Time & radio
Charlie Mike
Continue Mission · CM
All
Continue mission; keep going with the assigned task.
“We lost the coffee, but we Charlie Mike.”
Coast Guard slang & terms
Includes terms used across all branches. Informal usage varies by unit and era.
Field & combat
Embrace the suck
All
Accept an unpleasant situation and work through it.
“Embrace the suck; the rain is not taking requests.”
Time & radio
Hooyah
NavyCoast Guard
A motivational shout associated especially with Navy special warfare and also heard in Coast Guard training.
“Hooyah, the team finished together.”
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.”
Chow & barracks life
Chow
All
Food or a meal.
“We stop for chow at noon.”
Chow & barracks life
Chow hall
DFAC · Dining Facility · Chow hall / DFAC
All
A place where service members eat; DFAC means dining facility, especially in Army usage.
“Meet me at the chow hall.”
Chow & barracks life
MRE
Meal Ready to Eat
All
Meal, Ready-to-Eat: a packaged field ration designed to be eaten without a kitchen.
“I traded my MRE crackers for coffee.”
Chow & barracks life
Rack
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A bed or bunk, especially aboard a ship.
“I am heading to my rack.”
Chow & barracks life
Head
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A restroom or toilet in naval usage.
“The head is down the passageway.”
Insults & nicknames (friendly)
Geardo
All
Someone especially enthusiastic about buying or collecting tactical gear.
“Our geardo has a pouch for his pouches.”
Ranks & people
Salty
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Experienced and seasoned; sometimes also gruff or irritated.
“The salty chief had seen worse weather.”
Chow & barracks life
Field day
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A thorough cleaning session, not necessarily an outdoor sports event.
“Field day means the dust loses tonight.”
Field & combat
High speed low drag
All
Very efficient, capable, or streamlined; sometimes said sarcastically.
“That high speed low drag checklist saved us an hour.”
Ranks & people
Doc
All
An informal, respectful name for a medic, corpsman, or military medical professional.
“Doc reminded us to hydrate.”
Ranks & people
Chief
NavyCoast Guard
A common address for a chief petty officer; context may also indicate a warrant officer in other services.
“Chief had the answer before we finished asking.”
Ranks & people
Butter bar
All
A nickname for a new second lieutenant or ensign, referring to the gold rank bar.
“The butter bar brought a fresh notebook.”
Ranks & people
Mustang
All
A commissioned officer who previously served as an enlisted member.
“The mustang remembered barracks inspections well.”
Time & radio
Zero dark thirty
Oh-dark-thirty · Oh dark thirty
All
An informal expression for a very early hour before daylight; it is not an exact time.
“We assembled at zero dark thirty.”
Time & radio
Hurry up and wait
All
Rush to get ready, then spend a long time waiting.
“The bus schedule was hurry up and wait.”
Time & radio
Good to go
All
Ready, acceptable, or cleared to proceed.
“The packed truck is good to go.”
Time & radio
Lima Charlie
All
Loud and Clear, expressed through the phonetic letters L and C; a report that a radio signal is easy to hear.
“Your radio is Lima Charlie.”
Time & radio
Roger
All
I received your last transmission; it does not by itself mean yes or a promise to comply.
“Roger, I received the update.”
Time & radio
Wilco
All
Will Comply: the message is understood and the instruction will be carried out.
“Wilco, I will bring the roster.”
Time & radio
Tango Uniform
All
Phonetic shorthand for a crude expression meaning broken or out of service; this is the polite meaning.
“The printer went Tango Uniform again.”
Acronyms
FUBAR
Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition
All
Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition, the polite expansion; badly broken or hopelessly disorganized.
“The filing system was FUBAR.”
Acronyms
SNAFU
Situation Normal All Fouled Up
All
Situation Normal: All Fouled Up, the polite expansion; a familiar mess or complication.
“A scheduling SNAFU moved lunch again.”
Acronyms
BOHICA
Bend Over Here It Comes Again
All
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again, the polite expansion; resigned humor about another unwelcome development.
“Another last-minute change: BOHICA.”
Acronyms
NCO
Noncommissioned Officer
All
Noncommissioned Officer: an enlisted leader appointed to a leadership rank rather than commissioned as an officer.
“Ask the NCO for the packing list.”
Insults & nicknames (friendly)
Blue falcon
All
A person accused of betraying teammates or causing them trouble for personal benefit; a polite substitute for a cruder label.
“Do not be a blue falcon over a parking spot.”
Field & combat
Pencil whip
All
Sign off on a task or inspection without actually doing it; dishonest and unsafe.
“Never pencil whip a safety check.”
