terms, and Nautical metaphors in English.- A :...

 and other naval terminology. Most vehicles and aircraft have a formal acronym and/or an informal nickname, those are detailed in their own articles.

The scope of this list is to include words and phrases that are unique to or predominantly used by the Marine Corps or the United States Naval Service. For other military slang lists, see the "See also" section.

0–9

• 29 Stumps – Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
  Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
  The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center , also known as 29 Palms, is a United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynine Palms in southern San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000...
  
  , so named for its desolation.

• 360 – complete circle on a compass (360°); to put protection all around.

• 48, 72, & 96 – in hours, the standard holiday periods of two, three, or four days of liberty.

• 7 Day Store – Convenience store.

• 782 gear or deuce gear – standard issue web gear, combat gear, or field equipment, such as ALICE
  All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
  The All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, or ALICE system, was adopted as United States Army Standard A on 17 January 1973 to replace the M-1956 Load-Carrying Equipment [LCE] and M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment [MLCE]. ALICE gear is still in some limited use in the US...
  
  , MOLLE
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
  , or ILBE. Named after standard Marine Corps Form 782, which Marines formerly signed when they took custody of and responsibility for their equipment.

• 8 bells – signal for the end of a four-hour watch, so named for the increase in bell strikes by two at each hour of the watch.

• 8th & I – nickname for Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
  Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
  Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806, and main ceremonial...
  
   so named from its street address at the corner of 8th and I Streets SE
  Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.
  The streets and highways of Washington, D.C. form the core of the city's surface transportation infrastructure. As a planned city, streets in the capital of the United States follow a distinctive layout and addressing scheme...
  
  .

A

• above my/your pay grade
  Pay grade
  Pay grades are used by the uniformed services of the United States to determine wages and benefits based on the corresponding military rank of a member of the services...
  
  – expression denying responsibility or authority (indicating that the issue should be brought to higher-ranking officials).

• acquire – euphemism denoting theft
  Theft
  In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
  
  , sometimes jokingly referred to as "tactical".

• acting jack – assistant drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  , or an acting Corporal.

• AHA – Ammunition
  Ammunition
  Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
  
   Holding Area, where ammo is stored and issued. See also ASP.

• ahoy – traditional nautical greeting, used for hailing other boats.

• airdale – person who works in aviation
  Aviation
  Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
  
  ; not to be confused with Airedale Terrier
  Airedale Terrier
  The Airedale Terrier is a breed of the terrier type that originated in Airedale, a geographic area in Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds...
  
  .

• Air Force
  United States Air Force
  The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
  
   salute – to say, "I don't know" by a shrug
  Shrug
  A shrug is a form of nonverbal communication that is performed by lifting both shoulders up, and is an indication of an individual either not knowing an answer to a question, or not caring about a result. It can also be used when someone is simply ignoring the person's question. It may be...
  
  .

• Air Force pockets or Army gloves – an individual's hands being inside his or her pockets.

• ALICE – All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
  All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
  The All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, or ALICE system, was adopted as United States Army Standard A on 17 January 1973 to replace the M-1956 Load-Carrying Equipment [LCE] and M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment [MLCE]. ALICE gear is still in some limited use in the US...
  
  , an older form of combat gear still in occasional use in some Marine activities, replaced by MOLLE
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
   and ILBE.

• all hands – entire ship's company or unit personnel, including all officers and enlisted personnel; also, the official Navy magazine
  All Hands
  All Hands Magazine of the U.S. Navy is the title of a monthly published magazine of the United States Navy for its sailors . It is published since August 1922 under different names; the current title was established in 1945....
  
  .

• alphas or class As – Service Alpha uniform from the phonetic letter A
  A
  A is the first letter and a vowel in the basic modern Latin alphabet. It is similar to the Ancient Greek letter Alpha, from which it derives.- Origins :...
  
  .

• amtrac or amtrack – portmanteau for amphibious tractor
  Landing Vehicle Tracked
  The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...
  
  ; not to be confused with the railroad company Amtrak
  Amtrak
  The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
  
  .

• ANGLICO – Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.

• ant farm or ant hill – combat outpost with a large number of radio antennae
  Antenna (radio)
  An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
  
   visible.

• APC – large, white tablet formerly issued for minor discomfort, that was commonly (albeit mistakenly) called an "all-purpose capsule," in reality named after its ingredients: aspirin
  Aspirin
  Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
  
  , phenacetin
  Phenacetin
  Phenacetin is an analgesic, once widely used; its use has declined because of its adverse effects.-History:Phenacetin was introduced in 1887, and was used principally as an analgesic, and was one of the first synthetic fever reducers to go on the market...
  
  , and caffeine
  Caffeine
  Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
  
  ; replaced by 800 mg ibuprofen
  Ibuprofen
  Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for relief of symptoms of arthritis, fever, as an analgesic , especially where there is an inflammatory component, and dysmenorrhea....
  
   today; less commonly refers to an armored personnel carrier
  Armoured personnel carrier
  An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
  
  , primarily an Army term.

• ARMY – Aren't Ready for Marines Yet/Aren't Really Men Yet, pejorative backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
   used by other branches.

• Asia
  Asia
  Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
  
  tic – mildly deranged or eccentric as a result of too much foreign duty, or one who has missed too many boats.

• ASP – Ammunition
  Ammunition
  Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
  
   Supply Point, where ammo is stored and issued. See also AHA.

• ass pack – small pack worn around the belt above the buttocks, similar to Fanny pack
  Fanny pack
  A fanny pack , belt pack , belly bag , Buffalo pouch , hip sack , waist bag , hip pack , bum bag , cangurera , banano or moon bag is a small fabric pouch secured with a zipper and worn by use of a strap around the hips or...
  
  . See also butt pack.

• as you were – order to disregard the immediately preceding order, often in response to a call to "attention on deck" or when the orders issued were mistaken, commonly misused as "as I was" when speaking to a superior. There is no "as I was", it is always "as you were".

• ate up – person unaware of what's going on; one who is always lazy, in disarray, and unsatisfactory.

• aviation units – See also active squadrons, inactive squadrons, & aviation support units
  • HAMS – Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron, also H&MS
  • HMX – Marine Helicopter Squadron
  • HMH – Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
  • HML – Marine Light Helicopter Squadrons
  • HMLA – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron
  • HMLAT – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron
  • HMM – Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron
  • HMT – Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron
  • HMMT – Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron
  • LAAD Bn – Low-altitude Air Defense Battalion
  • MACG – Marine Air Command Group
  • MACS – Marine Air Control Squadron
  • MAMS – Marine Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • MASS – Marine Air Support Squadron
  • MALS – Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron
  • MATCS – Marine Air Traffic Control Squadron
  • MOTS – Marine Operational Training Squadrons
  • MTACS – Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron
  • MWSS – Marine Wing Support Squadron
  • MWCS – Marine Wing Communications Squadron
  • MWHS – Marine Wing Headquarters squadron
  • VMAQ – Marine Electronic Warfare Squadron
  • VMA – Marine Attack Squadron
  • VMAT – Marine Attack Training Squadron
  • VMB – Marine Bombing Squadrons
  • VMC – Marine Composite Squadrons
  • VMCJ – Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadrons
  • VMD – Marine Photographic Squadrons
  • VMF – Marine Fighter Squadron
  • VMF(N) – Marine Night Fighter Squadrons
  • VMFA – Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
  • VMFA(AW) – Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron
  • VMFAT – Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron
  • VMFP – Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
  • VMGR – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron
  • VMGRT – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Training Squadron
  • VMJ – Marine Reconnaissance Squadron / Marine Target Towing Detachments
  • VML – Marine Glider Squadron
  • VMM – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron
  • VMMT – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron
  • VMO – Marine Observation Squadron
  • VMP – Marine Patrol Squadron
  • VMR – Marine Transport Squadrons
  • VMS – Marine Scouting Squadrons
  • VMSB – Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons
  • VMTB – Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadrons
  • VMTD – Marine Target Towing Detachments
  • VMU – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron
  • VMX – Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron
  • ZMQ – Marine Barrage Balloon Squadrons

• aye-aye or aye – nautical term used as a response to orders meaning "I understand the orders I have received and will carry them out"; aye (descended from Middle English yai) dialectical for 'yes', once common in the regions from which the Royal Navy drew its sailors.

B

• baby dick – small hot dog
  Hot dog
  A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
  
   or sausage
  Sausage
  A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
  
  .

• baby G – Brigadier General
  Brigadier general (United States)
  A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
  
  , the lowest ranking general.

• Back on the block – Behaving informally, like a civilian.

• bag nasty – A-ration
  A-ration
  A-ration is a term used in the United States armed forces for a meal provided to troops which is prepared using fresh, refrigerated, or frozen foods. The use of fresh, refrigerated or frozen foods distinguish 'A' rations from 'B' rations, which use canned or preserved ingredients to enable them to...
  
   bagged meal issued to Marines (usually recruits or in the field) that usually contains: a sandwich (ham, turkey, and bologna are common), a hard boiled egg, fruit, and a small bag of potato chips; often served with a beverage such as juice or milk.

• BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing
  Basic Allowance for Housing
  Basic Allowance for Housing is a United States military entitlement given to many military members. It was previously called Basic allowance for quarters .-How It Works:...
  
  , a pay addendum that allows a servicemember to maintain housing appropriate for his or her dependents when not living in government quarters; formerly known as Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ).

• BAM – pejorative, Broad Assed Marine, term for women Marines.

• BAMCIS – mnemonic
  Mnemonic
  A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
  
   for the troop leading steps, a tactical decision making process; denotes: Begin the planning, Arrange reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
  
  , Make reconnaissance, Complete the planning, Issue order, Supervise.

• barracks cover – fabric-covered frame cap
  Peaked cap
  A peaked cap, forage cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies...
  
  , worn green with the service uniform and white with the dress uniform; traditionally, officers wear this cap with the quatrefoil
  Quatrefoil
  The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
  
   and gilt devices that increase with rank.

• barracks queen – woman (servicewoman or civilian) who has had sex with a large number of servicemen in a unit.

• barracks rat – servicemember who rarely voluntarily leaves his or her living quarters.

• BAS – Battalion Aid Station, a unit's medical post ashore for routine illnesses and injuries; also Basic Allowance for Subsistence
  United States Military Pay
  United States Military Pay is money paid to members in the United States Armed Forces. The amount of pay may vary by the member's rank, time in the military, location duty assignment, and by some special skills the member may have.-Pay versus Allowance:...
  
  , a pay addendum that allows a servicemember to feed his or her family in lieu of government dining facilities. See also sick bay.

• Battalion Lance Corporal – most senior non-NCO in the unit; the Lance Corporal who, while having a lot of time in grade, is the least likely to be promoted to the rank of Corporal. See also terminal lance.

• battle blaze – original name for the 1st & 2nd Marine Division shoulder sleeve insignias designed after the units' service in the Battle of Guadalcanal
  Guadalcanal campaign
  The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
  
  .

• battle buddy
  Battle buddy
  A Battle Buddy is a partner assigned to a fellow soldier in the United States Armed Forces.  Assigned in pairs, each Battle Buddy is expected to assist his or her partner both in and out of combat...
  
  – sarcastic euphemism deriving from orders for Marines to not go on liberty alone when stationed overseas.

• battle pin – tie clasp or tie tack, originally a metal collar bar worn on the shirt collar until the beginning of World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .

• battle zero or battle sight zero or BZO – calibrated
  Calibration
  Calibration is a comparison between measurements – one of known magnitude or correctness made or set with one device and another measurement made in as similar a way as possible with a second device....
  
   settings on the sights
  Sight (device)
  A sight is a device used to assist aligning or aim weapons, surveying instruments, or other items by eye. Sights can be a simple set or system of markers that have to be aligned together as well as aligned with the target...
  
   of a weapon that allow the shooter to overcome various factors and hit accurately at a given range, used as a default before adjusting windage
  Windage
  Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object.There are two causes of windage:# the object is moving and being slowed by resistance from the air...
  
   or elevation
  Elevation (ballistics)
  In ballistics, the elevation is the angle between the horizontal plane and the direction of the barrel of a gun, mortar or heavy artillery. Originally, elevation was a linear measure of how high the gunners had to physically lift the muzzle of a gun up from the gun carriage to hit targets at a...
  
  ; also used as a verb when firing to triangulate a BZO by trial and error.

• BB
  BB gun
  BB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed; those are usually used for bird hunting. Modern day BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel, with a bore...
  
   counter or BB stacker – servicemember whose duties relate to the storage, issue, or handling of ordnance
  Ammunition
  Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
  
  .

• BCGs or BCs – Birth Control Glasses
  GI glasses
  GI glasses are eyeglasses issued by the American military to its service members. Dysphemisms for them include the most common birth control glasses and variants. At one time they were officially designated as "Regulation Prescription Glasses", or "RPGs". This was commonly said to mean "Rape...
  
   or Boot Camp Glasses, unattractive military issue glasses worn at recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  ; so named that the wearer could not influence the opposite sex into sexual relations
  Human sexual behavior
  Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...
  
  . See also portholes & RPGs.

• beans, bullets and bandages – expression used to refer to those things a logistician must provide his or her unit: rations, ammunition
  Ammunition
  Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
  
  , and medical care.

• beer garden
  Beer garden
  Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
  
  – area set aside for the social consumption of alcohol and smoking of tobacco; may contain barbecue
  Barbecue
  Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
  
   or picnic
  Picnic
  In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
  
   facilities.

• beer-thirty – time of dismissal from the day's duties (and thus allowed to drink alcohol). See also COB.

• belay – to cancel an order; to stop; to firmly secure a line
  Belaying
  thumb|200px|right|A belayer is belaying behind a lead climberBelaying refers to a variety of techniques used in climbing to exert friction on a climbing rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far...
  
  .

• below – down the ladder well; below decks.

• BEQ – Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, living spaces for single enlisted Marine, usually a barracks
  Barracks
  Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
  
  .

• BCD – Bad Conduct Discharge, also nicknamed Big Chicken Dinner.

• big green weenie – an expression denoting that a Marine has been "fucked over" or cheated by the Marine Corps, usually in relation to an inconvenience or unfair treatment.

• billet
  Billet
  A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....
  
  – specific role or job within the unit (for example, the billet of Company
  Company (military unit)
  A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
  
   First Sergeant is held by the senior enlisted advisor
  Senior Enlisted Advisor
  A Senior Enlisted Advisor in the United States armed forces is the most senior enlisted service member in a unit, and acts as an advisor to the commanding officer. Most units will have a formal billet for the senior enlisted advisor, from a platoon's platoon sergeant to the Senior Enlisted Advisor...
  
  , usually a First Sergeant
  First Sergeant
  First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
  
  , but could be a Master Sergeant
  Master Sergeant
  A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
  
   or Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
  
  ); not to be confused with rank, though some billets have a traditionally-held rank associated.

• binnacle list – sick list, a list of men excused from duty; traditionally, it was posted on or near the binnacle
  Binnacle
  A binnacle is a waist-high case or stand on the deck of a ship, generally mounted in front of the helmsman, in which navigational instruments are placed for easy and quick reference as well as to protect the delicate instruments. Its traditional purpose was to hold the ship's magnetic compass,...
  
  .

• bird, ball, and hook – pejorative for Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
  Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
  The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the British Royal Marines. The present emblem, adopted in 1966, differs from the emblem of...
  
  .

• bird farm – pejorative for aircraft carrier
  Aircraft carrier
  An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
  
  .

• blanket party
  Hazing
  Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
  
  – group assault on a service member, repeatedly striking him or her, preceded by covering the victim's head by a blanket so he or she cannot identify the perpetrators.

• blood stripe
  Blood stripe
  A blood stripe refers to a scarlet stripe worn down the outside leg seams of trousers on the dress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. This red stripe is for general officers, for other officers, and for enlisted Staff Noncommissioned Officers and Noncommissioned Officers...
  
  – scarlet trouser stripe worn on the blue dress trousers, awarded to Marine officers and NCO
  Non-commissioned officer
  A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
  
  s due, according to legend, to their high fatality rates in the Battle of Chapultepec
  Battle of Chapultepec
  The Battle of Chapultepec, in September 1847, was a United States victory over Mexican forces holding Chapultepec Castle west of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War.-Background:On September 13, 1847, in the costly Battle of Molino del Rey, U.S...
  
  . Also a form of hazing where fellow NCO's inflict damage to the outer thighs of a newly promoted Corporal.

• blooper – grenade launcher
  Grenade launcher
  A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
  
  , from the distinctive noise made when firing. See also thump gun.

• blouse – military dress coat or jacket; or as a verb to tuck one's trousers into boots or otherwise secure excess pants legging.

• BLT – Battalion Landing Team, the ground combat element
  Ground combat element
  In the United States Marine Corps, the Ground combat element is the land force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force . It provides power projection and force for the MAGTF.-Role within the MAGTF:...
  
   of a MEU
  Marine Expeditionary Unit
  A Marine expeditionary unit , formerly called Marine amphibious unit , is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the United States Fleet Marine Force...
  
  ; not to be confused with a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich
  BLT sandwich
  A BLT is a type of bacon sandwich. The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and bread. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made...
  
  .

• blues – Blue Dress uniform.

• Bn – abbreviation for battalion
  Battalion
  A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
  
  .

