Time & radio
Charlie Mike
Continue Mission · CM
All
Continue mission; keep going with the assigned task.
“We lost the coffee, but we Charlie Mike.”
THE UNOFFICIAL FIELD GUIDE / CIVILIAN-FRIENDLYMilitary Slang
Military Slang
Translator
From “Charlie Mike” to “chow.” Decode the language of service, one term at a time.
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Embrace the suck
All
Accept an unpleasant situation and work through it.
“Embrace the suck; the rain is not taking requests.”
Insults & nicknames (friendly)
Fobbit
ArmyMarines
A teasing name for someone who spends a deployment mostly inside a forward operating base.
“The fobbit knew every coffee shop on base.”
Gear & uniforms
BCGs
Birth Control Glasses · BCG
All
Birth Control Glasses, a joking name for older, conspicuous military-issued eyeglasses.
“My BCGs survived another field exercise.”
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A quick briefing
What does Charlie Mike mean?
Charlie Mike means Continue Mission: keep going with the assigned task.
Why do Marines say Oorah?
Oorah is a Marine Corps motivational cry expressing enthusiasm or acknowledgment. Its origin is disputed; no single origin story is treated as settled here.
What is the military phonetic alphabet?
It is a set of words used to spell letters clearly over radio or phone, from Alfa to Zulu. Alpha is a familiar alternate spelling; NATO officially uses Alfa.
Does the translator send my sentence anywhere?
No. Sentence translation uses dictionary substitutions in your browser. Your sentence, search, and phonetic input are never sent to analytics or stored.
Is this an official military dictionary?
No. This is an independent reference. Usage varies by branch, unit, era, and context; friendly nicknames are informal.