"G.I." came into common use during World War II and after, but prior to and during World War I especially, American soldiers were called "Doughboys," while British infantry troops were often referred to as "Tommies" (short for the archetypal soldier "Tommy Atkins") and French infantry were called "Poilus" ("hairy ones" ...
“Grunt” A Vietnam War soldier. “Leatherneck, Jarhead” A US Marine. “Mustang” A commissioned officer who has advanced from an enlisted rank. “Fall-Out” A soldier that can not keep up with his/her unit. “Chalk” A group of airborne soldiers who deploy from the same aircraft.
Nicknames have long been part of military lore. Evidence suggests soldiers have given pet names to their buddies or themselves since the Civil War or earlier. Some sobriquets applied to entire groups: doughboys, grunts, jarheads.
The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard are the armed forces of the United States.
All three are addressed as “Sir or Ma'am” (depending on their gender) when speaking directly to them either in person, on the phone, or in correspondence (email). If talking about them to another Soldier, they are addressed by their rank followed by their last name.
“Comrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comrade.
In the Marine Corps, master sergeants may be referred to by the nickname of "Top". This usage is an informal one, however, and would not be used in an official or formal setting.
Cherry: A new recruit, still in basic combat training, or a new service member on their first-ever duty assignment. Chow: Food. CO: Commanding officer.
New people in the military are often called “recruits”. They have training at a special camp, sometimes called “boot camp" or "basic training". During this training, the recruits usually have very little free time. They learn to understand the "orders" or "commands" that are given by the officers to the "troops".
Cadet Basic Training is a 6-week training course before a cadet's first year. During this training, they are called “New Cadets.”
Trench Monkey – Widely considered to be a derogatory term, trench monkey has a negative connotation and is also meant to refer to a soldier or any other Army service member.
Sarge is a shortened, informal form of the rank of Sergeant.
Commissioned officers are the highest ranks in the Army.
10 Soldiers. Two teams make up a squad, which has four to 10 soldiers. In an infantry squad, the teams divide duties: one serves as a base-of-fire element, while the other serves as the maneuver element. A staff sergeant is often in charge.
A veteran is a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions, which were other than dishonorable.
General (GEN) Insignia
General is the highest active rank of the Australian Army. The rank of General is only held when an Army Officer is appointed as the Chief of the Defence Force. The rank of General is referred to as 'four star' rank.
' Smaller groups of soldiers may be referred to as a 'platoon' or a 'unit,' whereas larger groups of soldiers may be referred to as a 'regiment' or a 'brigade. '
The smallest unit in an army is the squad, which contains 7 to 14 soldiers and is led by a sergeant. (A slightly larger unit is a section, which consists of 10 to 40 soldiers but is usually used only within headquarters or support organizations.)
In Army slang, the first sergeant is sometimes called the "Top Kick," or simply "Top."3 Page 2 2 One of the first sergeants from La Crosse County during World War II was Francis Murphy of La Crosse.
Over the years Marines have picked up nicknames like "Devil Dog" and "Leatherneck" and have adopted phrases "Semper Fidelis," "the Few, the Proud," and "Esprit de Corps." From the Marines' Hymn to the famous Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem, there is much to learn about the terminology of the Corps.
First sergeants, also known as the “First Shirt”, advise commanders on the readiness, health, morale, welfare, and quality of life of Airmen and families to ensure a mission-ready force.
Digger is a military slang term for primarily infantry soldiers from Australia and New Zealand.
On this page you'll find 49 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to soldier, such as: commando, fighter, guard, guerrilla, marine, and mercenary.