• boat
  Boat
  A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
  
  – naval vessel, considered a pejorative because all commissioned
  Ship commissioning
  Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
  
   vessels
  Naval ship
  A naval ship is a ship used for combat purposes, commonly by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose...
  
   other than submarines are known as "ship
  Ship
  Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
  
  s".

• boondoggle
  Boondoggle (project)
  A boondoggle is a project that is considered to waste time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy motivations.- Etymology :...
  
  – wasteful project or trip on government time and/or expense that serves no purpose other than to entertain the person making it.

• boot – recruit, or derisive term for a Marine just out of training.

• boots and utes or boots'n'utes – boots and utility uniform
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
  , minus the blouse; sometimes used for physical training or working in hot environments.

• boot bands or blousing bands – elastic straps or coiled springs used to roll trouser legging under at the boot and simulate tucking into the boot itself; used in blousing boots.

• boot camp
  United States Marine Corps Recruit Training
  United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, commonly known as "boot camp", is a program of initial training that each recruit must successfully complete in order to join the United States Marine Corps...
  
  – recruit training for enlisted Marines at Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
  
  , SC
  South Carolina
  South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
  
   and San Diego
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
  
  , CA
  California
  California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
  
  ; while there are several explanations for it being so named, many refer to the fact that recruits wear boots nearly every day of their training.

• BOQ – Bachelor Officer Quarters, housing for single Marine officers.

• box-kicker – pejorative for servicemember who works in supply, specifically, a warehouse
  Warehouse
  A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
  
   clerk.

• boxsee – hospital corpsman
  United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
  A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
  
  , from the Vietnamese
  Vietnamese language
  Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
  
   word "Bac Si" meaning "doctor". See also doc.

• brain bucket – helmet
  Helmet
  A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
  
  .

• brain-housing group – thought processing, used as a parallel to a rifle's trigger housing group.

• brain strap elastic strap used for securing eyeglasses during rigorous activities, usually found on BCG's

• brass – brass
  Brass
  Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
  
   uniform items; expended casings from weapons; term for senior officers from the metal of their rank insignia
  United States Marine Corps rank insignia
  Marine ranks in descending order, with tables indicating abbreviations in the style used by the United States Marine Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:-Commissioned Officers:...
  
  .

• brat – longtime dependent children.

• the bricks – barracks
  Barracks
  Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
  
  .

• brig
  Military prison
  A military prison is a prison operated by the military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, enemy combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members of the military found guilty of a serious crime...
  
  – prison
  Prison
  A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
  
   or place of confinement aboard ship or ashore at a Marine Corps or naval station.

• brig rat – person who has served much brig time, a habitual offender.

• brightwork – brass or shiny metal, which Marines must polish.

• broke-dick – servicemember on light, limited, or no duty status for medical reasons; also malfunctioning or unserviceable equipment.

• brown-bagger
  Packed lunch
  thumb|A typical American bagged lunchthumb|[[Bento]] packed lunchA packed lunch is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, a workplace, or at an outing...
  
  – a servicemember (usually married) who lives off base with his family, termed because he or she does not eat at the mess hall and must bring his/her meals with him.

• buddy-fucker or blue falcon – negligent or malicious disregard for another servicemember's career, comfort, or time, often for personal gain.

• bug juice – insect repellent
  Insect repellent
  An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products available based on sound production, particularly ultrasound...
  
  ; also flavored juice made from a powder (such as Kool-Aid
  Kool-Aid
  Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
  
  ).

• bulkhead
  Bulkhead (partition)
  A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
  
  – wall.

• bum scoop – bad information.

• bus driver – Air Force pilot, so termed for the appearance of early USAF uniforms and the function they serve.

• busted or busted down – reduced in rank, from the term meaning "caught in the act".

• butt pack – small waist pack worn around the belt above the buttocks, similar to Fanny pack
  Fanny pack
  A fanny pack , belt pack , belly bag , Buffalo pouch , hip sack , waist bag , hip pack , bum bag , cangurera , banano or moon bag is a small fabric pouch secured with a zipper and worn by use of a strap around the hips or...
  
  . See also ass pack.

• butts – pit(s) on a shooting range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   where targets are located. See also pits and pull butts / pits.

• butter bar – Second Lieutenant, so named for the single gold bar rank insignia.

• by the numbers or Barney
  Barney & Friends
  Barney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
  
  -style – to perform an action in sequence and strictly according to regulations, idiot proof
  Idiot Proof
  In modern English usage, the term "idiot proof" describes designs which inherently or by use of defensive design principles cannot be misused. The implication is that the design is usable even by someone of low intelligence who would not use it properly. The term came into use in the late 1970s to...
  
  , oversimplified for the benefit of lower-intelligence people.

• "by your leave, sir/ma'am." – expression used to render respect when overtaking a senior proceeding in the same direction, in conjunction with a salute; traditionally, the senior must offer permission before the junior passes him or her.

C

• C & S – "Clean & Sober" notation formerly entered on the liberty list beside the names of Marines returning from liberty in that condition.

• C2 – Command and control.

• CAC – Common Access Card
  Common Access Card
  The Common Access Card is a United States Department of Defense smart card issued as standard identification for active-duty military personnel, reserve personnel, civilian employees, other non-DoD government employees, state employees of the National Guard, and eligible contractor personnel.The...
  
  , an electronic identification method used to allow a person access to the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet
  Navy/Marine Corps Intranet
  The Navy/Marine Corps Intranet is a United States Department of the Navy outsourcing program, in which an outside contractor provides a vast majority of information technology services for the entire Department, including the United States Navy and Marine Corps.-Overview:As of March 2008, NMCI...
  
  .

• CACO – Casualty Assistance Calls/Counseling Officer, a Marine detailed to help the family of a Marine killed, wounded, or captured in the line of duty.

• call out – to challenge, often by announcing incriminating information about a person. See also drop a dime.

• cammies – camouflage utility uniform
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
  .

• campaign cover – official term for the brown campaign hat
  Campaign hat
  A campaign cover is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners .It is associated with the New Zealand Army, the Royal Canadian...
  
   worn by drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  s. See also field hat, hat, & smokey bear/brown.

• cannon cocker – artillery
  Artillery
  Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
  
  man. See also gun bunny and red leg.

• Canoe U. – nickname for United States Naval Academy
  United States Naval Academy
  The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
  
   at Annapolis
  Annapolis, Maryland
  Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
  
  , Maryland
  Maryland
  Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
  
  . See also South Maryland Small Boat & Barge Institute.

• Captain's Mast
  Mast (naval)
  In naval tradition, a mast is a non-judicial punishment disciplinary hearing in which a commanding officer studies and disposes of cases involving those in his or her command. If the officer is a captain, as in most cases, it is referred to as a captain's mast...
  
  – office hours afloat. The term "Captain's Mast" is almost universally negative, implying non-judicial punishment
  Nonjudicial punishment
  Non-judicial punishment in the United States military, is a form of military justice authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Non-judicial punishment or "NJP" permits commanders to administratively discipline troops without a court-martial...
  
  . The modern Navy and Marine Corps use the term "Meritorious Mast" to announce any ceremony involving the meritorious award of a higher rank or of a particular recognition or honor.

• carry on – order to continue after being interrupted.

• CAS – Close Air Support
  Close air support
  In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
  
  , aircraft fire on ground troops in support of nearby friendly troops.

• CASEVAC – CASualty EVACuation, emergency evacuation of injured personnel from combat zone by any modes of transport available, as opposed to a MEDEVAC carried out by ambulance
  Ambulance
  An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
  
   equipment designed solely for the purpose. See also MEDEVAC.

• Casual Company or CasCo – a holding unit/formation of Marines awaiting one of the following: discharge from the Corps, training (usually at a formal school), or deployment to a unit.

• CAX – Combined Arms
  Combined arms
  Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
  
   eXercise.

• CBRN – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear. See also NBC.

• CCU – Correctional
  Corrections
  In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....
  
   Custody Unit, a hard-labor and heavy discipline unit overseen by MPs or Navy Masters-at-Arms to which Marines and Sailors found guilty of minor UCMJ offenses through NJP are sent for up to 30 days in lieu of confinement in the brig.

• Chair Force – derogatory term for the US Air Force
  United States Air Force
  The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
  
  .

• chairborne or chairborne ranger – someone who works in an office environment, a play on airborne
  Airborne forces
  Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
  
  .

• chalk
  Chalk (military)
  In military terminology, a chalk is a specific aircraft load, especially a group of airborne soldiers which deploy from a single aircraft. A chalk often corresponds to a platoon sized unit for air-assault operations, or a company-minus sized organization for airborne operations...
  
  – squad of servicemembers in an aircraft that will or have been deployed to the ground (rappelling
  Abseiling
  Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
  
   or parachuting
  Parachuting
  Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
  
  ).

• charlie-foxtrot – Phonetic alphabet acronym used euphemistically in polite company. See also clusterfuck.

• charlies or chucks – The service "C" uniform, consisting of the short-sleeve khaki shirt and green trousers.

• chaser – shortened form of prisoner-chaser or brig chaser, an escort for a prisoner or detail of prisoners.

• check fire – order to stop firing due to a safety condition, possible error or mistarget.

• Chesty Puller
  Chesty Puller
  Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Puller is the most decorated U.S...
  
  – used in reference to Marines that have been awarded many ribbons and medals.

• chevron – symbols of enlisted ranks above private, usually not acceptably called "stripes" unless describing the rank insignia
  United States Marine Corps rank insignia
  Marine ranks in descending order, with tables indicating abbreviations in the style used by the United States Marine Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:-Commissioned Officers:...
  
   itself.

• China Marines
  China Marines
  The term China Marines originally referred to those United States Marines from the 4th Marine Regiment who were stationed in Shanghai, China during 1927 - 1941 to protect American citizens and their property in the Shanghai International Settlement during the Chinese Revolution and the Second...
  
  – those United States Marines from the 4th Marine Regiment who were stationed in Shanghai
  Shanghai
  Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
  
  , China
  China
  Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
  
   during 1927–1941

• Chinese field day – a form of field day where every item from a room is removed for cleaning; when tending to last much longer than necessary, it is used as a punishment, typically for unsatisfactory performance in routine field day.

• chit – voucher
  Voucher
  A voucher is a bond which is worth a certain monetary value and which may be spent only for specific reasons or on specific goods. Examples include housing, travel, and food vouchers...
  
  , receipt, letter, or note, entitling the bearer to special treatment, such as medical restrictions from duty; derived from Hindi
  Hindi
  Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
  
   word for "letter", "chitti".

• CIF – Consolidated Issue Facility, a place on a station where all personal equipment is stored and issued, often contracted to civilians.

• Cinderella
  Cinderella
  "Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
  
   liberty – liberty expiring at midnight.

• civ div – civilian
  Civilian
  A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
  
   life after leaving service.

• civvies – civilian clothing or mufti
  Mufti (dress)
  for more information see civilians Mufti, or civies/civvies , refers to ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a military or other uniform.-Origin:...
  
  .

• CLP – Cleaner, Lubricant, Preservative
  MIL-L-63460
  The United States Military Specification referred to as MIL-L-63460, "Military Specification, Lubricant, Cleaner and Preservative for Weapons and Weapons Systems" covers a type of cleaner, lubricant, and preservative used for weapons and weapons...
  
  , teflon-based cleaning and lubricating fluid used for maintaining small arms.

• clusterfuck – chaotic and messy situation; multiple mistakes or problems happening in rapid succession. See also goat rope / goat rodeo / goat screw.

• CMC – acronym for Commandant of the Marine Corps
  Commandant of the Marine Corps
  The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
  
  .

• CNN effect
  CNN effect
  The CNN effect is a theory in political science and media studies that postulates that the development of the popular 24-hour international television news channel known as Cable News Network, or CNN, had a major impact on the conduct of states' foreign policy in the late Cold War period and that...
  
  – fascination or disruption created by extensive, live television presence in a combat zone.

• COB – Close Of Business
  End Of Day
  End of day, end of business, close of business or COB is the end of the trading day in financial markets, the point when trading ceases. In some markets it is actually defined as the point in time a few minutes prior to the actual cessation of trading, when the regular traders' orders are no longer...
  
  , the end of working hours; or Close Order Battle, a synonym for CQB. See also beer-thirty.

• Colonel – proper means of addressing lieutenant colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
  s and colonel
  Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
  
  s.

• CONUS – CONtinental United States
  Contiguous United States
  The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
  
   (48 states excluding Alaska
  Alaska
  Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
  
   and Hawaii
  Hawaii
  Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
  
  ), as opposed to OCONUS.

• corfams or corframs – uniform dress shoe
  Dress shoe
  A dress shoe is a shoe to be worn at smart casual or more formal events. A dress shoe is typically contrasted to an athletic shoe....
  
  s made from poromeric imitation leather
  Artificial leather
  Artificial leather is a fabric or finish intended to substitute for leather in fields such as upholstery, clothing and fabrics, and other uses where a leather-like finish is required but the actual material is cost-prohibitive or unsuitable....
  
  .

• corpsman – Navy hospital corpsman
  United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
  A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
  
   attached to a Marine unit; also known as "doc"; inappropriate to address as "medic
  Combat medic
  Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
  
  " or "aid man". See also boxsee.

• cover – headgear; protection from enemy fire
  Cover (military)
  In military combat, the concept of cover refers to anything which is capable of physically protecting an individual from enemy fire. This differentiates it from the similar concept of concealment, in that an object or area of concealment only affords the benefit of stealth, not actual protection...
  
  .

• cover and alignment – when in a formation, this refers to the proper distance between those next to, in front of, and behind a person; to seek the proper interval.

• covered and uncovered – when wearing and not wearing headgear, respectively.

• CQB or CQC – Close Quarters Battle/Combat
  Close quarters battle
  Close quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
  
  , combat within a confined space, such as urban warfare
  Urban warfare
  Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level...
  
  . See also MOUT.

• crew-served – short for crew-served weapon; also large and very powerful, based on a crew-served weapon being such.

• cruise – deployment aboard ship; or enlistment period, inappropriately called a stint.

• CS
  CS gas
  2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the defining component of a "tear gas" commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent...
  
  – tear gas or 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, a white solid powder commonly used for CBRN defense training.

• cumshaw – something extra or free, given as a favor or gift; pidgin
  Pidgin
  A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
  
   expression using the Chinese
  Chinese language
  The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
  
   word for "grateful thanks", "kamsia".

D

• D & D – Drunk and Disorderly, an entry formerly made on the liberty list beside the name of any Marine returning from liberty in that condition.

• dai jobu – Japanese
  Japanese language
  is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
  
   for OK
  Okay
  "Okay" is a colloquial English word denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, or acknowledgment. "Okay" has frequently turned up as a loanword in many other languages...
  
  .

• daily 7 or daily 16 – stretches
  Static stretching
  Static stretching is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position and hold that position for 30 seconds to two minutes...
  
   and exercises
  Isometric exercise
  Isometric exercise or isometrics are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction...
  
   used as a warmup
  Warming up
  A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity , a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport...
  
   for other, more strenuous physical training
  Physical exercise
  Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
  
  .

• Dark Green/Light Green – Common reference to a Marine's skin color. Marines are not black or white, the saying goes, only different shades of green.

• dead horse – to draw advance pay out of the normal pay cycle, the Marine is then obligated to repay the debt at the government's convenience.

• deck
  Deck (ship)
  A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
  
  – floor or surface of the earth; to punch or knock down with one blow.

• deep six – to dispose of by throwing overboard ship.

• detachment
  Detachment (military)
  A detachment is a military unit. It can either be detached from a larger unit for a specific function or be a permanent unit smaller than a battalion. The term is often used to refer to a unit that is assigned to a different base from the parent unit...
  
  – a portion of a unit sent independently of its parent organization, usually in support of a larger headquarters; or a small stand alone unit isolated geographically from its parent command.

• deuce
  Deuce
  Deuce, derived from French, refers to the number two and is commonly used to refer to the 2 in poker and other card games.Deuce may also refer to:-People:*Deuce McAllister, an American football player for the New Orleans Saints...
  
  – reference to the number two in various unit or equipment names.

• deuce gear – see 782 gear, from the last digit in that term.

• Devil Dog
  Devil Dog
  Teufel Hunden, a mistranslation of Devil Dogs in German, is a motivational nickname for a U.S. Marine.-U.S. Marine Corps legends:...
  
  or Devil – nickname for Marines, from the German
  German language
  German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
  
   word "Teufelhunden", supposedly given by German troops at the Battle of Belleau Wood
  Battle of Belleau Wood
  The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S...
  
  , though the correct grammatical form would be "Teufelshunde".

• devil dogging – correcting another Marine's minor deficiency, often in public with implied humiliation.

• devil pup – nickname for a Marine's child(ren); a member of the Young Marines
  Young Marines
  The Young Marines is a youth program in the United States, open to children from the ages of 8 years old through the completion of high school.- Role and purpose :* To promote the mental, moral, and physical development of its members...
  
  ; a patronizing nickname for a junior Marine.

• DI – Drill Instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  , inappropriate to use the Army term "drill sergeant".

• DI hut or duty hut – office for drill instructors in a platoon's squad bay; doubles as sleeping quarters for the drill instructor on duty. See also house mouse.

• dickskinner or dickbeater – human hand
  Hand
  A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
  
  .

• diddy bop – poor performance in close order drill, or marching in a manner that does not present a crisp military appearance. One who conducts himself/herself in this manner is labelled a diddy bopper.

