Military Acronyms and Slang Dictionary

[TCDiver1]

Let see, a few i can remember:

Water Buffalo - Metal tank on wheels used for hauling what some called potable water in bulk. Usually nothing potable about the water that came out of them.

Sea Lawyer - a self appointed know it all

Cover - Military utility hat, USMC, etc

BZO - battle sight zero for the weapon issued

Scuttlebutt - rumors, the latest word

Pyle - screwed up Marine

Rack - your bed

K's - US rations prior to C's, really terrible i'm told, circa WW-II

C's - US rations prior to MRE's, circa Vietnam, pretty terrible stuff depending on which one you got. All the C's i ever ate were packaged around 10 years before i was born making them 20-30 years old ... yummy!

MRE's - The latest issue US rations, probably only marginally better than C's although i hear they don't let em rot in storage for 20-30 years now before they pass em out. That has to help.

 

[Azza]

C's - US rations prior to MRE's, circa Vietnam, pretty terrible stuff depending on which one you got. All the C's i ever ate were packaged around 10 years before i was born making them 20-30 years old ... yummy!

MRE's - The latest issue US rations, probably only marginally better than C's although i hear they don't let em rot in storage for 20-30 years now before they pass em out. That has to help.

Heh Heh, NZ Army is still on C's. Actually when I put my 717 in, back in 2000 we were still getting issued Vietnam era webbing (Belt Kit-Not sure what you yanks call it).
As a consequence most of us made our own...

 

[Tom Winters]

Slick - old time , a Huey (UH-1A, B, C, D or H) used for general aviation purposes, as opposed to a gunship, usually a UH-1C with a 540 rotor system or an AH-1G Cobra.

How could you leave out the Loach?

Loach = same thing as "Little Bird" posted above.

Never mind...

 

[ScubaNorth]

Newbie- Well um a Newbie.

Short or Short timer- Like 30 days and a wake up.

AFN- Ain't (censored) nothing- see Newbie.

RADS- Local citizens (sorry but I worked on a nuke storage site and all the locals were thought of as radicals since they used to protest us, ah the 80's I miss you so)

The Rock- any base you were on when showing a newbie around, as in they call this place the rock because we are in the middle of no place with nothing to do but watch the grass grow.

The Brass- Officer

Boston or New York anyone who was born or raised within 1000 miles of New England. As in "hey NY grab that bag and follow me".

Radboro's- European Marlboro Cigarettes same package tasted like burning newspaper.

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

I must clarify how the sun became affectionately known as "Bob." For those of you who have never awakend to a particularly cold morning before sunrise (read: For all Air Force personnel) you wouldn't know how the sun became known as Bob. As the sun is a Big Orange Ball (hence Bob), a freezing grunt would start to talk to Bob in an effort to will the sun to rise faster and warm things up. Bob becomes the freezing infantryman's best friend once he starts rising and warming things up.

 

[uscgrescueswimmer]

Blue Falcon - Buddy **@#er

 

[kaboom1371]

retread = person that got out of the military and then joined again later

toe jam = the gross stuff between your toes when you haven't been able to shower or clean for long periods of time. can sometimes trade toe jam for cheese in MRE's with cherry boys. (always get your cheese first) be careful though you might get (read next)

dick cheese=stuff that accumulates in private parts after not being able showering or clean for long periods of time.

fast mover= fighter jet

slow mover= helicopter

moon beam= flash light

zingers= incoming fire close enough to hear go by

 

[todive4]

BZ (Bravo Zulu)= Congrats, good job.

Can't think of any others at the moment...

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

PRC 77: a radio no longer used that was carried by ground troops
PRC E7: Not a radio, usually a good joke to play on an FNG (tell him to go into the platoon sergeant's office and ask for the "Pr**k E7"
E7: Sergeant First Class (Army)

 

[neophytediver]

The term REMF hasn't been used in a while, except by the reeeeealy old timers. The correct term is "Pogue" and applies to any and all non-combat arms personnel.

Maggot=The term of affection used to describe single most underappreciated Infantryman on the planet, the Indirectfire Infantryman (MOS 11C), usually uttered by 11Bs that aren't smart enough to do math.
Dope on a Rope= Air Assault qualified personnel
Bullwinkle Wings= Air Assault wings
Dirt Dart= Airborne qualified personnel
Woobie= An infantryman's best friend... his poncho liner
Snivle gear= All that cool cold weather gear you never get to wear