Insults & nicknames (friendly)
Ricky Recruit
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A teasing name for a very inexperienced recruit.
“Ricky Recruit packed three alarm clocks.”
Gear & uniforms
Gear adrift
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Equipment left unsecured or unattended.
“Secure that gear adrift before we move.”
Chow & barracks life
Scuttlebutt
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Rumor, gossip, or informal news.
“The scuttlebutt says the schedule changed.”
Chow & barracks life
Galley
NavyCoast GuardMarines
A ship's kitchen or food preparation area.
“Coffee is brewing in the galley.”
Chow & barracks life
Liberty
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Authorized short time off duty, distinct from chargeable leave.
“Liberty starts after the brief.”
Ranks & people
Shellback
NavyCoast GuardMarines
Someone recognized in naval tradition for crossing the equator and completing the associated ceremony.
“The shellback framed the certificate.”
Ranks & people
Pollywog
NavyCoast GuardMarines
A person who has not yet crossed the equator in the naval crossing-the-line tradition.
“The pollywog was excited about the voyage.”
Gear & uniforms
Cover
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A uniform hat or cap; the word has other tactical meanings in different contexts.
“Put your cover on outside.”
Chow & barracks life
Deck
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A ship's floor or level; Marines also use it for the ground or floor.
“Keep the deck clear.”
Chow & barracks life
Bulkhead
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
A wall or partition aboard a ship.
“The notice is on the bulkhead.”
Chow & barracks life
Motrin and water
Vitamin M
All
A joke about receiving ibuprofen and hydration advice for many complaints; not medical advice.
“The running joke was Motrin and water.”
Field & combat
Drink water and change your socks
All
A familiar reminder about hydration and foot care, also used jokingly as an answer to almost any problem.
“Long day ahead: drink water and change your socks.”
Field & combat
Range day
All
A day of supervised weapons practice or qualification at a designated range.
“Range day begins with a safety briefing.”
Acronyms
PCS
Permanent Change of Station
All
Permanent Change of Station: an official move to a new duty location.
“Our PCS is scheduled for summer.”
Acronyms
TDY
Temporary Duty
ArmyAir ForceSpace ForceCoast Guard
Temporary Duty: a short assignment away from the normal duty station.
“I am on TDY next week.”
Acronyms
DD-214
DD214 · DD 214
All
A separation document recording qualifying military service, often needed to apply for veterans' benefits.
“Keep a secure copy of your DD-214.”
Chow & barracks life
Terminal leave
All
Approved leave taken immediately before separation or retirement, while still in military status.
“Terminal leave starts next month.”
Field & combat
Death before dishonor
All
A traditional motto expressing a strong commitment to honor; it is a slogan, not an instruction.
“The old patch read death before dishonor.”
Ranks & people
Coastie
Coast Guard
An informal nickname for a Coast Guard member.
“The Coastie checked the weather.”
Ranks & people
Boats
NavyCoast Guard
An informal address for a boatswain's mate, a sailor specializing in seamanship.
“Boats inspected the mooring lines.”
Gear & uniforms
Cutter
Coast Guard
A Coast Guard vessel with a permanent crew and accommodations for extended operations.
“The cutter returned to port.”
Field & combat
Small boat station
Coast Guard
A shore unit operating boats for missions such as rescue and maritime law enforcement.
“The small boat station received the call.”
Ranks & people
Non-rate
Coast GuardNavy
An enlisted member who has not yet qualified in an occupational rating; exact usage differs by service.
“The non-rate was learning the deck routine.”
Chow & barracks life
A-school
NavyCoast Guard
Initial technical training for an enlisted occupational specialty or rating.
“A-school starts after recruit training.”
Time & radio
Semper Paratus
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard motto, Latin for Always Ready.
“Semper Paratus is more than a sign on the wall.”
Acronyms
USCG
Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard, the service with maritime safety, security, and stewardship missions.
“The crew wore USCG uniforms.”
Field & combat
Flight line
Air ForceNavyMarinesArmyCoast Guard
The area where aircraft are parked, serviced, and prepared for operations.
“Only authorized personnel enter the flight line.”
Ranks & people
Maintainer
Air ForceSpace ForceArmyNavyMarinesCoast Guard
A service member who services and repairs military equipment.
“The maintainer spotted the fault.”
Gear & uniforms
Bird
All
An informal name for an aircraft.
“The bird is ready for its next flight.”
Field & combat
Sortie
Air ForceNavyMarinesArmyCoast Guard
One operational flight by one aircraft.
“The aircraft completed one sortie.”
Time & radio
Oscar Mike
All
On the Move, expressed with the phonetic letters O and M.
“We are Oscar Mike after the brief.”