• DIET – Deep Infiltration and Extraction Team, to "leap frog" across great distances by utilizing CH-53 helicopters as ground refueling points to perform special missions; later known as FARP. First developed in 1979 at HMX-1 as a means of immediate extraction of POTUS. Later, the concept was refined and expanded to complement SPMAGTF, DoD and POTUS special missions. The process was revealed to FMF units in 1986. As with all SPMAGTF personnel, identy of members remains classified.

• digis or diggis – digital camouflage such as MARPAT
  MARPAT
  MARPAT is a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform , which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. The pattern is formed by a number of small rectangular pixels of color...
  
  ; also refers to the digital-patterned MCCUU
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
  .

• Disneyland
  Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
  Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
  
   East – Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions...
  
   at Arlington, Virginia
  Arlington County, Virginia
  Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
  
  .

• Doc or Devil Doc – Navy hospital corpsman
  United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
  A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
  
   attached to the Marines. See also boxsee.

• dog
  Dog (engineering)
  In engineering a dog is a tool that prevents movement or imparts movement by offering physical obstruction or engagement of some kind. It may hold another object in place by blocking it, clamping it, or otherwise obstructing its movement...
  
  – small metal fitting used to secure watertight doors, hatches, covers, scuttles, etc.; also, to close/secure such door/hatch; also, slang for Marine, from the term Devil Dog
  Devil Dog
  Teufel Hunden, a mistranslation of Devil Dogs in German, is a motivational nickname for a U.S. Marine.-U.S. Marine Corps legends:...
  
  .

• dog and pony show
  Dog and pony show
  Dog and pony show is a colloquial term previously used in the United States in the late-19th and early-20th centuries to refer to small traveling circuses that toured through small towns and rural areas...
  
  – any display, demonstration, or appearance by Marines at the request of seniors for the pleasure of someone else, such as a ceremony or parade; also, pejorative for the requirement for over-perfection of such a venue.

• doggie – enlisted member of the United States Army
  United States Army
  The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
  
  , from the diminutive "dog-face".

• donkey dick – Specifically, a jerrycan
  Jerrycan
  A jerrycan is a robust fuel container originally made from pressed steel. It was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel. The development of the Jerrycan was a huge improvement on earlier designs, which required tools and funnels to use.-Uses:Today similar...
  
   fuel spout. Alternatively, slang for virtually any piece of equipment which has a generally cylindrical or phallic
  Phallus
  A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
  
   shape with unknown, or obscure official name.

• dope – information, or sight settings and/or wind corrections for a rifle under given conditions, possibly from aircraft dope
  Aircraft dope
  thumb|right|[[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|2699]] a [[World War I]] [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2]] finished in a clear dopeAircraft dope is a plasticised lacquer that is applied to fabric-covered aircraft...
  
  .

• downrange
  Downrange
  Downrange is the horizontal distance traveled by a spacecraft, or the spacecraft's horizontal distance from the launch site. More often, it is used as an adverb or adjective specifying the direction of that travel being measured in a horizontal direction....
  
  or down-range – dangerous area, from the portion of a shooting range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   that receives impacts; also the execution of a plan.

• DPICM – Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
  Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
  A Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions is an artillery or surface-to-surface missile warhead designed to burst into sub-munitions at an optimum altitude and distance from the desired target for dense area coverage. The sub-munitions are designed for both antiarmor and antipersonnel attack...
  
  s, a specialized artillery round that releases sub-munitions
  Cluster bomb
  A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
  
  .

• drill – close order drill, the procedures and methodology of handling weapons and moving
  Marching
  See also: Loaded marchMarching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady and rhythmic walking forward, usually associated with military troops.Marching is often performed to march music, and often associated with military parades....
  
   troops about in an orderly fashion, used to indoctrinate recruits in obedience to commands
  Drill commands
  Drill commands are generally used with a group that is marching, most often in military foot drill or marching band. All branches of the military use drill commands.-Command voice:Drill commands are best given when the person has an excellent command voice...
  
   and military appearance.

• DRMOed – to dispose of an item by taking it to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office
  Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
  DLA Disposition Services is part of the United States Defense Logistics Agency...
  
   (DRMO).

• drop a dime – to reveal incriminating information about a person. See also call out.

• dry fire
  Dry fire
  Dry firing is the practice of "firing" a firearm without ammunition. That is, to pull the trigger and allow the hammer or striker to drop on an empty chamber....
  
  – practice firing of a weapon without using ammunition in order to refine body position and other shooting fundamentals.

• DTG – date=Time Group
  Date-time group
  In communications messages, a date-time group is a set of characters, usually in a prescribed format, used to express the year, the month, the day of the month, the hour of the day, the minute of the hour, and the time zone, if different from Coordinated Universal Time...
  
  , a numeric code denoting the time and date of a message
  Automated Message Handling System
  The Automated Message Handling System is an automated message handling system that can be used to process, store, and disseminate legacy AUTODIN messages as well as Defense Message System messages...
  
  .

• dual-cool or double-trouble – a Marine that possesses both the parachutist
  Parachutist Badge (United States)
  The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy...
  
   and diver badges, usually associated with the Reconnaissance community
  United States Marine Air-Ground Task Force Reconnaissance
  The United States Marine Corps have many reconnaissance elements that are valuable to a Marine Air-Ground Task Force by providing the force and component commanders [i.e. Marine Expeditionary Force or Landing Force commanders] with maneuver space and reaction time, and prevent enemy forces and...
  
  .

• dummy cord – lanyard
  Lanyard
  A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
  
   or tether
  Tether
  A tether is a cord, fixture, or signal that anchors something movable to a reference point which may be fixed or moving. There are a number of applications for tethers: balloons, kites, tethered wind-energy conversion systems, anchors, tethered water-flow energy conversion systems, towing, animal...
  
   used to secure a piece of equipment to an anchor to prevent losing it.

• duty NCO or duty – sentry responsible for patrol and security of a specific area (usually a barracks and/or working space in garrison). See also fire watch and OOD

E

• EAS – End of Active Service, the date of discharge from active duty.

• EGA – Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
  Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
  The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps. The current emblem traces its roots in the designs and ornaments of the early Continental Marines as well as the British Royal Marines. The present emblem, adopted in 1966, differs from the emblem of...
  
  , the emblem of the Marine Corps.

• eight ball – a Marine who lacks an aggressive spirit.

• Eighth & I or Eighth & Eye – Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
  Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
  Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. is located at 8th and I Streets, Southeast in Washington, D.C. Established in 1801, it is a National Historic Landmark, the oldest post in the United States Marine Corps, the official residence of the Commandant of the Marine Corps since 1806, and main ceremonial...
  
  , located at 8th and I Streets SE
  Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.
  The streets and highways of Washington, D.C. form the core of the city's surface transportation infrastructure. As a planned city, streets in the capital of the United States follow a distinctive layout and addressing scheme...
  
  . See also 8th & I.

• EM – Enlisted Marine/Man, very inappropriate to use today.

• elephant hat – pith helmet
  Pith helmet
  The pith helmet is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of cork or pith...
  
   first issued in 1940 and worn by rifle range coaches today

• embed – embedded journalist assigned a slot within a combat unit.

• Ensign
  Ensign
  An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
  
  – colors, national flag; also the most junior commissioned officer rank in the US Navy
  United States Navy
  The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
  
  .

• EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
  Bomb disposal
  Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
  
  , responsible for the safe handling, deactivation, and removal of unexploded ordnance, the military version of a bomb squad.

• EPD – Extra Punitive Duties, punishment assigned where the individual is required to perform cleaning duties after working hours (on his or her liberty time).

• EPW – Enemy Prisoner of War
  Prisoner of war
  A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
  
  .

F

• Fallen Angel – Marine Officer who failed out of flight school and is now in another MOS.

• FAP – Fleet Assistance Program, a program designed to assign Marines to extra duties outside of his or her normal chain of command.

• FARP – Forward Area Refueling/Rearming Point or Forward Arming Refueling Point, a space on the battlefield designated for the re-arming and re-fueling of aircraft.

• fart sack – sleeping bag
  Sleeping bag
  A sleeping bag is a protective "bag" for a person to sleep in, essentially a blanket that can be closed with a zipper or similar means, and functions as a bed in situations where a bed is unavailable . Its primary purpose is to provide warmth and thermal insulation...
  
  ; linen a mattress is inserted into.

• fast-mover – fast-moving fixed-wing aircraft
  Fixed-wing aircraft
  A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
  
  ; term popular during the Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
   but fallen into disuse as jets
  Jet aircraft
  A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
  
   replaced propeller
  Propeller
  A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
  
   as the dominant aircraft.

• fat-body – overweight recruit or servicemember.

• FEBA – Forward Edge of the Battle Area
  Front line
  A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
  
  , the line of departure
  Line of Departure
  Line of Departure is a military term used to denote the starting position for an attack on enemy positions. During the Second World War, the term in use in the British, Canadian and American militaries was Start Line...
  
   where a unit enters enemy territory.

• Fiddler's Green
  Fiddler's Green
  Fiddler's Green is a legendary imagined afterlife, where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing, and dancers who never tire...
  
  – imaginary afterlife; paradise.

• field day – day or portion of day set aside for top-to-bottom cleaning of an area; also as a verb for the act of conducting a field day.

• field expediency – improvisation
  Improvisation
  Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
  
  , to make do with what's available.

• field hat – campaign cover
  Campaign hat
  A campaign cover is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners .It is associated with the New Zealand Army, the Royal Canadian...
  
  , a broad-brimmed felt hat, originally with one straight crease down the middle, then with a Montana peak, worn on expeditionary missions from 1912 to 1942, and then again authorized in 1961 for wear at recruit depots by drill instructors and rifle ranges by marksmanship instructors. See also campaign cover, hat, & smokey bear/brown.

• field meet – organized sporting competition, often involving athletics and/or soldierly skills.

• field music – drummer, trumpeter, bugler, fifer; mostly an antiquated term.

• field scarf – khaki uniform necktie
  Necktie
  A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
  
  .

• field-strip – to disassemble a piece of ordnance or weapon to the major part groups for routine cleaning or lubricating; to strip cigarette butts to their filters before throwing away.

• fifty-cal or fitty-cal – M2 Browning machine gun, from its .50 caliber ammunition
  .50 BMG
  The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
  
  . See also Ma Deuce.

• fighting hole
  Defensive fighting position
  A defensive fighting position is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate at least one person.- Terminology :...
  
  – a defensive position dug into the ground; can be dug for one Marine, a pair, or a weapon crew; formerly known as a "foxhole".

• final protective line – the perimeter at which the enemy has begun to overrun friendly troops, signals the commencement of final protective fire in desperate self-defense.

• fire for effect
  Fire for effect
  Fire for effect is a military term.According to NATO doctrine:* 1. Fire which is delivered after the mean point of impact or burst is within the desired distance of the target or adjusting/ranging point.* 2...
  
  – indicates that the adjustment/ranging of indirect fire
  Indirect fire
  Indirect fire means aiming and firing a projectile in a high trajectory without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire...
  
   is satisfactory and the actual effecting rounds should be fired; also a euphemism for the execution of a plan.

• fire watch – sentry on duty specifically guarding a person, place, object, or area in a non-combat area (such as a barracks); considered under arms but usually unarmed. See also duty & OOD.

• fire watch medal – pejorative for National Defense Service Medal
  National Defense Service Medal
  The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
  
  , so named because even recruits rate it despite firewatch being their most important duty.

• first shirt
  First shirt
  First Shirt is military slang for the First Sergeant of a unit of the United States Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps. In this context, the title "First Sergeant" refers to the senior non-commissioned officer of the unit, rather than specifically to the rank of First Sergeant...
  
  – company
  Company (military unit)
  A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
  
   or battery
  Artillery battery
  In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
  
   First Sergeant.

• fitness report or fitrep – report written on Marines (sergeant and above) detailing proficiency and conduct and fitness for command, reviewed for promotion.

• five-jump chump – a servicemember who has only performed the minimum five paratrooper
  Paratrooper
  Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
  
   jumps to receive the Basic Parachute Insignia, as opposed to the Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia, which requires additional jumps.

• flak jacket
  Flak jacket
  thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...
  
  – antiquated term for ballistic vest or body armor.

• float – deployment aboard ship.

• FMF or fleet – Fleet Marine Force
  Fleet Marine Force
  The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...
  
  , the operational forces of the Corps, as opposed to reserve or supporting establishment.

• FNG
  FNG syndrome
  "Fucking New Guy" , is a derogatory term, used within military of the USA deployed to South East Asia during the Vietnam War, usually to refer to newcomers.-Vietnam War overview:...
  
  – Fucking New Guy, derogatory term for a Marine recently graduated recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
   and new to a unit.

• Fobbie or Fobbit – A marine who rarely sees combat; pejorative term for marines stuck inside a forward operating base
  Forward Operating Base
  A forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...
  
  .

• fore-and-aft cap – soft green garrison cap
  Garrison cap
  A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...
  
   worn with the service uniform. See also piss cover/cutter.

• form ID-10T or ID-ten-tango – prank fool's errand
  Snipe hunt
  A snipe hunt, a form of wild-goose chase that is also known as a fool's errand, is a type of practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of credulous newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task...
  
   where an unsuspecting Marine is asked to find the fake item, not knowing it is an orthograph
  Orthography
  The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
  
   for "idiot".

• Fortitudine – former motto of the Corps in the 19th century (replaced by Semper Fidelis
  Semper fidelis
  Semper Fidelis is Latin for "Always Faithful" or "Always Loyal". Well known in the United States as the motto of the United States Marine Corps , Semper Fidelis has served as a slogan for many families and entities, in many countries, dated to have been started no later than the 16th century...
  
  ), from the Latin
  Latin
  Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
  
   word for "fortitude"; also the name of the Marine Corps History Division's quarterly magazine.

• foxhole
  Defensive fighting position
  A defensive fighting position is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate at least one person.- Terminology :...
  
  – fighting hole as termed by the Army and Marines of the past, no longer appropriate for Marine use.

• FRAGO – FRAGmentary Order, an addendum to published operational orders.

• frock
  Frocking
  Frocking is a United States military term for a commissioned or non-commissioned officer selected for promotion wearing the insignia of the higher grade before the official date of promotion . An officer or NCO who has been selected for promotion may be authorized to "frock" to the next grade...
  
  – to be authorized to wear the next higher grade before promotion, confers authority but not pay grade.

• FUBAR
  FUBAR
  FUBAR is an acronym that commonly means "fucked up beyond all recognition/any repair/all reason".-Etymology and history:The Oxford English Dictionary lists Yank, the Army Weekly magazine as its earliest citation: "The FUBAR Squadron.....
  
  – Fucked/Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition/Repair. See also SNAFU.

• FUBIJAR – Fuck yoU Buddy, I'm Just A Reservist.

• full-bird – Colonel
  Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
  
  , as opposed to a half-bird, light-colonel, or short-bird / short colonel, a Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
  ; so named because his or her rank insignia is a silver eagle.

G

• G-2 – an individual's intellect
  Intelligence
  Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
  
  , from designation for a staff intelligence organization.

• gaff off – to disregard or ignore a person or order, context usually denotes insubordination.

• gagglefuck – group of Marines grouped too closely or in an unorganized fashion; from gaggle
  Gaggle
  A gaggle is a term of venery for a flock of geese that isn't in flight; in flight, the group can be called a skein.In terms of geese, a gaggle is equal to at least five geese....
  
  , the term for a flock of grounded geese, and clusterfuck, a term for a messy situation.

• gangway – ship's passageway; also used to order juniors to give way to seniors in passageways, and particularly when going up and down ladders.

• garrison
  Garrison
  Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
  
  – in addition to the traditional meaning, an adjective referring to not being deployed or deployable, such as buildings at a unit's home base.

• garrison cap
  Garrison cap
  A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...
  
  or garrison cover – soft green folded cap worn with the service uniform. See also fore-and-aft cap and piss cover/cutter.

• gear – property or equipment; usually referring to an individual's combat equipment.

• gear adrift – gear found left lying around or unguarded, from the saying "gear adrift, must be a gift!".

• geedunk
  Gedunk bar
  A Gedunk bar or geedunk bar is the canteen or snack bar of a large vessel of the United States Navy. A service member who works in the geedunk is traditionally referred to only as that "geedunk guy" or "geedunk girl", or more informally as a "geedunkaroo". The term was popular during World War II...
  
  – candy and other sweets, or a location where such items are obtained (such as a store or vending machine
  Vending machine
  A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
  
  ); borrowed from the comic strip Harold Teen
  Harold Teen
  Harold Teen was a popular, long-running comic strip written and drawn by Carl Ed . Publisher Joseph Medill Patterson may have suggested, and certainly approved, the strip's concept, loosely based on Booth Tarkington's successful novel Seventeen. Asked in the late 1930s why he had started the strip,...
  
  . See also pogey bait.

• General
  General (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
  
  – method of addressing a Brigadier General
  Brigadier general (United States)
  A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
  
  , Major General
  Major general (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
  
  , Lieutenant General
  Lieutenant General (United States)
  In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
  
  , or General.

• general orders – list of 11 General Orders for Sentries
  General Orders for Sentries
  Orders to Sentry is the official title of a set of rules governing sentry duty in the United States armed forces. While any guard posting has rules that may go without saying , these orders are carefully detailed and particularly stressed in the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and...
  
   detailing rules for guard or sentry duty.

