Traditions, Lore, Jargon and Trivia ...

[Guns Garrett]

"Chancre Mechanic" - I had forgotten that one.  Some guys had to go see the "Doc" to take care a a "foot problem":  "I don't know how I got it Doc, but it keeps dripping on my foot"

When I was a young Lance Corporal I worked for a Gunny who had been on an M50 ONTOS crew - he said the name came from the Greek word for "THING".

An extension of the term "Doggie":  you're called "Dogface", sleep in a "pup" tent, wear "dog tags", get fed "dog food" and get slapped down when you growl.

Sea Story - an unembellished tale of derring-do, unbelieveable luck, profound discovery, or downright amazing adventure, usually involving the teller of the tale, or "a buddy of mine".  Differs from a Fairy Tale by the Fairy Tale beginning with "Once upon a time...", and ending with "...and they lived happily ever after."  The Sea Story begins with "Now this is no sh*t...", and ends with some variation of the opening phrase.

"Remington Raider" - another nickname for "Admin types".  It's a lot older than I am; my dad (WWII Navy) used this term.  Comes from the Military's use of Remington typewriters.

Snipe - a member of a ship's Engineering Division, also a member of the "Black Gang", due to them ususally being covered in grease, soot, fuel oil, and coal dust (in the old days).  "Snipe" was supposed to be a nocturnal bird (remember 'snipe hunts'?), and since the Black Gang spent their hours in the bowels of the ship, and rarely came out, I suppose this is where that term came from.  Actually, just a guess on my part.  They do sorta looks like owls, really - blink a lot in sunlight.

 "Sky Pilot", "Padre" - Chaplain.  "Padre" was usually (not always) reserved for Catholic Priests.  Our Jewish Chaplian on base liked being called "Padre".

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

Some more Navy monikers:

Airdale:  Aviator.

Skimmer:  Surface Warfare type

Bubblehead:  Submariner (often used with the British pronunciation just to really p**s them off  )

Porkchop:  Supply Officer

Feathermerchant:  Alternative to "Porkchop"

Deck Ape:  Boatswains mate

Nose Picker:  Generic term for aircraft mechanic (AD and AM, mostly)

Chock Thrower:  Blue shirts on the carrier flight deck (they are responsible for securing aircraft with chocks and chains)

Grape:  Aircraft fueler; so called as they wear purple flight deck jerseys

Bird Farm:  Aircraft carrier

Sewer Pipe:  Submarine; also sometimes "Pig Boat"

Sewer Pipe Sailor:  A Bubblehead

Tin Can:  Destroyer

Corpsman:  Short Arm Inspector

SQQ

[St. George]

Then, there's:

TITLESS WAC - male admin clerk

SHIELD OF SHAME - Admin Branch

SPAM IN A CAN - self-explanatory - even affects C-DATs

ZIPPO - flamethrower track

PINK TEAM - a Loach and Cobra Hunter-Killer team

SQUID - go figure

FNG (pronounced 'effengee') - c'mon, everyone knows this, it's still in use after Vietnam

RICE PADDY DADDY - a more experienced 'troop who watches over the FNG's

BUFF - B-52

BDA - Bomb Damage Assessment - something Higher was really interested in - usually wet and messy and macabre, if BUFF was on target

'STRAC' - in the early '60's meant 'Strategic, Tough - Ready Around the Clock'

PIG - M60 General Purpose Machine Gun

THUMPER/BLOOKER/BLOOPER/THUMP GUN - M79 Grenade Launcher

BOUNCING BETTY - landmine with the annoying capability to pop 'up' when initially triggered - increasing the blast radius

OPERATION RANCH HAND - chemical defoliant (Agent Orange) sprayed to deny easily-concealed positions to bad guys

TA-50/782 GEAR - all the straps, pouches, belts, packs and miscellany that comprise 'field gear' - so named for the Form that one signed, indicating that they were pecuniarily liable for it's loss

