Military Sayings

[Sapper Woody]

We've all heard "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away". I'd like to hear some more.

Now, a couple ground rules:
1. This one is obvious, but no profanity.
2. Don't get offended. The military is not a source of doctrine, and as such not all sayings are doctrinally correct. For instance "Sappers don't die. They go to h*** to regroup". Or "Sappers all go to Heaven. Satan's too worried they'll take over". Not doctrinally sound, obviously. But these are regularly said.

So, I'm interested in hearing others' sayings. Especially if they are branch or MOS related.

So, let's hear them!
(Salty, I know you have to have a few. And Don, you can post too, if you're not to busy with the USAF life of luxury.)

 

[Salty]

.... And Don, you can post too, if you're not to busy with the USAF life of luxury.)

Let me get this straight - you just said that Don is USAF - but I thought this was about the military?

1) Close enough for Government Work
2) If the Army wanted you to have a wife they would have issued you one.
3) GI Party (for you Civilians - its not what you think it is)
4) 0-Dark thirty
5) Yea, the Old Man is younger than me.
6) Re-up and buy a brand new car (actually I did)

 

[Revmitchell]

"Once a Marine always a Marine"

 

[Bro. Curtis]

"Mass confusion HALT".
"90-day mess crank tour"
"Who ordered this weather ?"
"You got a chit for that ?"
"On your faces !"
"I want it Spic and Span !"

 

[Revmitchell]

"What is your malfunction!"

 

[Sapper Woody]

"Once a Marine always a Marine"

I understand what they're trying to say, but I can't stand that one! Lol. I guess I've been too disenchanted by too many former Marines who claim that sentence who are OBVIOUSLY no longer Marines, lol.

One I've used quite a bit myself:

"Beat your face"

 

[Revmitchell]

One I've used quite a bit myself:

"Beat your face"

I've never heard that one. Have no idea what it means. I have been out of service for more than 20 years so I am sure I am out of touch with these things.

 

[Sapper Woody]

I've never heard that one. Have no idea what it means. I have been out of service for more than 20 years so I am sure I am out of touch with these things.

It's the short version of "Beat your face on the pavement". Another way of saying do pushups.

 

[Revmitchell]

It's the short version of "Beat your face on the pavement". Another way of saying do pushups.

OH, never heard that either. In my day it was just "get down and give me 20!".

 

[ktn4eg]

When a person re-enlisted, he was considered a "lifer."

To some folks, an NCO was a person who had No Chance Outside. In other words he probably couldn't make it on his own in the civilian world.

How many of you GI's marked off your days on your "short calendar"?

Surely none of you ever engaged in "short timing"!!

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I heard that one plenty of times, as well.

"On your faces" denotes a group mashing.

 

[Revmitchell]

A "Short Timer" was one that was due to get out within the year.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Surely none of you ever engaged in "short timing"!!

"….I'm so short, I gotta climb a ladder to but my cover on…"

 

[Sapper Woody]

When a person re-enlisted, he was considered a "lifer."

To some folks, an NCO was a person who had No Chance Outside. In other words he probably couldn't make it on his own in the civilian world.

How many of you GI's marked off your days on your "short calendar"?

Surely none of you ever engaged in "short timing"!!

As an NCO, I hated those short timers, lol.

"THS", also known as "Tiny Heart Syndrome".

Something relatively new is the term "slick-sleeve", or someone who has no deployment patch.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Went from Pollywog to Shellback, Indian Ocean, 1982.

 

[Sapper Woody]

One of our favorite discipline tools in my company in Hawaii was "Google". For instance, "Oh, you don't know? Google it!" At which point the soldier would get in a squat position as if he were sitting in a chair, arms straight forward, fingers moving as if he were typing.

If you didn't catch that, he's pantomiming googling something on the computer while squatting

 

[Salty]

A "Short Timer" was one that was due to get out within the year.

A professional Short-timer is one day into his enlistment.

and remember 2 digit midget
or I'm so short, I can walk underneath the door

 

[ktn4eg]

Something relatively new is the term "slick-sleeve", or someone who has no deployment patch.

In the USAF, a slick sleeve was some one who was still in basic training with the rank of E-1 Airman Basic. When a person held the rank of E-1, he had no chevrons on the sleeve of his uniform, thus he was a "slick sleeve."

 

[Sapper Woody]

In the USAF, a slick sleeve was some one who was still in basic training with the rank of E-1 Airman Basic. When a person held the rank of E-1, he had no chevrons on the sleeve of his uniform, thus he was a "slick sleeve."

Makes sense. In the army, our rank is on our chest.

 

[Salty]

Ets,pcs, ojt,tdy,pov,mos,dor,eer