• gerbil launcher – M203 grenade launcher
  M203 grenade launcher
  The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
  
  .

• get some – spirited cry expressing approval and the desire for more or to continue, traditionally associated in the Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
   to killing or sex.

• GI shower – bathing with limited water (often with the use of wet wipe
  Wet wipe
  A wet wipe, also known as a wet nap, wet towel, or a moist towelette, is a small moistened piece of paper or cloth that often comes folded and individually wrapped for convenience...
  
  s); forcibly bathing an individual who refuses to meet minimum hygiene standards.

• Gitmo – U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
  Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
  
  .

• go-fasters – running shoes or sneakers, named so because they help a person run faster than boots.

• goat rope or goat rodeo or goat screw – chaotic and messy situation. See also cluster fuck.

• gomer or GOMER
  GOMER
  A GOMER is a medical slang term for a patient in a hospital who is demented or bordering on death, hence taking up room unnecessarily in the hospital...
  
  – antiquated slang for a stupid person, from the character Gomer Pyle
  Gomer Pyle
  Gomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
  
  ; or as a backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
   for "Get Out of My Emergency Room" used by corpsmen to refer to malingerers
  Malingering
  Malingering is a medical term that refers to fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of "secondary gain" motives, which may include financial compensation ; avoiding school, work or military service; obtaining drugs; getting lighter criminal sentences;...
  
   who faked illness to avoid duties.

• good cookie – Good Conduct Medal
  Good Conduct Medal
  The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
  
  .

• good to go – expression denoting that difficulties will be overcome; ready; well done or satisfactory.

• Gook – anything foreign or strange.

• Gore-Tex
  Gore-Tex
  Gore-Tex is a waterproof/breathable fabric, and a registered trademark of W. L. Gore and Associates. It was co-invented by Wilbert L. Gore, Rowena Taylor, and Gore's son, Robert W. Gore. Robert Gore was granted on April 27, 1976, for a porous form of polytetrafluoroethylene with a...
  
  – All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS), a cold/wet weather protective parka and trousers, based on the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System
  Extended Cold Weather Clothing System
  The Extended Cold Weather Clothing System is a protective clothing system developed in the 1980s by the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, Natick, Massachusetts...
  
  , usually in reference to the parka; from the fabric it is made from.

• gouge – information or news. See also word.

• grab-ass – horseplay, loafing, lounging.

• greens – service uniforms in reference to their color.

• grid squares – marked reference lines
  Geographic coordinate system
  A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
  
   on a map; often used as a prank fool's errand
  Snipe hunt
  A snipe hunt, a form of wild-goose chase that is also known as a fool's errand, is a type of practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of credulous newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task...
  
   where an unsuspecting Marine is asked to find a box of them when they don't physically exist.

• grinder – parade ground or deck used primarily for drill and/or formations.

• ground guide – person who walks in front of a vehicle in order to detect and avoid obstacles and guide the driver to the proper spot.

• grunt or ground pounder – infantry
  Infantry
  Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
  
  man, formerly a pejorative that has taken more neutral tones.

• GT score – intelligence, from the General Technical score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
  Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
  The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces...
  
   and the minimum scores that many Military Occupational Specialties require to qualify.

• guide – unit guidon-bearer; in recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  , also the senior recruit and responsible for the actions of all recruits in a platoon.

• gun bunny – artillery
  Artillery
  Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
  
  man, so named for the hearing loss associated with working around cannons. See also cannon cocker and red leg.

• Gung ho
  Gung-ho
  Gung ho is a slang term in American English used to mean "enthusiastic" or "dedicated" originally used in Marine slang.It is an anglicised pronunciation of "gōng hé" , the shortened version and slogan of the "gōngyè hézuòshè" or Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, which was abbreviated as INDUSCO in...
  
  – Chinese phrase meaning to "work together," it became the battle cry of the Marine Raiders
  Marine Raiders
  The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
  
  .

• gunner – shortened form of Marine Gunner, a nickname for an Infantry Weapons Officer
  Infantry Weapons Officer
  The United States Marine Corps MOS 0306, Infantry Weapons Officers, or Marine Gunners, are Chief Warrant Officers that are technical weapons specialists and are knowledgeable in the tactical employment of all the weaponry in Marine Corps arsenal; all weapons organic to the Marine infantry...
  
  ; used informally to refer to the Officer In Charge if he or she is of warrant officer
  Warrant Officer (United States)
  In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
  
   rank.

• Gunny – nickname for Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
  
  , improper to call a Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps...
  
   this.

• Gunny rolls – poorly-rolled sleeves on the MCCUU
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
  , so named from the tendency for some older Marines to take a sloppier approach to uniforms.

• gyrene – Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  -era nickname for Marine, often thought an insult; combination of the words "GI" and "Marine".

H

• H&S or Hide & Slide or Hate & Skate or HotDog & Soda Co. – Headquarters & Service/Supply Company
  Company (military unit)
  A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
  
  , much like a Headquarters Battalion.

• hack – arrest
  Arrest
  An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
  
  .

• hajji
  Hajji
  Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
  
  – Arab
  Arab
  Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
  
   or Middle East
  Middle East
  The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
  
  ern person or object, from the Arabic
  Arabic language
  Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
  
   term for one who has completed a pilgrimage
  Pilgrimage
  A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
  
   to Mecca
  Mecca
  Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
  
  , or "hajj
  Hajj
  The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
  
  "

• half-bird – Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
  , as opposed to a full-bird. See also short colonel.

• half-mast
  Half-staff
  Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
  
  – position of the ensign when hoisted to one flag/ensign height below the top, usually done in respect to a deceased person; also called "half-staff" amongst non-naval forces.

• hard charger or hard – term of endearment from a senior to a junior Marine when he or she completes a difficult task, so named for charging through the assignment; or general toughness.

• hashmark – service stripe
  Service stripe
  A service stripe, commonly called a hash mark, is a decoration of the United States military which is presented to enlisted members of the U.S. military to denote length of service. The United States Army awards each stripe for three years service, while the United States Navy, United States...
  
   worn on the uniform sleeve by enlisted men and women for completion of four years of honorable service in any of the U.S. Armed Services and Reserves.

• hat – drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  , so named for the distinctive campaign hat
  Campaign hat
  A campaign cover is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners .It is associated with the New Zealand Army, the Royal Canadian...
  
   they wear; usually reserved for other or former drill instructor use. See also campaign cover, field hat, & smokey bear/brown.

• hatch – door; more specifically, the watertight cover over an opening between compartments or that leads to the ladder wells between decks of a ship.

• HBT – HerringBone
  Herringbone (cloth)
  Herringbone describes a distinctive V-shaped weaving pattern usually found in twill fabric. It is distinguished from a plain chevron by the break at reversal, which makes it resemble a broken zigzag. The pattern is called herringbone because it resembles the skeleton of a herring fish...
  
   Twill
  Twill
  Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs . This is done by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step" or offset between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Because of this...
  
  ; the cotton material of Marine utilities from 1941 to the late 1950s.

• HDR – Humanitarian Daily Ration, a variation of the MRE used to feed a single malnourished person for one day with 2,300 calories.

• HE – High Explosive
  Explosive material
  An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
  
  , used to describe various kinds of ordnance
  Ammunition
  Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
  
  .

• head
  Head (watercraft)
  The head is a ship's toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship.-Design:In sailing ships the toilet was placed in the bow for two reasons...
  
  – bathroom
  Bathroom
  A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
  
   or latrine
  Latrine
  A latrine is a communal facility containing one or more commonly many toilets which may be simple pit toilets or in the case of the United States Armed Forces any toilet including modern flush toilets...
  
  , a nautical term from the days of sailing ships when the designated place to defecate and urinate was forward, at the bow
  Bow (ship)
  The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
  
   or "head" of the ship.

• head shed – command post or other headquarters area where senior Marines gather.

• headgear – hats, helmets, caps, etc.

• HEAT – High-Explosive AntiTank, type of tank round.

• heavy hat – junior drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
   who performs more discipline and punishment tasks than his peers.

• hell hole – hatch mounted in the deck of many helicopters (such as the CH-53E Super Stallion
  CH-53E Super Stallion
  The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the United States military. It was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, a seventh blade to the main rotor and canting the tail rotor 20 degrees. Sailors commonly refer to the Super...
  
  ) for rappeling
  Abseiling
  Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
  
   and cargo lifting.

• helo – Helicopter
  Helicopter
  A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
  
  . "Chopper" is an Army term.

• HEDP – High-Explosive Dual Purpose, type of armor piercing
  Armor-piercing shot and shell
  An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
  
   ammunition.

• high and right – losing one's temper or rationality; from the common error of a poor shooter to jerk the trigger and impact the upper right side of a target.

• high and tight
  High and tight
  The high and tight is a military variant of the buzz cut. It is a very short hairstyle most commonly worn by men in the armed forces of most countries. Due to the functionality of this hairstyle, it is also popular with law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel...
  
  – nickname for a common variant of the buzz cut
  Buzz cut
  A buzz cut, induction cut or wiffle is a very short haircut.The cut is usually performed using hair clippers without a comb guard. The sides are cut closely and then the top is either shaped or cut to the same short length all over. The cut takes just a few minutes to perform. A buzz cut can...
  
  , where the hair is clipped very close.

• high-speed – new, interesting, or cool; often used to sarcastically denote that the subject looks good, but performance is dubious.

• hillbilly armor – improvised vehicle armor
  Improvised vehicle armour
  Improvised vehicle armour is vehicle armour added in the field that was not originally part of the design or centrally planned.Improvised vehicle armour has appeared on the battlefield for as long as there have been armoured vehicles in existence. In World War II, U.S. tank crews welded spare...
  
  .

• HIMARS – High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
  High Mobility Artillery rocket system
  The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a U.S. light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a truck.The HIMARS carries six rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles five-ton truck, and can launch the entire M270 Multiple...
  
  .

• HMMWV or humvee – High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle
  High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
  The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , better known as the Humvee, is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by smaller Jeeps such as the M151 MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV,...
  
  , common utility truck.

• Hollywood Marine – Marine graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
  
  , stemming from rivalry between the two recruit depots.

• homeslice – person, often a sarcastic overture to civilians from a drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  ; from the terms homie
  Homie
  Homie or homey is a slang term in urban culture whose origins etymologists generally trace to African American language from the late 19th century. This was a time when many African Americans were migrating to cities in larger numbers, and "homeboy" meant a male friend from back home. It was...
  
   and homeboy.

• homesteading – remaining at one duty station for an extended tour or consecutive tours.

• honcho or head honcho – person in charge, from the Japanese
  Japanese language
  is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
  
   word for "boss', "hanchō"; also a nickname for Okinawa
  Okinawa Island
  Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
  
  n taxi drivers.

• hooch or hootch – tent, hut, or otherwise temporary or ramshackle dwelling.

• Hot-Shit – sarcastic reference to an overly arrogant person.

• horse-cock sandwich – any sandwich or meal created using an unknown or mystery meat.

• house mouse – recruit tasked with cleaning and performing domestic chores in drill instructor-only areas. See also DI hut.

• housewife – girlfriend
  Girlfriend
  Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
  
  ; also sewing
  Sewing
  Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
  
   kit.

• HQMC – Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions...
  
  .

• hump – carry or lift a load, originally an Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  n term meaning "to carry one's swag,"; also a forced march carrying full equipment loads
  Loaded march
  A loaded march is a rapid march over distance carrying weight. The ability to complete loaded marches is a core military skill in many countries...
  
  .

• hurry up and wait – expression denoting inefficient time management or planning, often when a senior rushes a unit into a situation too fast that subsequently makes them wait.

• huss – to give a helping hand, so named because the H-34 Choctaw helicopter's utility configuration was designated as the "HUS-1 Seahorse," leading to Vietnam-era Marines that needed a medical evacuation helicopter to ask for or to be "cut a huss".

I

• I & I – Inspector-Instructor, an active duty Marine assigned to supervise the training of a reserve unit.

• IAW – In Accordance With, term often used to denote compliance with published orders or procedures.

• IED – Improvised Explosive Device
  Improvised explosive device
  An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
  
  , bomb constructed, set, and detonated in unconventional warfare; the acronym can be modified to denote a specific type of IED (such as VBIED, a Vehicle Borne IED).

• IG – Inspector General
  Inspector General
  An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
  
  .

• IG Inspection – official inspection of a command or unit by the IG or his representatives.

• ILBE – Improved Load Bearing Equipment, the newest iteration of personal combat gear, utilizes the PALS
  Pouch Attachment Ladder System
  The Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS is a grid of webbing invented and patented by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks...
  
  , replaced MOLLE
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
  .

• in country – phrase referring to being within a war zone.

• incentive/individual training or IT – physical training used as a punishment, especially in recruit training, sometimes nicknamed "incentive torture," "indoor tennis," or getting "thrashed/bent/slayed/destroyed" by recruits. See also pitting & quarterdecking.

• inkstick – pen
  Pen
  A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
  
  

• Irish pennant or IP – loose thread, string, or strap on a uniform or equipment that detracts from a perfect appearance.

• Iron Mike
  Iron Mike
  Iron Mike is the de facto name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is uniquely American slang used to refer to men who are especially tough, brave, and inspiring; it was originally a nautical term for a gyrocompass, used to keep a ship...
  
  – originally a nautical term for a gyrocompass
  Gyrocompass
  A gyrocompass­ is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...
  
  ; name for various memorial statues, such as at Parris Island, SC, Quantico, VA, and Belleau, France; nickname bestowed on Marines who score a perfect 300 points on the Physical Fitness Test
  United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test
  The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test and a Combat Fitness Test once per fiscal year. Each test must have an interval of 6 months . The PFT ensures that Marines are keeping physically fit and in a state of physical readiness. It consists of...
  
  ; nickname for a company
  Company (military unit)
  A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
  
   or battery
  Artillery battery
  In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
  
   named "M or "Mike" in NATO phonetic alphabet.

• IRR – Individual Ready Reserve
  Individual Ready Reserve
  The Individual Ready Reserve is a category of the Ready Reserve of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel, and is authorized under...
  
  , branch of the reserve that most former servicemembers fall under upon the end of active service, may be called to involuntarily return to active status.

J

• JAG – Judge Advocate General, colloquial name for the legal entity within the Marine Corps, more properly called Judge Advocate Division, from the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the naval officer who oversees both the Navy's and Marine Corps' legal entities; also, a television show
  JAG (TV series)
  JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
  
   by the same name.

• jarhead
  Jarhead
  Jarhead is a nickname for United States Marines personnel, due to their regulation high and tight haircutJarhead may also refer to:* Jarhead , US Marine Anthony Swofford's 2003 Gulf War memoir...
  
  – pejorative term for a Marine. Jarhead has several supposed origins: the regulation "High and Tight" haircut resembles a mason jar
  Mason jar
  A Mason jar is a glass jar used in canning to preserve food. They were invented and patented by John Landis Mason, a Philadelphia tinsmith in 1858. They are also called Ball jars, after Ball Corp., a popular and early manufacturer of the jars; fruit jars because they are often used to store...
  
   (to add insult, some note that the jar is an empty vessel, also therefore a Marine's head an empty vessel); the Mason Jar Company stopped making jars and made the helmets for Marines during World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .

• Jesus
  Jesus
  Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
  
   slippers or Jesus boots – government-issue sandals or flip-flops for sanitation in showers. See also shower shoes.

• JETDS – Joint Electronics Type Designation System
  Joint Electronics Type Designation System
  The Joint Electronics Type Designation System , which was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System, is a method developed by the U.S. War Department during World War II for assigning an unclassified designator to...
  
  , used to categorize the nomenclature
  Naming convention
  A naming convention is a convention for naming things. The intent is to allow useful information to be deduced from the names based on regularities. For instance, in Manhattan, streets are numbered, with East-West streets being called "Streets" and North-South streets called "Avenues".-Use...
  
   of electronic equipment.

• JJ DID TIE BUCKLE – mnemonic
  Mnemonic
  A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
  
   for the 14 leadership traits: Justice
  Justice
  Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
  
  , Judgement
  Judgement
  Judgment is the evaluation of evidence in the making of a decision. The term has three distinct uses:* Informal - Opinions expressed as facts....
  
  , Dependability
  Dependability
  Dependability is a value showing the reliability of a person to others because of his/her integrity, truthfulness, and trustfulness, traits that can encourage someone to depend on him/her.The wider use of this noun is in Systems engineering....
  
  , Initiative
  Initiative (disambiguation)
  Initiative is a process by which a referendum can be triggered by a petition of votersInitiative may also refer to:* In personal behavior, initiative is the ability and tendency to initiate: to start an action, including coming up with a proposal and giving or helping without first being requested...
  
  , Decisiveness, Tact
  Tact (psychology)
  Tact is a term that B.F. Skinner used to describe a verbal operant in which a certain response is evoked by a particular object or event, or property of an object or event. More generally, the tact is verbal contact with the physical world.Chapter five of Skinner's Verbal Behavior discusses the...
  
  , Integrity
  Integrity
  Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
  
  , Enthusiasm
  Enthusiasm
  Enthusiasm originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson's Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as "a vain belief of private revelation; a vain confidence of divine favour or...
  
  , Bearing, Unselfishness
  Altruism
  Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
  
  , Courage
  Courage
  Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
  
  , Knowledge
  Knowledge
  Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
  
  , Loyalty
  Loyalty
  Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause There are many aspects to...
  