DOGGIE STRAPS - M1956 individual load-carrying web shoulder straps - wide and lightly-padded - much prized by Marine grunts for the wider bearing surface that was completely unlike the WWII-era gear they were issued, and good trading material

ALICE GEAR - 'All-Purpose, Individual Load-Carrying Equipment' - the nylon TA-50/782 gear that replaced the cotton web M1956 stuff during late-war Vietnam

'TERP' - interpreter

KIT CARSON SCOUT - former VC who rallied to the Chieu Hoi Program and hunted their former buddies - lifesavers, they were

CHERRY JUMPER - first jump made after graduation from Airborne School - the jumper wears a 'very' distinctively-decorated helmet

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

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[Pitspitr]

Do enlisted Army still refer to 2nd Lt.s as "shavetails"? I know they did as of WWII. The term came about as a result of the mule train packers cutting the hair from the tails of the "green broke" mules to identify those mules that they couldn't quite trust.

SNAFU-- Situation Normal, All F@#*ed Up

Also I was under the impression that a pogey was a 19th century navy term refering to homosexuals and pogey bait was used for bribery for a different type of favor.  

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

Don't know if any of these are current or of only historical interest:

DILLIGAS:  Do I Look Like I Give A S**t?

FIIGOMO:  F**k It, I Got My Orders

FUBIJAR:  F**k You, Buddy, I'm Just A Reserve

And, for the Hard Core, we've got Falcon Codes. 

Warning:  The following do contain significant use and misuse of the Queen Mother Of All Swearwords.

http://www.fighterpilotuniversity.com/index.cfm/2007/12/28/Falcon-Codes

SQQ

[Sgt McGilicutty]

Battery Powered Grunt-Field Radio Operator

[River City John]

Oh how I wish this marvelous thread could be restricted to Victorian epithets so as to best help enlighten us to the 19th century Military patois of our forefathers who served us in arms . . . .


Radio Operator?

[US Scout]

"The officer commanding the Marine detachment that captured John Brown - Colonel Robert E. Lee"

Senior Marine Officer present: Lt. Israel Greene, who resigned his commission in 1861, and was appointed Major, Adjutant of the Confederate States Marine Corps.

You people are having just way too much fun with this thread.

I'm surprised someone didn't mention that Lt Israel Greene was from New York.  His wife was from Virginia, which strongly suggests his reason for resigning from the USMC and joining the Confederacy.   

Also, as he stormed the firehouse at Harper's Ferry, he struck at a man with his sword, bending it in half.  The man he hit was John Brown.

Greene's sword bent because it was a dress sword.  When John Brown attacked Harper's Ferry, the only Federal troops in Washington City available at the time was the Marine Guard at the Washington Navy Yard.  Greene was officer of the day.  They were placed on a special train, where they came under the command of Lt Col Robert E. Lee, 2nd Cavalry.  (He didn't become a colonel, of the 1st Cavalry, until March 1861, just a month before he resigned from the US Army.)

[Sgt McGilicutty]

Sea Lawyer-A Lance Corporal who knows more about office hours and the UCMJ than anyone else.

GRRWee Cover-When you wad up you buddy's cover while GRRing and throwing it like a frisbee yelling Wee!

MRE-Meal Rejected by Everyone.

The Most Dangerous thing in the Marine Corps-A lieutenant with a map and a compass!

[Top Kick Ken]

Some more USAF terms, jargon, and assorted nonsense for your enjoyment

Zipper-suited Sun-God = pilot

REMF = Rear echelon M-Fer  (Not repeatable here) In USAF terms, used by Defenders (see below) to describe those who are not...Defenders.