Time & radio
Mike
All
The phonetic word for M, also used informally for a minute in some military contexts.
“Give me five mikes.”
Time & radio
Klick
All
A kilometer, approximately 0.62 miles.
“The checkpoint is one klick away.”
Acronyms
Sitrep
All
Situation Report: a concise update on current conditions or progress.
“Send a sitrep before lunch.”
Acronyms
AAR
All
After Action Review: a discussion of what happened, what worked, and what to improve.
“We held an AAR after the exercise.”
Acronyms
OPSEC
All
Operations Security: protecting information that could reveal sensitive activities or plans.
“Think OPSEC before posting online.”
Acronyms
PERSEC
All
Personal Security: protecting personal information and reducing risks to individuals.
“Use good PERSEC with travel details.”
Acronyms
PT
All
Physical Training: exercise intended to build or maintain fitness.
“PT begins before breakfast.”
Time & radio
Reveille
All
A morning wake-up signal or ceremony; practices vary by installation and service.
“Reveille sounded before sunrise.”
Time & radio
Taps
All
A bugle call associated with lights out and military funerals or memorial ceremonies.
“Everyone stood quietly for Taps.”
Gear & uniforms
Colors
All
A national or unit flag; also a ceremony associated with raising or lowering the national flag.
“We paused for morning colors.”
Chow & barracks life
Leave
All
Authorized absence from duty charged against an accrued leave balance.
“My leave request was approved.”
Chow & barracks life
Barracks
All
Military living quarters, commonly for junior enlisted personnel.
“The barracks inspection is tomorrow.”
Gear & uniforms
Skivvies
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Underwear.
“Pack clean skivvies for the trip.”
Ranks & people
Squared away
All
Organized, prepared, and meeting the expected standard.
“That team is squared away.”
Insults & nicknames (friendly)
Un-sat
All
Short for unsatisfactory; below the required standard.
“Leaving the door unsecured is un-sat.”
Ranks & people
Voluntold
All
Assigned a task while it is presented as though you volunteered.
“I was voluntold to carry the cooler.”
Field & combat
Dog and pony show
All
An elaborate presentation or demonstration staged for visitors or senior leaders.
“We rehearsed the dog and pony show.”
Time & radio
Dog watch
NavyCoast Guard
A shortened watch period, traditionally used to rotate shipboard watch schedules.
“He had the first dog watch.”
Time & radio
Midwatch
NavyCoast Guard
The watch period around midnight through the early morning, commonly midnight to 0400.
“Coffee helped with midwatch.”
Ranks & people
All hands
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Everyone in a ship's company or unit.
“All hands attend the briefing.”
Time & radio
Aye aye
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
I understand the order and will carry it out.
“Aye aye, Chief.”
Time & radio
Belay
NavyMarinesCoast Guard
Stop, cancel, or disregard an instruction; in seamanship it can also mean secure a line.
“Belay my last request.”
Time & radio
Port
NavyCoast GuardMarines
The left side of a vessel when facing forward.
“The boat is on the port side.”
Time & radio
Starboard
NavyCoast GuardMarines
The right side of a vessel when facing forward.
“Look to starboard.”
Time & radio
Aft
NavyCoast GuardMarines
Toward the rear of a vessel.
“The compartment is aft.”
Time & radio
Forward
NavyCoast GuardMarines
Toward the front or bow of a vessel; context can also indicate a direction on land.
“Move forward along the passageway.”
Chow & barracks life
Passageway
NavyCoast GuardMarines
A corridor aboard a ship.
“Keep the passageway clear.”
Chow & barracks life
Ladderwell
NavyCoast GuardMarines
A stairway or ladder passage between shipboard decks.
“Use the handrail in the ladderwell.”
Chow & barracks life
Mess deck
NavyCoast Guard
A shipboard area where the crew eats.
“Lunch is on the mess deck.”
Ranks & people
Reenlistment
All
Signing up for another period of enlisted military service.
“The reenlistment ceremony was on Friday.”
Acronyms
CO
All
Commanding Officer: the officer in command of a unit or vessel.
“The CO approved the plan.”
Acronyms
XO
All
Executive Officer: an officer who assists the commander and often coordinates daily operations.
“The XO reviewed the schedule.”
Acronyms
COMSEC
All
Communications Security: measures used to protect communications from unauthorized access or exploitation.
“Follow COMSEC procedures with the equipment.”
Acronyms
CONUS
All
Continental United States; in military administrative usage, the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.
“The assignment is CONUS.”
Acronyms
OCONUS
All
Outside the Continental United States; includes overseas locations and, for many administrative purposes, Alaska and Hawaii.
“The next move is OCONUS.”