  , Endurance
  Endurance
  Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
  
  .

• joe – coffee
  Coffee
  Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
  
  , so named because United States Secretary of the Navy
  United States Secretary of the Navy
  The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
  
   Josephus Daniels
  Josephus Daniels
  Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by United States President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I...
  
   eliminated beer
  Beer
  Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
  
   and wine
  Wine
  Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
  
   from naval ships, declaring nothing stronger than coffee would be allowed.

• John Wayne – P-38 can opener
  P-38 can opener
  The P-38, developed in 1942, is a small can opener issued in the canned field rations of the United States Armed Forces from World War II to the 1980s. Originally designed for and distributed in the K-ration, it was later included in the C-ration.- Design :...
  
  , a small folding blade used to open canned rations (such as K-ration
  K-ration
  The K-ration was an individual daily combat food ration which was introduced by the United States Army during World War II. It was originally intended as an individually packaged daily ration for issue to airborne troops, tank corps, motorcycle couriers, and other mobile forces for short durations...
  
  s or C-ration
  C-ration
  The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, or prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food or packaged unprepared food prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available, and when a survival ration was...
  
  s), so named because the actor
  John Wayne
  Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
  
   was shown in a training film using it.

• Joker – military journalist
  Journalist
  A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
  
  , from Private Joker from the movie Full Metal Jacket
  Full Metal Jacket
  Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
  
  ; also a derogatory term for a junior enlisted servicemember. Also, used by aviators, the time at which only 60 minutes of fuel remain.

• JTF – Joint Task Force
  Task force
  A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
  
  , a provisional unit or formation from more than one branch of service.

• jungle bunny – Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  –era phrase for infantry
  Infantry
  Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
  
  .

• junk on [the] bunk – inspection where all uniforms and equipment to be displayed is laid on the Marine's rack.

K

• K or klicks – kilometer.

• KA-BAR
  KA-BAR
  KA-BAR is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 as the 1219C2 Combat Knife , and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2...
  
  – fighting/utility knife first issued during World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .

• keeper – cloth loop on the green service blouse to hold the cloth belt neatly in place.

• kelly helmet or K-pot – 1917-model basin helmet
  Brodie helmet
  The Brodie helmet, called Helmet, steel, Mark I helmet in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in the U.S., was a steel combat helmet designed and patented in 1915 by the Briton John Leopold Brodie...
  
   worn during World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
   until 1942.

• kevlar – helmet
  Helmet
  A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
  
   made from kevlar
  Kevlar
  Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
  
  .

• keyboard jockey – person whose job causes him or her use a computer for a length of time.

• Kuni – Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
  Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
  Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
  
  .

L

• ladder well – stairway
  Stairway
  Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
  
   or ladder
  Ladder
  A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
  
   connecting different decks of a ship, so named because naval stairs tend to be so steep as to almost be vertical.

• laminate
  Laminate
  A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
  
  d – perceived semi-permanent state of issue for a normally temporary status.

• Lance Coolie, Lance Criminal, or Lance Coconut – derogatory terms for Lance Corporal.

• Lance Corporal Underground or Lance Corporal Network – joking reference to the gulf between non-NCOs and their superiors; also refers to the spread of foolish rumor
  Rumor
  A rumor or rumour is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern" However, a review of the research on rumor conducted by Pendleton in 1998 found that research across sociology,...
  
  s that a more experienced Marine would immediately recognize as false.

• landing gear – crossed rifles exposed on the rank insignia of Lance Corporals, Corporals, and Sergeants.

• Land of the big BX – used in reference to CONUS
  Conus
  Conus is a large genus of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs, with the common names of cone snails, cone shells or cones. This genus is placed in the subfamily Coninae within the family Conidae. Geologically speaking, the genus is known from the Eocene to the Recent ...
  
   by Marines deployed overseas. A borrowed term from the Army, "...of the big PX."

• lawn dart – pejorative for various aircraft, possibly from the lawn dart effect
  Lawn dart effect
  In psychology, the lawn dart effect occurs when fighter aircraft pilots accelerate horizontally at more than 1 standard gravity. The effect occurs when such extreme stimulation to the vestibular system leads to the perception that the aircraft is climbing; he then pushes the joystick forwards to...
  
  .

• LBV – Load Bearing Vest
  Vest
  A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...
  
  , personal equipment used to keep the most commonly used items within easy reach utilizing the PALS
  Pouch Attachment Ladder System
  The Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS is a grid of webbing invented and patented by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks...
  
  , usually a component of MOLLE
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
   or ILBE.

• LCPLIC – Lance Corporal in Charge. A salty Lance Corporal.

• leadstick – pencil
  Pencil
  A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
  
  .

• leatherneck
  Leatherneck
  Leatherneck is a military slang term for a member of the United States Marine Corps. Now accepted by Webster as a synonym for Marine, the term "Leatherneck" was derived from a leather stock once worn around the neck by both American and British Marines—and soldiers also. Beginning in 1798, "one...
  
  – nickname for Marine, so named for legends stating that stiff leather collars were once worn to protect the throat from sword-blows (also thought that high stocks were worn for discipline, to keep Marines' heads high and straight). The dress blue uniform still bears a high stock collar today. Also, Leatherneck Magazine
  Leatherneck Magazine
  Leatherneck Magazine of the Marines is a magazine for United States Marines. It was first published as a newspaper by off-duty Marines at Marine Corps Base Quantico in 1917, and was originally named The Quantico Leatherneck...
  
  .

• leg – servicemember who does not rate to wear the Parachutist Insignia, borrowed from the Army Airborne.

• leggings – leg coverings made of canvas with eyelets and laces or buckles to secure the trouser legs over boots
  Trench boot
  The trench boot sometimes known as the Pershing boot was a combat boot used in World War I by British, American, French and Belgian forces, made for the cold mud of trench warfare.-Introduction:...
  
  .

• liberty – authorized free time ashore or off station, not counted as leave
  Leave (military)
  In military, leave is a permission to be away from one's unit, either for a specified or unspecified period of time.The term AWOL, standing for absent without leave, is a term for desertion used in armed forces of many English speaking countries....
  
  , known in the Army as a "pass".

• liberty list – list containing the names of Marines entitled to liberty and those employed by the guard during the liberty period (and thus not entitled to leave post).

• liberty risk – a Marine with a high risk of getting into trouble on liberty.

• lifer – career servicemember, as opposed to one who serves for a single enlistment.

• lifertool – multi-tool
  Multi-tool
  A multi-tool is any one of a range of portable, versatile hand tools that combines several individual functions in a single unit...
  
  , so named because a lifer would inevitably need a tool of such utility.

• Lima Charlie or lickin' chicken – Loud and Clear, an expression meaning that the communication has been received and understood; originally exclusive to radio
  Radio
  Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
  
   traffic.

• line company – lettered Marine companies
  Company (military unit)
  A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
  
   or the aviation term for ground units, originally, an infantry company.

• lipstick lieutenant – pejorative for warrant officer
  Warrant Officer (United States)
  In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
  
  , so named from the appearance of their rank insignia: the addition of red to the gold and silver bars of a lieutenant
  Lieutenant
  A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
  
  .

• lollygag – dawdle or fool about.

• long handles – long sleeved/legged undershirt/shorts.

• Long War – term for the War on Terrorism
  War on Terrorism
  The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
  
   favored by senior military leaders.

• lost lieutenant finder – hand-held GPS
  Global Positioning System
  The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
  
   unit, a joke term on the reputation for new lieutenants to be incompetent in land navigation
  Navigation
  Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
  
  .

• LT – abbreviation for lieutenant
  Lieutenant
  A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
  
  , inappropriate to address as such verbally.

• LWH – LightWeight Helmet
  Lightweight Helmet
  The Lightweight Helmet is the U.S. Marine Corps replacement for the PASGT combat helmet. As it is nearly identical to untrained eyes in shape to the PASGT, it is still called the Fritz helmet or K-pot...
  
  .

• LZ – Landing Zone
  Landing Zone
  A Landing Zone or "LZ" is a military term for any area where an aircraft can land.In the United States military, a landing zone is the actual point where aircraft land...
  
  , a clearing designated as the place where a helicopter
  Helicopter
  A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
  
   (or other VTOL
  VTOL
  A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
  
   aircraft) can land.

M

• M – a prefix to the model number of a specific nomenclature of equipment, generally considered to denote "model" or "mark
  Mark (designation)
  The word Mark, followed by number, is a method of specifically designating a standardized, integrated, assumed to be functional and unique version of a mechanical and/or electrical hardware product that has completed the design process and has been approved to be put into final production, as well...
  
  ".

• ma'am – proper method of addressing female officers in particular and all women in general.

• Mac Marine – nickname for Marine, popular during World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  , also the career planner popular on posters of the 1960s.

• Maggie's drawers – red flag attached to a pole, used to signal a miss on the rifle range, replaced by a red disk.

• MAGTF – Marine Air-Ground Task Force
  Marine Air-Ground Task Force
  The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
  
  .

• Major – a Captain in command of a ship's Marine detachment, so titled because a ship may have only one Captain, the commanding officer.

• Mama-san – term of endearment for an elder Japan
  Japan
  Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
  
  ese woman, often a maid, cook, or tailor/seamstress performing services for Marines; from the Japanese honorific suffix "san".

• MARINE – Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Non-Essential or My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment, pejorative backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
  s used by other branches.

• Marine – the following nicknames are usually acceptable: leatherneck, devil dog, sea soldier, warrior, hard charger, motivator; the following are acceptable from other Marines: jarhead, gyrene; the following are insults: soldier, seabag.

• Marine house – Security Guard
  Marine Corps Security Guard
  The Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, formerly Marine Security Guard Battalion, and also known as Marine Security Guards or Marine Embassy Guards, are members of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, a battalion-sized organization of U.S...
  
   term for living quarters for Marines, on or off embassy
  Diplomatic mission
  A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
  
   grounds.

• Master Guns or Master Gunny – Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps...
  
  . Also sometimes referred to as "Maverick" due to the combination of slang for Master Sergeant "Top" and Gunnery Sergeant "Gunny".

• Marine Mattress – a woman who is thought to be sexually promiscuous with other Marines.

• MBT – Main Battle Tank, currently the M1 Abrams
  M1 Abrams
  The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
  
  .

• MCI – Marine Corps Institute
  Marine Corps Institute
  The Marine Corps Institute, commonly referred to as MCI, develops and maintains a curriculum of Marine Corps education. Subjects include infantry strategy/tactics, leadership skills, MOS qualifications, personal finance, and mathematics...
  
  , a distance education
  Distance education
  Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
  
   program; also, the courses available to Marines for bonus promotion credit.

• MCMAP – Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
  Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
  The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close quarters combat techniques with morale and team-building functions and instruction in what the Marine Corps calls the "Warrior Ethos". The...
  
  .

• MCT – Marine Combat Training, infantry
  Infantry
  Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
  
   skills training for non-infantry Marines.

• MCX – Marine Corps eXchange
  Base exchange
  A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
  
  , a military department store, less formally known as the PX.

• meat gazer – urinalysis
  Urinalysis
  A urinalysis , also known as Routine and Microscopy , is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis...
  
   observer who observes the servicemember peeing into the sample container to prevent tampering with the sample.

• MEB – Marine Expeditionary Brigade
  Marine Expeditionary Brigade
  A Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a formation of the United States Marine Corps, a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of approximately 14,500 Marines and Sailors constructed around a reinforced infantry regiment, a composite Marine aircraft group, a logistics group and a command element...
  
  .

• MEDEVAC or Medivac – MEDical EVACuation, removing a wounded person to the closest medical or triage
  Triage
  Triage or ) is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate,...
  
   facility using designated ambulance
  Ambulance
  An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
  
   equipment, vehicles, or aircraft. See also CASEVAC.

• MEF – Marine Expeditionary Force
  Marine Expeditionary Force
  A Marine Expeditionary Force or MEF is the largest type of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force...
  
  .

• MEPS – Military Entrance Processing Station
  United States Military Entrance Processing Command
  The United States Military Entrance Processing Command is a Major Command of the Department of Defense, which screens and processes applicants into the United States Armed Forces...
  
  , facility where prospective recruits are screened medically, psychologically, and legally for recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  .

• mess hall – cafeteria
  Cafeteria
  A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
  
  . See also chow hall.

• messman – cook
  Chef
  A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
  
  .

• MEU – Marine Expeditionary Unit
  Marine Expeditionary Unit
  A Marine expeditionary unit , formerly called Marine amphibious unit , is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the United States Fleet Marine Force...
  
  .

• Mickey Mouse
  Mickey Mouse
  Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
  
   boots – boots designed for extreme cold weather using an air bladder for insulation, so named for their oversized and bloated appearance.

• midrats – midnight (or other late-night) rations provided for servicemembers who work late hours.

• mike – minute
  Minute
  A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
  
  .

• mike-mike – millimeter.

• military time – the time of day on a 24-hour clock
  24-hour clock
  The 24-hour clock is a convention of time keeping in which the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours, indicated by the hours passed since midnight, from 0 to 23. This system is the most commonly used time notation in the world today...
  
  . General Wallace M. Greene
  Wallace M. Greene
  General Wallace Martin Greene, Jr. was a four-star United States Marine Corps general who served as the 23rd Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1964 to December 31, 1967...
  
   forbade the practice of suffixing the unnecessary word "hours" after each indication of time of day ("1330" or "thirteen-thirty" instead of "1330 hours"); the practice of saying "oh" instead of "zero" for hours before 1000 has diminished as well.

• MOLLE – MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
  , type of load-bearing equipment utilizing the PALS
  Pouch Attachment Ladder System
  The Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS is a grid of webbing invented and patented by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks...
  
  , replaced ALICE
  All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
  The All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment, or ALICE system, was adopted as United States Army Standard A on 17 January 1973 to replace the M-1956 Load-Carrying Equipment [LCE] and M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment [MLCE]. ALICE gear is still in some limited use in the US...
  
   and replaced by ILBE.

• Molly Marine – nickname associated with early female Marines, especially a statue of Opha Mae Johnson
  Opha Mae Johnson
  was a hardchargerOpha Mae Johnson was the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. She joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1918.-Military service:Johnson was a United States Marine in the late 1910s...
  
  .

• monkey suit – military uniforms in general; originally, the fur suit used by aviators at high altitudes.

• moonbeam – flashlight
  Flashlight
  A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
  
  .

• MOPP – Mission Oriented Protective Posture
  MOPP
  MOPP is a military term used to describe protective gear to be used in a toxic environment, i.e., during a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear strike:* Protective mask — Commonly referred to as a gas mask or pro mask...
  
  , the defense equipment (gas masks and overgarment suits) worn to protect against Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapons.

• mosquito wings or skeeter wings – rank insignia for a Private First Class, a single chevron.

• motivator – term of endearment from a senior to a junior Marine, so named when the junior displays motivation
  Motivation
  Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
  
   for his or her duties.

• moto – motivated/motivating
  Motivation
  Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
  
  , often use to describe a person, object, or event that would motivate an individual Marine.

• motarded – displaying excess motivation
  Motivation
  Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
  
  , often in the form of visual symbols and lore (such as unit logos); a combination of the terms "moto" and "retarded
  Mental retardation
  Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
  
  ".

• motor t or MT – Motor Transport, a subunit of Marines responsible for the operation and maintenance of wheeled non-combat and non-engineer vehicles.

• MOUT – Military Operation in Urban Terrain
  Urban warfare
  Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level...
  
  . See also CQB/CQC.

• MOS
  Military Occupational Specialty
  A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
  
  – Military Occupational Specialty, a job classification.

• MP – Military Police, mostly replaced by PMO.

• MRE – Meal, Ready-to-Eat, standard U.S. field ration. Sometimes jokingly referred to with backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
  s such as "Meals Rejected by the Enemy," "Meals Rejected by Ethiopia
  Ethiopia
  Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
  
  ," "Meal, Rotten to Eject," "Meals Rarely Eaten," "Meal, Reluctant to Exit," "Mister E," or the "Three Lies for the Price of One".

• MRE bomb – bursting plastic bag made from chemical heating pouches found inside of a standard MRE.

• MSG – Marine Corps Security Guard
  Marine Corps Security Guard
  The Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, formerly Marine Security Guard Battalion, and also known as Marine Security Guards or Marine Embassy Guards, are members of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, a battalion-sized organization of U.S...
  
  , responsible for guarding United States Embassies.

• MTO – Motor Transport Officer, the Marine in charge of maintenance and operation of a unit's truck
  Truck
  A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
  
  s.

• MTV – Modular Tactical Vest
  Modular Tactical Vest
  The Modular Tactical Vest or is a bulletproof vest originally adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 2006. The MTV was designed as a solution to shortcomings in the current, decade-old interceptor body armor and was selected after a rigorous proposal and examination process by the Marine...
  
  , the newest type of ballistic vest for Marines.

• MTVR – Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement
  Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement
  Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement or 7-Ton, is a six-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy....
  
   See also 7-ton.

• MWD – Military Working Dog
  War dog
  Dogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
  
  , a trained government canine
  Dog
  The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
  
   for law enforcement, detection
  Detection dog
  A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, or blood. Hunting dogs that search for game and search dogs that search for missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs...
  
   of explosives and/or drugs, sentry
  Guard dog
  A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
  
  , or other military use(s).

N

• NAVY – Never Again Volunteer Yourself, pejorative backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
   used by sailors who regret volunteering.

