Military Terms

A

Administrative Black Flag – This condition exists when BMC and the battalion aid stations cannot handle any more heat injuries. During an administrative black flag, all training stops.
AHSS – Automated Heat Stress System
AOR – Area of Responsibility
AWOL – Absence Without Leave
AWTF – All Weather Training Facility located on Parris Island

B

Brig – Jail
BAQ – Basic Allowance for Quarters
BHA – Basic Housing Allowance
BEQ – Bachelor Enlisted Quarters
B&U – Boots and Utilities (also known as boots and uts)
BMC – Branch Medical Clinic
BWT – Basic Warrior Training
BZO –  Battle sight Zero

C

Cam/Cvr/Concel – Camouflage/Cover/Conceal
Cammies – camouflage uniform
CFT – Combat Fitness Test
Cbt Cond – Combat Conditioning
Cold SOP – Cold weather Standard Operating Procedures
Commissary – A grocery store located on a military base
CO – Commissioned Officer
Cover – What a Marine calls his/her hat.  There are several different kinds of covers e.g. blue’s cover, barracks cover, garrison cover, etc…
Chevrons – Inverted v-shaped insignia indicating rank of enlisted personnel
Crucible – the culmination of all recruit training in which recruits must endure a 54-hour field training exercise that tests everything they have learned over the past three months, overcoming obstacles and working together as a team in order to complete various missions
CRT/CRS – Circuit Course
CVGD – Core Value Guided Discussions

D

DEP – Delayed Entry Program
Devil Dogs – nickname given to Marines during WWI by German soldiers
DECA – Defense Commissary Agency
DEERS – Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
DFAS – Defense Finance and Accounting System
DI – Drill Instructor
DITY Move – Do it Yourself Move
DOD – Department of Defense
DON – Department of the Navy
Dry Firing – firing weapons without any ammunition

E

EGL – Eagle, Globe, and Anchor – the Marine Corps emblem.
EOS – End of Obligated Service
EAS  – End of Active Service

F

FOB – Forward Operating Base
FTC – Field Training Company

G

Good Scoop – reliable information
Grass Week – The week before the rifle range which is spent sitting in the grass, getting classes and dry firing
Guidon – the flag being held by the guide in a formation.

H

Hatch – Door
Head – Naval term for bathroom
Heavy – Experienced Drill Instructor, second to the Senior DI
Hot SOP – Hot weather Standard Operating Procedures

I

IFAK – Initial First Aid Kit
INNOCS  – inoculations
Iron Ducks – People who can’t swim
IST – Initial Strength Test
IED – Improvised Explosive Device

J

Jar Head – a derogatory slang word for Marines.  The origin may be because of their hair cuts.
JROTC – Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

K

KA-BAR – A combat knife made popular during WWII when it became one of the standard issue fighting knives of the Marine Corps.
Kill Hat – Drill Instructor who delivers incentive training

L

L/FLead Series/ Follow Series
Leatherneck – term used to describe Marines because of the leather collars worn from 1775-1875

M

MARADMIN – Marine Corps Administrative Message
MCMAP –
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
MCT – Marine Combat Training
MCX
 – Marine Corps Exchange – a Marine base store
MEPS – Military Entrance Processing Station
Mess Hall – The same as a chow hall, a dining area for Marines
MOS – Marine Occupational Specialty
MRE – Meal Ready to Eat
MTU – Marksmanship Training Unit
MWR – Moral, Welfare, and Recreation

N

NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer
NJP – Non-Judicial Punishment

O

OIC – Officer In Charge
OOD – Officer of the Day
ORM – Operational Risk Management

P

PCU – Physical Conditioning Unit
PCS – Permanent Change of Station
PFC – Private First Class
PFT – Physical Fitness Test
PME – Professional Military Education
Poolee – someone who is in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) waiting to go into boot camp.
POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
P1-P3 – Found on the training matrix, P stands for processing days – Processing involves getting uniforms, gear, haircuts and a medical evaluation
PT – Physical Training
PTAD – Permissive Temporary Assignment of Duty
PFT – Physical Fitness Test
PX– Post Exchange –  a store located on a Marine base
Pugil Sticks – are training sticks with padding on the ends.  They represent rifles with fixed bayonets and are used to simulate a close encounter with the enemy

Q

R

Rack – a bed
The Reaper – A steep hill at Edson Range hiked by West Coast Recruits during the final test of the Crucible at Camp Pendleton, California
Recycles – A term used for recruits who fail to master a graduation requirement and must undergo additional instruction.
Romeo Company –  Formerly Special Training Company (STC) – Injured recruits are assigned to Romeo Company until they are able to continue training.
RTB – Recruit Training Battalion

S

Scoop – slang for information
SDI – Senior Drill Instructor
Semper Fidelis – Latin for always faithful – the Marine Corps motto. Also known as Semper Fi.
Squad Bay – Living quarters
Squared Away – everything in order
SRB – Service Record Book
SNCOIC – Staff Non-commissioned Officer-in-Charge
SOI – School of Infantry
STC – Special Training Company – renamed Romeo Company – takes care of recruits who are injured until they are able to return to training.

T
TAD
– Temporary Assignment of Duty
Team Week – Recruits help around the base

U

UA – unauthorized absence
UCMJ – the Uniform Code of Military Justice

V

W

WFTBn – Weapons and Field Training Battalion

X

Y

Z

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