The military uses various ways to say "yes," depending on service and context, most commonly "Yes, Sir/Ma'am," "Aye, Aye, Sir/Ma'am," "Roger," "Affirmative," or branch-specific calls like "Hooah" (Army), "Oorah" (Marines), or "Hooyah" (Navy/SEALs), all signaling understanding and compliance with an order or question, often adding "Sir/Ma'am" for respect.
Roger That. “OK,” “Understood,” and “Yes, sir/ma'am” are all acceptable replacements for this military phrase.
Common military terms
Why do people in the military say “sir yes sir” instead of just “yes sir?” The use of "sir yes sir" or "ma'am yes ma'am" in the military, particularly in the United States, is a form of addressing superiors and responding to orders or commands.
But in Marine-speak, kill can mean “yes, I understand,” “hell yeah,” or “let's do this.” Marines will even say “kill” as a half-joking version of hello.
"Oscar Tango Mike" (OTM) uses the NATO phonetic alphabet to mean "On the Move," indicating readiness, mobility, or ongoing progress, often used in military or tactical communication to signal movement or a unit's active status. It's formed from Oscar (O) + Mike (M). Other phrases include "Tango Mike" for "Thanks Much," and "Lima Charlie" for "Loud and Clear".
An NCO can issue a directive verbally to which a subordinate might reply, “roger that,” which means they understand and accept the directive. “Roger that” is likely the most widely used of military code words and phrases.
Charlie Foxtrot = Cluster F***
“Charlie Foxtrot” is a term for a chaotic or disastrous situation, often caused by mismanagement or poor coordination. In military operations, it might describe a botched mission or a supply chain error that results in complete disorder.
Aye Aye, Sir
Junior to Senior: A soldier greets a superior officer by saluting and saying “Jai Hind,” usually preceded by the rank, e.g., “Jai Hind, Sir!” Equal Rank: When greeting a fellow soldier of the same rank, it's simply “Jai Hind” with a firm handshake or nod.
0 Killed: After battles in the Civil War, troops would create posters with tallies of soldiers that were captured, killed, or alive. OK was thought to be an abbreviation for “0 killed”.
a) “Yeah” or “Yep”: Very common, informal ways to say yes. Example: “Are you coming to the party?” “Yeah, I'll be there!” b) “Okay” or “OK”: Simple, versatile ways to agree.
Ooh-rah: A battle cry among Marines, 'Ooh-rah' can be used as a greeting, a term of affirmation, or as a way of expressing enthusiasm.
In the Navy, "aye aye" is a verbal acknowledgment of a command, meaning "I understand the order and will comply with it". The first "aye" confirms hearing and understanding the order, while the second "aye" confirms the commitment to carry it out immediately. It was carried over from the Royal Navy.
A Day of No Scheduled Activities (DONSA) is a designated day—typically following a federal holiday or major training event—when Soldiers are not required to report for duty unless otherwise directed by their chain of command.
A mike is a slang term used in the military to mean a minute. Service members might note that they're "a mike out," meaning they're a minute away. If they're traveling at the average pace of 2.9 mph, this might mean they're about . 05 miles away.
On an edgier note, pineapple is also military slang for a bomb or hand grenade, especially those of a fragmentation type that resemble a pineapple in appearence. Pineapples have even been in the news lately.
48, 72, 96 – In hours, the standard liberty periods of two, three, four days.
Choco. An Army Reserve soldier (a. chocolate soldier – likely to. melt)
"Lima Charlie" is predominantly used in military parlance and stands for "Loud and Clear." This phrase is often employed to confirm that a message has been received and understood without any interference.
Bravo Zulu (BZ), the combination of the Bravo and Zulu nautical signal flags, is a naval signal, typically conveyed by flaghoist or voice radio, meaning "well done" with regard to actions, operations or performance.
Lima Charlie: Loud and Clear. Oscar Mike: On the Move. Tango Mike: Thanks Much. Tango Uniform: Toes Up, meaning killed or destroyed. Tango Yankee: Thank You.