• NBC – Nuclear, Biological, Chemical. See also CBRN.

• NCIS – Naval Criminal Investigative Service
  Naval Criminal Investigative Service
  The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
  
  , the primary law enforcement agency of the DoN
  United States Department of the Navy
  The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
  
  , also a television show of the same name
  NCIS (TV series)
  NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
  
  .

• NCO – NonCommissioned Officer
  Non-commissioned officer
  A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
  
  : corporal
  Corporal
  Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
  
   or sergeant
  Sergeant
  Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
  
  ; the Army term "noncom" is no longer appropriate.

• NCOIC – Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge, an NCO responsible for a group of Marines, but without the authority of a commissioned officer
  Officer (armed forces)
  An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
  
  ; somes also the senior enlisted Marine acting with the officer in charge. See also OIC & SNCOIC.

• NJP or Ninja Punch
  Ninja in popular culture
  The ninja are common stock characters in both Japanese and international popular culture. The cultural references listed below are major instances separated into groups, such as novels, comic books, anime/manga, films, television shows, video games, and others.- Overview :Depictions of ninja range...
  
  – Non-Judicial Punishment, a legal proceeding much like a court-martial of much smaller scope. A commanding officer is authorized to award summary punishments at office hours (called Captain's Mast afloat) under Article 15, UCMJ
  Uniform Code of Military Justice
  The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
  
  , to punish offenses too serious to be dealt with by a mere rebuke, but not serious enough to warrant court-martial.

• NMCI – Navy/Marine Corps Intranet
  Navy/Marine Corps Intranet
  The Navy/Marine Corps Intranet is a United States Department of the Navy outsourcing program, in which an outside contractor provides a vast majority of information technology services for the entire Department, including the United States Navy and Marine Corps.-Overview:As of March 2008, NMCI...
  
  , the program that outsources garrison information technology
  Information technology
  Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
  
   services for the Department of the Navy
  United States Department of the Navy
  The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
  
  , sometimes jokingly referred to as "Non Mission Capable
  Availability
  In telecommunications and reliability theory, the term availability has the following meanings:* The degree to which a system, subsystem, or equipment is in a specified operable and committable state at the start of a mission, when the mission is called for at an unknown, i.e., a random, time...
  
   Internet".

• non-rate – junior to the NCO ranks: a Private, Private First Class, or Lance Corporal; borrowed from naval use, where personnel below the petty officer
  Petty Officer
  A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
  
   ranks had no rating
  Naval rating
  A Naval Rating is an enlisted member of a country's Navy, subordinate to Warrant Officers and Officers hence not conferred by commission or warrant...
  
  , thus "non-rated men."

• no impact, no idea – expression denoting a miss on a weapons range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   (the scorer cannot find an impact on target); also used as an "I don't know" response.

• North Carolina Lawn Dart - expression denoting the AV-8 and the many mishaps that took place during the aircraft's development and testing.

• No Such Agency – backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
   for the National Security Agency
  National Security Agency
  The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
  
  , so called because of its secretive nature and as a play on words.

• NROTC – Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
  Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
  The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
  
  , a college
  College
  A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
  
  -based recruiting program for officers for the Navy and Marine Corps.

• nut(s) to butt(s) – standing in line extremely close to the person in front, often required in recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  .

O

• OCONUS – Outside of CONtinental United States, as opposed to CONUS.

• O-course – obstacle course
  Obstacle course
  An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
  
  .

• OCS – Officer Candidate School, recruit training for officers.

• O-dark thirty – very early hours before dawn
  Dawn
  Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
  
  . See also military time. The custom of saying "oh" instead of zero has diminished, but remains in this expression.

• office hours – administrative ceremony where legal, disciplinary, and other matters (such as praise, special requests, etc.) are attended, designed to dramatize praise and admonition, in a dignified, disciplined manner, out of the ordinary routine. Known as Captain's Mast afloat. An award given during a positive office hours or Mast is known as a Meritorious Mast, a negative office hours with punishment awarded is an example of non-judicial punishment.

• officers' club or officers' mess or O-Club – recreation facility for officers that often includes a bar, restaurant, game room, and objects of unit significance, such as a mascot or war trophy
  War trophy
  In ancient Greece and Rome, military victories were commemorated with a display of captured arms and standards. A trophy was originally a war memorial assembled from such items on a battlefield. The Roman triumph‎ also displayed these items as well as cultural objects, which later came to be...
  
  ; similar to a gentlemen's club
  Gentlemen's club
  A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
  
  .

• officers' country – living spaces for officers aboard ship, or portion of post or station allocated for the exclusive use of officers.

• OFP – Own Fucking Program, not complying perfectly or synchronized
  Synchronization
  Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
  
   with orders assigned to a group.

• OIC – Officer In Charge, a commissioned officer responsible for a group of Marines, but without the authority of a commanding officer
  Commanding officer
  The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
  
  . See also SNCOIC & NCOIC.

• OJT – On-the-Job Training, without a formal school or period of instruction.

• Oki – Okinawa
  Okinawa Prefecture
  is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
  
  .

• old Asia hand – person with more than one tour in Asia.

• Old Man – very informal nickname for the commanding officer, considered an inappropriate term of endearment
  Term of endearment
  A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection...
  
   for use by a junior, thus used in reference but never in address.

• OMPF – Official Military Personnel File, a record of all awards, punishments, training, and other records compiled by Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps
  Headquarters Marine Corps is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions...
  
  .

• oorah or ooh rah or Urah – spirited cry used since the mid-20th century, comparable to Hooah
  Hooah
  Hooah is a U.S. Army and a Canadian Armybattle cry used by soldiers and also in use by the U.S. Air Force airmen "referring to or meaning anything and everything except no."-Usage:Some popular usages of HUA include:...
  
   used in the Army or Hooyah
  Hooyah
  Hooyah is the war cry or battle cry used by the United States Navy SEALs, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams, and Navy Deep Sea Divers. Recently, the US Navy as a whole has adopted it as a result of MCPON Rick West's regular use of the saying...
  
   by Navy SEAL
  United States Navy SEALs
  The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
  
  s; most commonly used to respond to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm. The origin is often disputed.

• OP – Observation Post
  Observation post
  An observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
  
  , a position used for reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
  
  ; also, the post newspaper of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
  Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
  The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center , also known as 29 Palms, is a United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynine Palms in southern San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000...
  
  .

• operational tempo
  Tempo
  In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
  
  or optempo – the pace or speed of operations for a unit or individual.

• OPSEC – Operation(s/al) Security
  Operations security
  Operations security is a process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by adversary intelligence systems, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to them, and then executes selected measures that eliminate...
  
  , counterintelligence efforts to keep generally unclassified but sensitive information (such as troop movements and deployments) from enemies.

• OPTEMPO – OPerational TEMPO
  Tempo
  In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
  
  , or the pace of operations and activities for a given unit.

• OQR – Officer Qualification Record, a service record for officers, much like an enlisted Marine's SRB.

• OOB – Out Of Bounds, or straying into an area restricted from use by normal traffic, prohibited to Marines, or too far from base for a given liberty period.

• OOD – Officer Of the Deck, or the senior Marine responsible for the patrol and security of a unit's garrison working spaces and sleeping quarters after working hours, usually responsible for subordinate sentries and acts as a guard commander. See also duty & firewatch

• Oscar Mike – On the Move, the names of the two NATO phonetic alphabet letters O and M which stand for the phrase. Used on the radio and in shorthand to each other. See also NATO phonetic alphabet

• OTV – Outer Tactical Vest
  Interceptor body armor
  Interceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...
  
  , militarized version of Interceptor body armor, a common type of ballistic vest; being replaced by the MTV
  Modular Tactical Vest
  The Modular Tactical Vest or is a bulletproof vest originally adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 2006. The MTV was designed as a solution to shortcomings in the current, decade-old interceptor body armor and was selected after a rigorous proposal and examination process by the Marine...
  
  .

• outside – civilian life after discharge. See also real world.

• overhead – ceiling
  Ceiling
  A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
  
  .

• over the hill – excessively old; or to the desert
  Desert
  A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
  
  .

P

• padre
  Padre
  Padre may refer to:* Partnership for Acid Drainage Remediation in Europe PADRE* An IDE for the Perl programming language, see Padre * A Military Chaplain* A member of the San Diego Padres baseball team...
  
  – chaplain
  Military chaplain
  A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
  
  , usually Catholic
  Catholic
  The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
  
  , from the Spanish
  Spanish language
  Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
  
   and Italian
  Italian language
  Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
  
   terms for "father".

• PALS – Pouch Attachment Ladder System
  Pouch Attachment Ladder System
  The Pouch Attachment Ladder System or PALS is a grid of webbing invented and patented by United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center used to attach smaller equipment onto load-bearing platforms, such as vests and backpacks...
  
  , a webbing system used to attach combat accessories to MOLLE
  MOLLE (military)
  MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
  
   and ILBE equipment.

• Page 11 – NAVMC 118(11), a page of a Marine's Service Record Book or Officer Qualification Record where administrative remarks are made concerning a Marine's performance and conduct, and which may contain negative recommendations regarding promotion or re-enlistment; while not a punishment itself or inherently negative, it is part of a Marine's permanent service record and used as a basis for administrative decisions regarding a Marine's career; the term commonly refers to an entry itself made in this section.

• parade ground/field/deck – area set aside for the conduct of parades, drill, and ceremonies, often paved or well-maintained lawn. See also grinder.

• Paradise Island – Nickname for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
  
  .

• passageway – corridor or hallway.

• passed over – having failed selection for the next higher rank (for SNCOs and officers).

• pay grade
  Pay grade
  Pay grades are used by the uniformed services of the United States to determine wages and benefits based on the corresponding military rank of a member of the services...
  
  – DOD
  United States Department of Defense
  The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
  
   system of designating a U.S. serviceperson's pay (E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, and O-1 through O-10), not to be confused with rank
  United States Marine Corps rank insignia
  Marine ranks in descending order, with tables indicating abbreviations in the style used by the United States Marine Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:-Commissioned Officers:...
  
   (though the two usually correspond) or billet
  Billet
  A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....
  
  .

• PCP – Physical Conditioning Program, exercise regimen for Marines failing to meet the minimum physical requirements; also Physical Conditioning Platoon, for the unit where a physically unfit recruit is sent prior to recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  , nicknamed Pork Chop Platoon.

• PCS – Permanent Change of Station, transfer to another post, station, base, or installation.

• PFC – Private First Class.

• PFT – Physical Fitness Test
  United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test
  The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test and a Combat Fitness Test once per fiscal year. Each test must have an interval of 6 months . The PFT ensures that Marines are keeping physically fit and in a state of physical readiness. It consists of...
  
  , a semiannual test measuring strength, agility, and endurance by scoring performance in pull-up
  Chin-up
  The chin-up is a strength training exercise. The verb chinning means to do them. People frequently do this exercise with the intention of strengthening muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and biceps, which extend the shoulder and flex the elbow, respectively.It is a form of pull-up in which the...
  
  s (flexed-arm hang for females), abdominal crunches
  Crunch (exercise)
  The crunch is one of the most common abdominal exercises. It primarily works the rectus abdominis muscle.-Form:A crunch begins with lying face up on the floor with knees bent. The movement begins by curling the shoulders towards the pelvis. The hands can be behind or beside the neck or crossed over...
  
  , and a 3-mile run.

• phrog – nickname for CH-46 Sea Knight
  CH-46 Sea Knight
  The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopter, used by the United States Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault Support is its primary function, and the movement of supplies and...
  
  .

• phone watch – duty where a Marine is responsible for answering phones when others are busy or unavailable (such as lunch hours); also the person filling the duty.

• PI – Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
  Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
  
  ; formerly also Philippine Islands, a frequent port of call for Pacific Marines until 1992

• pickle suit – Service "A" uniform
  Uniforms of the United States Marine Corps
  The Uniforms of the United States Marine Corps serve to distinguish Marines from members of other services. Among current uniforms in the United States Armed Forces, the Marines' uniforms have been in service the longest...
  
  , from its all over green appearance.

• pinning or pinning on – promotion by pinning the new rank insignia onto the MCCUU
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
   collar; also a form of hazing
  Hazing
  Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
  
   by striking the pins
  Blood wings
  Blood wings is a traditional initiation rite that is endured by many graduates of the United States Army Airborne School and sometimes practiced in other elite military training environments, including the Army Aviation and Aviation Logistics community. It is called blood pinning in the United...
  
   into the wearer's chest.

• piss and punk/puke – solitary confinement
  Solitary confinement
  Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
  
   on bread and water, which is only authorized aboard ship.

• piss cover or piss cutter – nickname for soft green garrison cap
  Garrison cap
  A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...
  
   worn with the service uniform. See also fore-and-aft cap.

• pit – depressed area on a shooting range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   where the targets are located, shooters staff it by marking, raising, and lowering targets from behind a berm
  Berm
  A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
  
  . See also butts and pulling butts / pits.

• pitting – incentive training for a large group of recruits, so named for the sandy pits set aside for such events. See also quarterdecking.

• pizza box – Marksman Weapons Qualification Badge
  Weapons Qualification Badge
  A Marksmanship Qualification Badge is a military badge of the United States Army and United States Marine Corps which is presented to service members upon successful completion of a weapons qualification course. They are issued in the three grades : Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman...
  
  , so named for its square shape.

• pizza stain – a nickname used by some marines during recruit training to refer to the National Defense Service Medal
  National Defense Service Medal
  The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
  
  , so named for the red and yellow appearance, like the cheese and sauce of a pizza.

• platoon sergeant – SNCO executive to the platoon commander, usually the senior enlisted man.

• PMCS – Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services
  Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services
  In the United States Military, Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services, or PMCS, are the checks, service and maintenance performed before, during, and after any type of movement or before the use of all types of military equipment...
  
  , regularly performed maintenance on equipment, as opposed to corrective maintenance.

• PMO – Provost Marshal
  Provost Marshal
  The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
  
  's Office, the military police
  Military police
  Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
  
   force of a Marine installation.

• POC – Point Of Contact, the person to liaison with on a given matter.

• pogue
  Pogue
  POG is a pejorative military slang term used to describe non-infantry, staff, and other rear-echelon or support units. "POG" frequently describes those who don't have to undergo the stresses that the infantry does, and is generally used as a diminutive for any non-infantry personnel who disagrees...
  
  or POG – Marine not of the combat arms (infantry
  Infantry
  Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
  
  , armor, and artillery
  Artillery
  Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
  
  ), etymology
  Etymology
  Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
  
   is disputed: possibly "pogue" derived from the Tagalog
  Tagalog language
  Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
  
   word meaning "prostitute" or the Erse Gaelic
  Irish language
  Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
  
   word meaning "to kiss [my ass]", while "POG" could be from the acronym Persons Other than Grunt, but could be a backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
  .

• poguey or pogey bait – Candy or sweets. See also geedunk.

• poguey or pogey rope – The French Fourragère
  Fourragère
  The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
  
   authorized for wear by members of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.

• police – to pick up items (such as litter or expended ammunition casings), to return an area to a natural state, or to correct another Marine.

• poncho liner – insulating blanket
  Blanket
  A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
  
   used to warm the individual wearing a rain poncho, often used as a stand-alone blanket.

• pop smoke – to leave quickly or hastily; from the method of throwing a smoke grenade
  Smoke grenade
  Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
  
   to mark a landing zone
  Landing Zone
  A Landing Zone or "LZ" is a military term for any area where an aircraft can land.In the United States military, a landing zone is the actual point where aircraft land...
  
   or conceal a retreat
  Withdrawal (military)
  A withdrawal is a type of military operation, generally meaning retreating forces back while maintaining contact with the enemy. A withdrawal may be undertaken as part of a general retreat, to consolidate forces, to occupy ground that is more easily defended, or to lead the enemy into an ambush...
  
  .

• port – naval term for "left"; opposite of starboard.

• porthole
  Porthole
  A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
  
  s – military issue eyeglasses
  GI glasses
  GI glasses are eyeglasses issued by the American military to its service members. Dysphemisms for them include the most common birth control glasses and variants. At one time they were officially designated as "Regulation Prescription Glasses", or "RPGs". This was commonly said to mean "Rape...
  
  , or the wearer of glasses. See also BCGs & RPGs.

• pot shack – place where cooking utensils are washed.

• prick – slang for any equipment bearing the "PRC" JETDS
  Joint Electronics Type Designation System
  The Joint Electronics Type Designation System , which was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System, is a method developed by the U.S. War Department during World War II for assigning an unclassified designator to...
  
   designator, usually man-portable radios.

• property shed – place where organizational property is stored, often a warehouse
  Warehouse
  A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
  
  .

• PT – Physical Training, physical exercise
  Physical exercise
  Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
  
   to build or maintain strength, agility, and flexibility.

• pucker factor – high level of anxiety experienced by those in tight situations, usually aircrew.

• pull butts / pits – to mark and score targets on a shooting range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   from behind a berm
  Berm
  A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
  
  . See also butts & pits.

• PX – Post eXchange
  Base exchange
  A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
  
  , a term borrowed from the Army; more properly the Marine Corps Exchange.

Q

• QRF – Quick Reaction Force, a highly-mobile stand-by force designed to add firepower in precise places as the commander decides on a changing battlefield, often used for MEDEVAC
  MEDEVAC
  Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
  
   purposes.