Defender = USAF Security Police/Security Forces (usually when performing their Air Base Defense Mission, but now used more frequently) (Wear a Dark Blue Beret)

AP's, SP's and SF = Air Police, Security Police, and now Security Forces

PJ's = Para-Rescue (Maroon Beret)

CCT's = Combat Controllers (Red Beret)

TAC-P's = Tactical Air Control Party  ALO = Air Liaison Officer (officer component)/JTAC = Joint Terminal Attack Controller (Enlisted members) (Black Beret) Air Liaison Officers are authorized to wear the black beret, flash, and rank while assigned to a TACP unit (many choose not to don the black beret out of respect for the enlisted TACP airmen who have undergone intense training to earn this distinctive uniform item). 

Tabbed = Usually SP's or SF personnel (a few other USAF career fields too) that have graduated Ranger, Airborne, or Sniper schools (not very common).  A couple of USAF SP or SF specific tabs have been used at a few points over the years...Defender and GLCM (Ground Launched Cruise Missile) tabs, were used and issued during my 26 year career. 

GLCM (Pronounced "Glick-um") was an Intermediate Range Cruise Missile (Nuclear)...Organized into flights controlling 16 missiles on mobile launchers, each flight was an independent combat unit when deployed from the MOB (Main Operating Base).  Highly specialized training in Convoy Ops, Perimeter Defense, Patrolling, Fire and Maneuver and NBC Ops.   

Interesting note regarding USAF SP's or Security Forces personnel who have gone to US Army Ranger School...zero washout rate (as of 2005, when I retired).  The USAF conducts a pre-Ranger course that is phenomenal, it truly prepares prospective students for Ranger School, like no other.   

Troop = usually a subordinate (Complimentary or Derogatory)  "He's a good troop" or  "Hey troop, get your *** over here". 

2nd Lt. = Butter Bar (somewhat derogatory) or "Lt" (pronounced "El Tee" usually used when the Lt. was liked).

Brain Bucket = Usually a flight helmet used by Aviators and the combat helmet (also known as a piss-pot before the introduction of the Kevlar helmet)

"Slick" or "Slick-Sleeve" = Airman Basic  (Lowest USAF Enlisted Rank - no stripes)  Was also called a "jeep" which most believe really came from the acronym "GP" or general purpose meaning you could use them anywhere.

Doc = Independent Duty Medical Technician (IDMT)  Roughly the equivalent of the Corpsman or Medic

The Most Dangerous thing in the Air Force - A lieutenant with a map and a compass! (Some things are just universal...LOL)

FLAP = Derogatory term used by locals in Rapid City, SD with regard to USAF personnel assigned to Ellsworth AFB, SD, usually preceded by "Effing"

Goat Ropers = Derogatory term used by USAF personnel  at Ellsworth AFB for locals in Rapid City, SD - usually preceded by "Effing".

Red Hats = Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM pronounced "Cat-um")  Now part of Security Forces.

TITLESS WAF - male admin clerk (Air Force version) Was still being used by some in the 1980's...LOL

Deuce = 2 1/2 ton truck  (pretty much a universal term for that fine piece of equipment)

First Shirt = Slang term for the SNCO in the position of First Sergeant.  Sometimes just called "Shirt"...usually by the CO and the Chief.

Chief = Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) The term of address is ALWAYS Chief!!! 

RAF Regiment personnel are known as "Rock Apes".  The RAF Regiment is a Light Infantry Regiment in the Royal Air Force that has had fairly close ties to USAF Security Police/Security Forces over the years.

I have many more than these....but my mind is SNAFU and FUBAR right now.     

[Guns Garrett]

Oh how I wish this marvelous thread could be restricted to Victorian epithets so as to best help enlighten us to the 19th century Military patois of our forefathers who served us in arms . . . .


Radio Operator?

RJC, that was actually the original intent of starting this post - well, my "good intentions" have obviously paved the way to ... well, you see how it goes...

At least it hasn't degenerated into an inter-service contest of comparing "member" size ...


I pray my last remark won't give anyone any ideas (sigh).  We can always steer it back to the path of righteousness and "PC"...?

[Pitspitr]