Military nicknames/ jargon

[evangilder]

F-16 Falcon= "Viper"
A-10 Thunderbolt II="warthog"
B-52= "BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F*cker)

submariners='bubbleheads"
Marines="jarheads"
USAF members="flyboys, zoomies"
US Army members="grunts"
US Navy members="swabbies, squids"
Guard/Reserve members="weekend warriors, REMFs (rear echelon mother effers)"

bomb loaders="bb stackers"
Air Traffic Controllers="trolls"
Radio Operators="ditty boppers"
radio relay techs="widebandits"

Those are the ones off the tops of my head

[A4K]

No, do go on! The whole point of this thread is to see what expressions are/ were about from any era, and from all services, so we all might learn something. Bloody hell, chuck in civilian lingo aswell, the more the merrier!

BTW the toilet in the Sunderland flying boat was also called 'the head', usually it was called an elsan. (in British aircraft, atleast)

[timshatz]

USN
Radar Operator- Scope Dope
Bosuns Mate- Deck Ape

Think I heard the early Bradleys called "Zippos" or "Bics" due to a problem with the gas tanks (since fixed).

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by A4K

I take it there's been a few accidents involving overland cables, Adler ?

Yeah that is what us Blackhawk guys called them, due to some mishaps. Ofcourse we had to be very careful when using it because people have lost there lives. I was out flying some border traces along the Serbian Border with an Apache and it hit some wires. Killed both pilots. Was a very tragic day.

Originally Posted by A4K

And as for the S**t hook....

Each aircraft community thinks there aircraft are better than the others. We Blackhawk guys called them Shithooks out of jest in our fun little rivalry.

In all actuallity is the Shithook a great helicopter.

[pbfoot]

Air Defence Guys controllers were fighter cops
Techies were Twidgettes
Infantry were Pongoes , Gravel Techs
Artillery 20 mile sharpshooters
Airmen to Navy guys is Crabfat( blue and useless)

[comiso90]

FIGMO - Fu_ck it, I Got My Orders
MiCap - Mission capable
WRSK - War Readiness Spare Kits
Drop outs - Army

[ccheese]

To “deep six” is to toss overboard.

This comes from taking soundings in shallow water. A man stands in “the chains” (a platform at the bow) and uses a 125’ “lead line” with special markings. There are special marks at 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, and 20 fathoms. Each mark is special, so by just feel, a leadsman knows the measurement, even in the dark. For instance, at three fathoms, the mark is three leather thongs with knots on the end.

Where there is no mark (4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 19 fathoms) , these are called “deeps”. So…..if the water is 36 feet deep (six fathoms) the leadsman would call out, “By the deep, six “. If the water is 60 feet deep (10 fathoms) he would call, “By the mark, ten”. If he called , “And a half, six”, the depth would be 39 feet. If there were two fathoms, he would call out, "By the Mark Twain" (Sound familiar ????)

This bit of info, in the navy is called "marlinspike seamanship"

Perhaps we have an ex bos’n on the forum who give us more detail.

(and to think I can't remember what I had for supper !)

Charles

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Infantry = Crunchies
Air Force = Pussies

[ccheese]

Where's Mkloby ?

Why did they call female marines "BAMS" ??
And don't forget "MRE's"

Charles

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Hey PB, how do you feel being called a Troll?

Troglodyte I could live with (go to work in the dark, work in the dark, go home in the dark........), but Troll? That's just MEAN!

Straight into the hold - delay not determined.

Don't get mad - get even.

[ccheese]

Originally Posted by Downwind.Maddl-Land

Don't get mad - get even.

That's incorrect, Downwind....

Dont get even.... Get ahead !!

Charles

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Charles - correct as ever.

I could do with a new head............

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Teeny Weeny Airways – UK Army Air Corps
Scopies – Air Defence Controllers
Fish Heads – RN
Truckies – Transport types
Wobble Heads – Rotary Support Helicoper crews
Penguins – those that inhabited ‘Hand Brake House’ ie Admin staff
Wokkas – Chinooks
Louden Noisen Mitten Kleine Thrusten Machinen/Fuel to Noise Converter – Jet Provost
RAF Regiment – Rock Apes (usually just ‘Rocks’)
Missile Magnet – E3s

[comiso90]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

Infantry = Crunchies
Air Force = Pussies

Air Force pussies are the tastiest!

[pbfoot]

Originally Posted by Downwind.Maddl-Land

Hey PB, how do you feel being called a Troll?

Troglodyte I could live with (go to work in the dark, work in the dark, go home in the dark........), but Troll? That's just MEAN!

Straight into the hold - delay not determined.

Don't get mad - get even.

As a worker in the in the allseeing and knowing Ivory Tower it was my duty look look down with disdain on the lesser lights . It used to amaze me as all those on the ramp would look with awe at the Tower whom we could send scurrying about with just a word or two on the mike. My favorite was to get the Military Police (meatheads ) out to chase the odd dog off the runway or deer from their cosy nest under the vasis . its understandable that they would call us trolls as it easier to label then to understand and it is very easy to say