• quarter deck – a location of prominence in a barracks or office; in recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  , this area by the drill instructor's office is usually off-limits to recruits except during ceremonial discipline; the term comes from the quarter deck of a ship defined as "the part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast
  Mast (sailing)
  The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
  
  , including the poop deck
  Poop deck
  In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis...
  
   when there is one. Usually reserved for ship's officers, guests, and passengers."

• quarterdecking – incentive training at recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
   by means of repetitive and constant physical exercises, so named because it is usually a recruit's only opportunity to visit the quarter deck. See also pitting.

• quarters – housing, whether bachelor (barracks) or family (government-leased apartments or houses); or periodic, muster of a ship's company.

• quatrefoil – four-pointed embroidered pattern stitched on to the top of a Marine officer's barracks cover, from the tradition of wearing it to be identified as friendly to Marine sharpshooters during boarding actions in the era of wooden sailing ships.

R

• R&R – Rest and Relaxation, authorized absence from a combat area to reduce the effects of combat stress reaction
  Combat stress reaction
  Combat stress reaction , in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's...
  
  .

• R/S – Respectfully Submitted, used as an end greeting in written communication.

• rack or sack – bed
  Bed
  A bed is a large piece of furniture used as a place to sleep, relax, or engage in sexual relations.Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base...
  
  , inappropriate to use the Army term "bunk
  Bunk
  Bunk may refer to:* bunk , absurd, ridiculous, nonsense, wikt:Bunkum * Bunk , truancy, to "play hookey", to "cut" or "skip" class* Bunk bed, a type of bed in which one bed is stacked over another...
  
  " except when used in conjunction with "junk on the bunk".

• radio watch – duty monitoring radio networks for relevant traffic, also; the person filling that duty.

• raider cap – cover worn with the M1941 HBT utilities

• ranks – There are no acceptable contractions or shortened ways of addressing the following: Private, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer/Chief Warrant Officer, Major
  Major (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
  
  , Colonel, and General
  General (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
  
  . The following may be addressed with permission or informally: Private First Class as PFC, a Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
  
   as "Gunny", a Master Sergeant as "top", a Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps...
  
   as "Master Gunny", a Second Lieutenant or First Lieutenant as "Lieutenant", a Captain as "Skipper", a Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
   as "Colonel", and a Brigadier General
  Brigadier general (United States)
  A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
  
  , Major General
  Major general (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
  
  , and Lieutenant General
  Lieutenant General (United States)
  In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
  
   as "General". It is inappropriate to abbreviate an enlisted Marine's rank (Staff Sergeant or above) as "Sergeant," nor can the nickname "sarge
  Sergeant
  Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
  
  " be used. Appropriate written abbreviations for all ranks can be found on United States Marine Corps rank insignia
  United States Marine Corps rank insignia
  Marine ranks in descending order, with tables indicating abbreviations in the style used by the United States Marine Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:-Commissioned Officers:...
  
  .

• ratfuck – taking the best available selection and leaving less desirable alternatives for others.

• real world – civilian life after discharge. See also outside.

• REMF – Rear Echelon Mother Fucker, a derision for someone who serves in a non-combatant role.

• red death – poorly prepared corned beef
  Corned beef
  Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures. The English term is used interchangeably in modernity to refer to three distinct types of cured beef:...
  
   with cabbage
  Cabbage
  Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
  
  .

• red lead – ketchup/catsup
  Ketchup
  Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
  
  .

• red leg
  Redlegs (disambiguation)
  Redlegs are the class of poor whites who lived on the colonial Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada and other Caribbean islands.Redlegs may also refer to:* Unionist guerrillas who were headquartered at Lawrence, Kansas, during the American Civil War; see Jayhawker...
  
  – artillery
  Artillery
  Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
  
  man. See also cannon cocker and gun bunny.

• Red Patch
  Red Patch
  The "Red Patch" is a distinguishing device worn by United States Marines with the military occupational specialty of 0481 and sometimes 3112 , and is worn only on the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform.-History:The red patch dates back to the early days of World War II during the Battle of...
  
  – device worn on the uniforms of landing support Marines to distinguish the shore party from landing troops.

• regulation – to be in accordance with regulations or adopted specifications or issued from government sources.

• request mast – appealing to increasingly higher links in the chain of command
  Chain of Command
  Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
  
   in order to seek satisfaction for a grievance
  Grievance
  A grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
  
   the requester feels was not adequately handled at a lower level; DoN
  United States Department of the Navy
  The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
  
   orders permit any Marine to request mast up to the individual's commanding general without repercussions.

• re-up – reenlist, volunteering for an additional period of service.

• RHIP – Rank Hath Its Privileges, used as a justification for a personal indulgence.

• rock happy – eccentric or mildly deranged as a result of long overseas duty at a remote station (traditionally an island).

• Rocks and Shoals
  Rocks and Shoals
  Rocks and Shoals was the informal name of the Articles for the Government of the United States Navy.Justice under the Articles was swift, and tended to be harsh.It was replaced by the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1951.-In popular culture:...
  
  – Articles for the Government of the Navy, the pre-UCMJ
  Uniform Code of Military Justice
  The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
  
   code of law for the United States Department of the Navy
  United States Department of the Navy
  The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
  
  .

• rotate – return home at the end of a deployment.

• RPG – Rocket-Propelled Grenade, a common explosive weapon used by many militaries and insurgent groups; the most common of which is the RPG-7
  RPG-7
  The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
  
  .

• RPGs or RPs – Rape Prevention Glasses
  GI glasses
  GI glasses are eyeglasses issued by the American military to its service members. Dysphemisms for them include the most common birth control glasses and variants. At one time they were officially designated as "Regulation Prescription Glasses", or "RPGs". This was commonly said to mean "Rape...
  
  , unattractive military issue glasses worn at recruit training
  Recruit training
  Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
  
  ; so named that the wearer would be so unattractive that even a rapist
  Rape
  Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
  
   would avoid her. See also BCGs & portholes.

• ROE – Rules Of Engagement
  Rules of engagement
  Rules of Engagement refers to those responses that are permitted in the employment of military personnel during operations or in the course of their duties. These rules of engagement are determined by the legal framework within which these duties are being carried out...
  
  , the restrictions on when and how a servicemember may use force on the enemy and other forces.

• rubber bitch - affectionate name given to the ISO mat or sleeping pad which is made of a rubber foam like material. It is used by Marines when sleeping on the ground or other hard surfaces. It is sometimes used during PT (physical training) for calisthenics.

• running lights – navigational night lights on a ship; Marine's eyes.

S

• SACO – Substance Abuse
  Substance abuse
  A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
  
   Control Officer, a Marine responsible for the initial screening and evaluation of a Marine or sailor with alcoholism
  Alcoholism
  Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
  
   or illegal drug use issues to the proper medical facilities for rehabilitation & treatment.

• SAFE – mnemonic
  Mnemonic
  A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
  
   for the set up of weapons in small-unit defense
  Defense (military)
  Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
  
  , denotes: Security
  Physical security
  Physical security describes measures that are designed to deny access to unauthorized personnel from physically accessing a building, facility, resource, or stored information; and guidance on how to design structures to resist potentially hostile acts...
  
  , Automatic weapons
  Automatic firearm
  An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
  
  , Fields of fire, Entrenchment
  Entrenchment
  Entrenchment or Entrenched may refer to:* Military trenches with relation to Trench warfare, especially that of World War I *Entrenchment as a feature of a Constitution, making it more difficult to amend* Entrenched clause within a constitution...
  
  .

• S/F – abbreviation for Semper Fidelis
  Semper fidelis
  Semper Fidelis is Latin for "Always Faithful" or "Always Loyal". Well known in the United States as the motto of the United States Marine Corps , Semper Fidelis has served as a slogan for many families and entities, in many countries, dated to have been started no later than the 16th century...
  
   when used as an end greeting in written communication.

• sailor – the following nicknames are usually acceptable: bluejacket, tar, whitehat; while the following are considered insults: gob, swab, swabbie, swab jockey, squid, anchor clanker, rust picker, deck ape.

• salad, tossed salad or fruit salad – ribbons and medals
  Awards and decorations of the United States military
  Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States armed forces...
  
   worn on a uniform, from the colorful appearance of wearing many awards.

• salt, salty, or salt/salty dog
  Salty dog (slang)
  “Salty Dog” is nautical slang for an experienced sailor who has spent much of their life aboard a ship at sea. A salty dog is often given increased credibility by ship mates in matters pertaining to ship-board life and duties...
  
  – experienced or well-worn person or object, from the salt that would accumulate after long-term exposure to salt water.

• salty language – profanity
  Profanity
  Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
  
  .

• SALUTE – mnemonic
  Mnemonic
  A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
  
   device for a situation report, denotes: Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, and Equipment.

• sandbox – Iraq
  Iraq
  Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
  
   or other desert
  Desert
  A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
  
   area.

• say again (your last) – request to repeat a statement, question, or order, especially over a radio, or as "I say again" to preface a repetition by the sender; the word "repeat" is not to be used in this context, as it calls for a preceding fire mission to be fired again.

• Sayōnara – Japanese for "goodbye".

• Schmuckatelli – generic, unnamed junior Marine, from the Yiddish
  Yiddish language
  Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
  
   pejorative "schmuck
  Schmuck (pejorative)
  __notoc__Schmuck or shmuck in American English is a pejorative meaning an obnoxious, contemptible or detestable person, or one who is stupid or foolish. The word entered English from Yiddish, where it has similar pejorative meanings, but its original meaning in Yiddish is penis...
  
  ".

• SCIF – Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, a place classified materials are processed and/or stored.

• scrambled eggs
  Scrambled Eggs (Military)
  Scrambled eggs or scrambled egg is a slang term for the typically leaf-shaped embellishments found on the visors of peaked caps worn by military officers and for the senior officers who wear them...
  
  – gold oak leaf embroidery found on an officer's barracks cap visor and mess dress cuffs.

• scrounge – appropriate, borrow, or acquire (possibly by doubtful means); derived from "scringe," meaning to search about, rummage, or pilfer.

• scullery
  Scullery (room)
  A scullery is a room in a house traditionally used for washing up dishes and laundering clothes, or as an overflow kitchen when the main kitchen is overloaded. Tasks performed in the scullery include cleaning dishes and cooking utensils , occasional kitchen work, ironing, boiling water for cooking...
  
  – place where dishes are washed.

• scuttlebutt
  Scuttlebutt
  Scuttlebutt in slang usage means rumor or gossip, deriving from the nautical term for the cask used to serve water . Retrieved 2008-03-16...
  
  – gossip
  Gossip
  Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
  
  ; or a drinking fountain
  Fountain
  A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
  
  , from "butt
  Rainwater tank
  A rainwater tank is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters...
  
  " (cask) and "scuttle
  Scuttling
  Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
  
  " (make a hole in a ship's side, causing it to sink), a cask that had an opening fitted with a spigot used to contain fresh water for drinking purposes. Because people gathered around a scuttlebutt, gossip, rumors, and sea stories are also known as scuttlebutt.Definition of scuttlebutt from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Retrieved 2008-03-16

• SDI – Senior Drill Instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
  , the leader of a recruit platoon.

• seabag or sea bag – duffel bag
  Duffel bag
  A duffel bag is a large cylindrical bag made of cloth with a drawstring closure at the top....
  
   used to carry one's personal belongings. "Duffel bag" is an Army term not used by Marines.

• seabag drag – manually carrying personal items (often within seabags) to new or temporary living quarters.

• sea lawyer – person who dispenses legal advice without any sort of formal training or schooling, inappropriately called a "barracks lawyer".

• sea story – story, tale, or yarn calculated to impress others, often contains exaggeration or even outright lies.

• second hat – second-most senior drill instructor
  Drill instructor
  A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
  
   in a platoon.

• secret squirrel – intelligence
  Military intelligence
  Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
  
   personnel or activities.

• secure – stop, cease; or put away and lock.

• Semper Fi – shortened version of "Semper Fidelis
  Semper fidelis
  Semper Fidelis is Latin for "Always Faithful" or "Always Loyal". Well known in the United States as the motto of the United States Marine Corps , Semper Fidelis has served as a slogan for many families and entities, in many countries, dated to have been started no later than the 16th century...
  
  ", the motto of the Corps, Latin
  Latin
  Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
  
   for "always faithful". Can be used ironically, as in, "Semper Fi, Mac," which basically means, "That's the breaks," or "Too fucking bad."

• Semper fu - nickname for Marine Corps Martial Arts

• Semper I – colloquialism
  Colloquialism
  A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
  
   denoting selfish or self-centered behavior.

• semper pie – condition where the mess hall serves similar items repetitively.

• shit bag or shit bird – habitually unkempt or undisciplined Marine.

• shit-brick – useless or ignorant person.

• Shit-Hot - Term used to notify something as exceptional or very good. Not to be confused with Hot-Shit

• shitter – bathroom
  Bathroom
  A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
  
  , head
  Head (watercraft)
  The head is a ship's toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship.-Design:In sailing ships the toilet was placed in the bow for two reasons...
  
  , or latrine
  Latrine
  A latrine is a communal facility containing one or more commonly many toilets which may be simple pit toilets or in the case of the United States Armed Forces any toilet including modern flush toilets...
  
  , most often an outdoor portable toilet
  Portable toilet
  Portable toilet are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet which are typically used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large gatherings and events. Most of the portable toilets have black open-front-U-shaped toilet seat with cover...
  
   or outhouse
  Outhouse
  An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
  
  . Also a nickname for the CH-53 helicopter.

• shooter – person whose primary duty involves marksmanship with a rifle or pistol, such as students at a rifle range
  Shooting range
  A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
  
   or competition team members.

• shore party – landing support specialists that direct the disposition of troops during an amphibious assault
  Amphibious warfare
  Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
  
  .

• short colonel or short-bird – Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
  
  , as opposed to Colonel
  Colonel (United States)
  In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
  
  . See also light-colonel & half-bird.

• short-timer – person nearing the completion of his/her present tour of duty or enlistment.

• short-timer's disease – apathy to duties and regulations from a person nearing EAS.

• shove off – to leave the vicinity, from the naval term meaning to push a boat off the shore or pier.

• shower shoes – pair of rubber sandals
  Sandal (footwear)
  Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle...
  
   issued to recruits to prevent infections from the use of community or shared shower
  Shower
  A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
  
  s. See also Jesus shoes.

• sick bay
  Sick bay
  A sick bay is a compartment in a ship used for medical purposes — the ship's hospital.The sick bay will contain the ship's medicine chest which may be divided into separate cabinets such as a refrigerator for medicines which require cold storage and a locked cabinet for controlled substances...
  
  – infirmary or other medical facility aboard ship, can also refer to aid stations ashore. See also BAS.

• sick call – daily period when routine ailments are treated at sick bay.

• sick call ranger/commando – person who constantly finds medical reasons to avoid work, may suffer from a factitious disorder
  Factitious disorder
  Factitious disorders are conditions in which a person acts as if he or she has an illness by deliberately producing, feigning, or exaggerating symptoms. Factitious disorder by proxy is a condition in which a person deliberately produces, feigns, or exaggerates symptoms in a person who is in their...
  
   such as hypochondriasis, Munchausen syndrome
  Munchausen syndrome
  Münchausen syndrome is a psychiatric factitious disorder wherein those affected feign disease, illness, or psychological trauma to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. It is also sometimes known as hospital addiction syndrome or hospital hopper syndrome...
  
  , or malingering
  Malingering
  Malingering is a medical term that refers to fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of "secondary gain" motives, which may include financial compensation ; avoiding school, work or military service; obtaining drugs; getting lighter criminal sentences;...
  
  .

• side arms – weapon (usually a pistol
  Pistol
  When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
  
  ) carried by a sentry under arms; also, cream and sugar in coffee.

• side straddle hop – Jumping Jack
  Jumping Jack
  A jumping jack , stride jump or star jump , also called side-straddle hop in the US military, is a physical jumping exercise performed by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet together and the arms at the sides...
  
  .

• sight in – aim a weapon at a target using the sights, considered an intention to shoot the target.

• silver bullet – rectal thermometer used to check the core temperature of a person suffering from heat-related injuries, such as hyperthermia
  Hyperthermia
  Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
  
  ; often referred to as an incentive to avoid dehydration
  Dehydration
  In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
  
  .

• skate – avoiding work by finding an excuse to be elsewhere or unavailable by doing something easier (but important enough to avoid re-tasking); also used as an adjective to describe such an easier duty.

• skid squadron – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, so named because the AH-1 SuperCobra
  AH-1 SuperCobra
  The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the US Army's AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra...
  
   and UH-1N Twin Huey
  UH-1N Twin Huey
  The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
  
   helicopters utilize skids instead of wheels
  Wheel
  A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
  
   for undercarriage
  Undercarriage
  The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
  
  .

• skipper – nickname for captain (whether Marine or Navy rank), derived from the Scandinavian
  North Germanic languages
  The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages, the languages of Scandinavians, make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages, along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages...
  
   word for ship, "schiffe", and the Dutch word for captain, "schipper". Inappropriate to refer to a commanding officer that is not your own or without permission.

• skivvies – underwear: skivvie shirt (T-shirt
  T-shirt
  A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
  
  ) and skivvie drawers (underwear
  Undergarment
  Undergarments or underwear are clothes worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by bodily secretions and discharges, shape the body, and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional...
  
  ).

• skylark – to casually frolic or take excess time to complete a task, from the old naval term to run up and down the rigging of a ship in sport.

• slick sleeve – a private in the Marine Corps; refers to the fact that this person does not wear any rank insignia.

• slide bite – pinching or abrasions of hand due to holding a semi-automatic pistol too closely to a recoiling
  Recoil operation
  Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...
  
   slide
  Pistol slide
  The slide is the part of the weapon on a majority of semi-automatic pistols that moves during the operating cycle and generally houses the firing pin or striker and the extractor, and serves as the bolt...
  
  .

• slop chute – impolite term for restaurant within the PX or beer garden.

• SMEAC – mnemonic
  Mnemonic
  A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
  
   for the five paragraph order
  Five paragraph order
  The five paragraph order is an element of United States Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Navy Seabees of small unit tactics that specifies instruction to a unit, based on an METT-TC Analysis...
  
  , a method of clearly issuing complex orders; denotes: Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration & Logistics, Command & Signal.

• Smokey Bear or Smokey Brown – brown campaign cover
  Campaign hat
  A campaign cover is a broad-brimmed felt or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners .It is associated with the New Zealand Army, the Royal Canadian...
  
   worn by drill instructors, so named because of their similarity to the hat worn by Smokey Bear
  Smokey Bear
  Smokey Bear is a mascot of the United States Forest Service created to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires. An advertising campaign featuring Smokey was created in 1944 with the slogan, "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". Smokey Bear's later slogan,...
  
  . See also campaign cover, field hat, & hat.

• smokin' and jokin' – when a mass of Marines is acting unproductive.

• SNAFU
  SNAFU
  SNAFU is an acronym that stands for situation normal: all fucked up. It is sometimes bowdlerized to all fouled up or similar. In simple terms, it means that the normal situation is in a bad state, as it always is, therefore nothing unexpected. It is usually used in jest, or as a sign of frustration...
  
  – Situation Normal, All Fouled/Fucked Up. See also FUBAR.

• SNCOIC – Staff NonCommissioned Officer In Charge, a SNCO responsible for a group of Marines, but without the authority of a commissioned officer
  Officer (armed forces)
  An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
  
  ; somes also the senior enlisted Marine acting with the officer in charge. See also NCOIC & OIC.

• snap in – conduct sighting in or aiming exercises with an unloaded weapon.

• snot locker – nose
  Human nose
  The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
  
  .

• snow job – misleading or grossly exaggerated report; sales talk.

• snuffie or snuffy – junior Marine, Lance Corporal and below.

• SOP – Standard Operating Procedure, the routine manner of handling a set situation, can be a standing order.

• SOS
  SOS
  SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
  
  – international distress signal; or Shit On a Shingle, creamed beef on toast.

• South Maryland Small Boat & Barge Institute – nickname for the United States Naval Academy
  United States Naval Academy
  The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
  
   at Annapolis, Maryland. See also Canoe U.

• SOTG – Special Operations Training Group

• spit and polish – extreme individual or collective military neatness, extreme devotion to the minutiae of traditional military procedures and/or ceremonies; from spit-polishing boots and dress shoes.

• spit-shine – polish leather footwear (boots and dress shoes), employing spittle to remove excess grease and produce a high polish.

• splice of the mainbrace – invitation to drink, from the old naval custom of drinking grog
  Grog
  The word grog refers to a variety of alcoholic beverages. The word originally referred to a drink made with water or "small beer" and rum, which British Vice Admiral Edward Vernon introduced into the Royal Navy on 21 August 1740. Vernon wore a coat of grogram cloth and was nicknamed Old Grogram or...
  
   after repairing battle-damage to the main braces
  Braces (sailing)
  The braces on a square-rigged ship are lines used to rotate the yards around the mast, to allow the ship to sail at different angles to the wind....
  
  .

• spud locker – place where fresh vegetables are stored, after the nickname for potatoes.

• squadbay – living quarters with open rooms and shared head, as opposed to the more common barracks that offer individual rooms.

• square(d) away – make neat and regulation appearance, to be in a neat and regulation appearance.

• squid
  Squid (disambiguation)
  A squid is a type of marine cephalopod with ten limbs.Squid or squids may also refer to:* Squid , squid prepared as food* Squids , a 2011 tactical roleplaying video game* Squid , a web proxy server and cache...
  
  – pejorative for sailor
  Sailor
  A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
  
  .

• SRB – Service Record
  Service record
  A service record is a collection of either electronic or printed material which provides a documentary history of a person's activities and accomplishments while serving as a member of a given organization...
  
   Book, an administrative record of an enlisted Marine's personal information, promotions, postings, deployments, punishments, and emergency data; much like an officer's OQR.

• SSDD – Same Shit, Different Day, euphemism denoting frustration with an unchanging situation or boredom.

• stacking swivel – oblong-shaped link with an opening screwed to the rifle that allowed other rifles to be hooked and stacked (the M1 Garand was the last service rifle to have a stacking swivel, this function is now held by the weapon's sling
  Sling (firearms)
  In the context of firearms, a sling is a type of strap or harness designed to allow a shooter to carry a firearm on his/her person and/or aid in greater hit probability with that firearm...
  
  ); a person's throat
  Throat
  In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
  
  .

• staff NCO or SNCO – Staff NonCommissioned Officer, Marines in the rank of E-6 or above: Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
  
  , Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps...
  
   and Sergeant Major.

• stand by – wait, stop and wait.

• starboard – naval term for "right", opposite of port.

• STOL – Short TakeOff/Landing
  STOL
  STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
  
  , takeoff and landing technique needing only a short runway to become airborne. See also STOVL, VTOL, & V/STOL.

• STOVL – Short TakeOff, Vertical Landing
  STOVL
  STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
  
  , takeoff and landing technique where a V/STOL aircraft will make a non-vertical take-off to carry greater weight, such as fuel and weapons, expend that weight, and make a vertical landing. See also STOL, VTOL, and V/STOL.

• suck – mouth.

• the suck – miserable situation or place, often used to describe the Marine Corps or a combat zone.

• survey – medical discharge or to effect discharge/retirement of an individual for medical reasons; dispose of an item of government property by reason of unserviceability.

• Susie Rottencrotch – wife, girlfriend, or other generic woman.

• swab – mop
  Mop
  A mop is a mass or bundle of coarse strings or yarn, etc., or a piece of cloth, sponge, or other absorbent material, attached to a pole or stick. It is used to soak up liquid, for cleaning floors and other surfaces, or to mop up dust, or for other cleaning purposes...
  
  ; also pejorative for sailor
  Sailor
  A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
  
  , so named because sailors of wooden ships had to swab the decks to keep them from warping.

• swagger stick
  Swagger stick
  A swagger stick is a short stick or riding crop usually carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority. A swagger stick is shorter than a staff or cane, and is usually made from rattan.-History:...
  
  – antiquated symbol of authority long out of style.

• swamp-ass – unpleasant collection of sweat soaking undergarments.

• swinging dick – vulgarity for male Marine, used to emphasize an order to a whole group instead of individual(s).

• swoop – make a long trip in a short period of time, usually in reference to returning to post after liberty to avoid an UA status.

• sympathy chit – voucher sarcastically authorizing the recipient sympathy from others.

T

• TAD – Temporary Assigned Duty, a duty where the Marine or Sailor is detached from his or her unit temporarily and serves elsewhere; comparable to the Army term TDY
  TDY
  A temporary duty assignment , also known as "temporary additional duty" , "temporary duty travel" or "temporary duty" , refers to a United States Government employee travel assignment at a location other than the employee's permanent duty station. They are usually of relatively short duration,...
  
  .

• TBS – The Basic School, the six month combat training school for new Marine officers.

• terminal lance – Marine nearing the end of his enlistment at the rank of lance corporal and unlikely to get promoted; also a webcomic
  Webcomic
  Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
  
   of the same name. See also battalion lance corporal. Also referred to as Lance Colonel.

• The Rock – Okinawa
  Okinawa Island
  Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
  
  .

• thousand-yard stare
  Thousand-yard stare
  The thousand-yard stare or two-thousand-yard stare is a phrase originally coined to describe the limp, unfocused gaze of a battle-weary warrior...
  
  – unfocused gaze of a battle-weary servicemember.

• thump gun – grenade launcher
  Grenade launcher
  A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
  
  , from the distinctive noise made when firing. See also blooper.

• tie-ties – straps or strings used to tie items to another line, such as laundry or rifle targets.

• tight-jawed – angry
  Anger
  Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
  
  , so named from the human tendency to clench the jaw
  Tell (poker)
  A tell in poker is a change in a player's behavior or demeanor that is claimed by some to give clues to that player's assessment of their hand. A player gains an advantage if they observe and understand the meaning of another player's tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable...
  
   when angered.

• tip of the spear – term for a unit or subunit that enters enemy territory first.

• T/O&E – Table of Operations and Equipment, a list authorizing a unit personnel of a particular rank and MOS
  Military Occupational Specialty
  A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
  
  , as well as organic equipment; often seen separately as T/O and T/E.

• toilet bowl – Marksman Weapons Qualification Badge, so named for the concentric rings in the design which resemble water swirling down a toilet
  Toilet
  A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
  
   bowl, and in allusion to its being the lowest level of weapons qualification. See also pizza box.

• top – informal nickname for a Master Sergeant, inappropriate to use without permission.

• topside – ship's upper deck.

• tore up – broken, messy, unserviceable.

• TRAM – Tractor, Rubber-tired, Articulated steering, Multi-purpose.

• T-rat – Tray ration, nickname for Unitized Group Ration
  B-Ration
  B ration is a term used in the United States military for a meal provided to troops which was prepared using canned or preserved ingredients...
  
  , a ration heated and served to a group of servicemembers.

• trooper – soldier, considered an insult to refer to a Marine unless plural.

• troops – generic group of servicemembers.

• trousers
  Trousers
  Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
  
  – pants.

• trunk monkey – a passenger in the back of an armored vehicle
  Armoured fighting vehicle
  An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
  
  , not part of the crew.

• two-block – hoist a flag or pennant to the peak, truck
  Truck (rigging)
  A truck is a nautical term for a wooden ball, disk, or bun-shaped cap at the top of a mast, with holes in it through which flag halyards are passed. Trucks are also used on wooden flagpoles, to prevent them from splitting....
  
  , or yardarm
  Yard (sailing)
  A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber, steel, or from more modern materials, like aluminium or carbon fibre. Although some types of fore and aft rigs have yards , the term is usually used to describe the horizontal spars used with square sails...
  
   of a staff; or a tie with the knot positioned exactly in the gap of a collar of a buttoned shirt.

• two digit midget— an enlisted Marine with 99 or fewer days remaining on his or her enlistment.

U

• UA – Unauthorized Absence, the naval version of the term AWOL.

• UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
  Unmanned aerial vehicle
  An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
  
  .

• UCMJ – Uniform Code of Military Justice
  Uniform Code of Military Justice
  The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
  
   (Public Law 506, 81st Congress) 1951, the system of military law, both judicial and non-judicial.

• UD – Unit Diary, the computerized system that maintains all administrative records for a unit.

• un-ass or un-fuck – to correct a deficiency, usually on a person.

• under arms – status of having a weapon, sidearm, "MP
  Military police
  Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
  
  " or "SP
  Shore patrol
  Shore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore...
  
  " brassard
  Brassard
  A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...
  
  , or wearing equipment pertaining to an arm such as a sword sling, pistol belt, or cartridge belt as part of guard duty; Marines under arms do not remove covers indoors.

• under canvas – living under temporary sheltering, such as a tent
  Tent
  A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
  
  .

• under way – to depart or to start a process for an objective.

• unq – unqualified, usually in reference to training events.

• unsat – abbreviation of unsatisfactory.

• USMC – Acronym for United States Marine Corps
  United States Marine Corps
  The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
  
  . Also used as a pejorative backronym
  Backronym
  A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
  
  : Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, U Signed the Motherfucking Contract, U Suckers Missed Christmas, Unlimited Shit and Mass Confusion, University of Science, Music and Culture, Uncomplicated Shit Made Complicated, Under Seabee Management Constantly.

• USO – United Service Organizations
  United Service Organizations
  The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
  
   Inc., private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military worldwide.

• utilities – field and work uniforms (currently the MCCUU
  Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform
  The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform is the current battledress uniform of the United States Marine Corps. It is also worn by Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units . Field testing began in 2001, the uniform debuted in 2002, and the changeover was completed in October 2004...
  
  ), formerly called dungarees, inappropriately called the Army term BDU
  Battle Dress Uniform
  The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
  
  .

V

• VERTREP – vertical replenishment
  VERTREP
  Vertical replenishment, or VERTREP is a method of supply of seaborne vessels by helicopter. The United States Department of Defense defines VERTREP as:- History :...
  
  , the use of helicopter
  Helicopter
  A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
  
  s for cargo transfer to ships or distant outposts.

• VTOL – Vertical TakeOff/Landing
  VTOL
  A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
  
  , takeoff and landing technique that does not need a runway to become airborne. See also STOL, STOVL, & V/STOL.

• V/STOL – Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing, a type of aircraft that can perform STOL, STOVL, and VTOL.

W

• WAG – Wild-Ass Guess, sometimes qualified with the sarcastic prefix "Scientific".

• walking john – nickname for a Marine marching in dress blues uniform that appeared on World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
  -era recruiting posters.

• war belt – a web belt used to carry canteens in pouches and other miscellaneous equipment.

• war paint – camouflage
  Camouflage
  Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
  
   face paint.

• watch – formal tour of duty of prescribed length, usually a guard-related task.

• water buffalo or water bull – 400-gallon potable water
  Drinking water
  Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
  
   tank, trailer-mounted, towed behind a truck.

• weekend warrior – reservist.

• wetting-down
  Wetting-down
  Wetting-down is a raucous ceremony for newly promoted officers observed in the U.S. and British Navies, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Marines, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps, and U.S. Public Health Service officers also participate in this custom as homage to their naval...
  
  or wet down – celebration in honor of one's promotion as an officer or to the SNCO ranks, so named for the tradition of wetting the recipient and/or the promotion warrant.

• whiskey locker — supply locker/closet.

• whites – Marine Corps or Navy white dress uniforms.

• WP or Willie Pete[r] – White Phosphorus munition, whether in grenade, mortar, artillery, or aerial bomb form, so named from the pre-1956 phonetic alphabet
  Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet
  The Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet was a radio alphabet developed in 1941 and was used by all branches of the United States military until the promulgation of the ICAO spelling alphabet in 1956, which replaced it...
  
   letters "William" and "Peter."

• wilco – voice procedure
  Voice procedure
  Voice procedure includes various techniques used to clarify, simplify and standardize spoken communications over two-way radios, in use by the military, in civil aviation, police and fire dispatching systems, citizens' band radio , etc....
  
   term shortened from "Will Comply".

• willie peter bag – waterproof bag.

• wing wiper – aviation person, usually a maintenance person and not a pilot.

• winger – aviation Marine.

• WIR – DRMO; waste incidental to reprocessing; collection of items and/or equipment for turn-in that may be re-used by someone else at a later time, preferably at a savings to the government.

• the wire – defensive perimeter of a firm base, crossing it denotes the end of relative safety.

• wooly pully or itchy bitchy – green wool sweater
  Sweater
  A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
  
   worn with the service uniform (or blue with the dress uniform) over the khaki shirt.

• word – general term for instructions, orders, and information that is required for all members of a unit to know; or the act of passing information to a collected group of servicemembers. See also gouge.

• WM – Walking Mattress/Woman Marine, usually considered an offensive term.

• work your bolt – resort to special measures, either by energy or guile, in order to attain a particular end; from the action of racking a rifle's bolt to clear a stoppage.

X

• XO
  Executive officer
  An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
  
  – Executive Officer
  Executive officer
  An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
  
  , the second in command of a unit, known as a Chief of Staff
  Chief of Staff
  The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
  
   for a general.

Y

• YATYAS or YAT YAS – You Ain't Tracks/Trackin, You Ain't Shit, an amtrac
  Landing Vehicle Tracked
  The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...
  
   slogan.

• yellow leg – Marine, nickname given by North Korean Army
  Korean People's Army
  The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
  
   in reference to Korean War
  Korean War
  The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
  
  -era discolored, yellow-looking leggings.

• yut or yut yut – exclamation of enthusiasm or approval, similar to oorah.

Z

• zoomie – pilot
  Aviator
  An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
  
  , usually an Air Force
  United States Air Force
  The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
  
   pilot.

• Zoomie U – United States Air Force Academy
  United States Air Force Academy
  The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
  
  

See also

• List of U.S. Navy acronyms
• List of U.S. Air Force acronyms and expressions
• List of government and military acronyms
• Glossary of military abbreviations
  Glossary of military abbreviations
  List of terms, acronyms, information, related to modern armour, artillery, infantry, weapons, and related military subject matter.- A :* AA anti-aircraft* AAA anti-aircraft artillery "Triple A"* AAAV Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle...
  
  
• Brevity code
  Brevity code
  Multiservice tactical brevity codes are codes used by various military forces. The codes procedure words, a type of voice procedure, are designed to convey complex information with a few words.-American/NATO codes:...
  
  s used by aviators
• Glossary of nautical terms
  Glossary of nautical terms
  This is a glossary of nautical terms; some remain current, many date from the 17th-19th century. See also Wiktionary's nautical terms, :Category:Nautical terms, and Nautical metaphors in English.- A :...
  
  

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