SGT. QUINCANNON, SASS #32999 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Tankers were called "Captain Crunchies" in my infantry company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Truth be told leg is only half a word Red leg, Straight leg, or something vulgar/profane/blasphemous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus McGillicuddy Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Padre=Sky Pilot Not a nickname but I always loved the reference to Quartermasters: In the rear with the gear! Seamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Red leg, Straight leg, or something vulgar/profane/blasphemous? Calling a non-paratrooper a "leg" is short for "straight leg". Once upon a time (I don't know how this is now.), airborne qualified soldiers assigned to jump units were allowed to wear jump boots with their dress uniforms. They would blouse their pant legs into the top of the boot, and it looked pretty sharp. Non paratroopers wore low quarter shoes with their dress uniforms. Hence, their trousers had "straight legs". And now you know, as Paul Harvey famously said, the rest of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Paratroopers still blouse their trousers. When that stops, the country is doomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake River Clay SASS #34984 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Don't forget "Top". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 Don't forget "Top". and "Chief" (Chief of firing Battery) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 and "Chief" (Chief of firing Battery) In the artillery, he would be called "Smoke." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 In the artillery, he would be called "Smoke." We called him "Chief." C 1/36 FA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 We called him "Chief." C 1/36 FA Interesting. Always heard them referred to as Smoke. Took me awhile when I got the the Field Artillery to figure out who and what they meant. Assigned to HHB 1/134 FA from 1998 to 2012. Spent a lot of time on the gun lines as their medic despite actually being the Section NCOIC. Funny thing was, there was always one young, not so bright guy that would refer to any section chief as "Smoke." Seems it is short for "Chief of Smoke" http://community.armystudyguide.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9651093521/m/9471006082 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 Interesting. Always heard them referred to as Smoke. Took me awhile when I got the the Field Artillery to figure out who and what they meant. Assigned to HHB 1/134 FA from 1998 to 2012. Spent a lot of time on the gun lines as their medic despite actually being the Section NCOIC. Funny thing was, there was always one young, not so bright guy that would refer to any section chief as "Smoke." Seems it is short for "Chief of Smoke" http://community.armystudyguide.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/9651093521/m/9471006082 Of course, Chief of Smoke. I reported directly to SFC Christian. The little sawed off SOB should have been in Armor he was so small. ))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shoer 27979 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Cobra helicopter mechanics = snake doctors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead River Den, SASS#915 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Airfiorce wing nuts, special forces snake eaters, 2nd lieutenants cannon fodder, infantry grunts, dirt eaters, dog face, ground pounders, legs, nato blue hats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 The Artillery Battery had a Fire Direction Officer FDO(always the lowest rank-2nd Lt least authority and generally overlooked) and Executive Officer (2nd or 1st Lt) XO and the Battery Commander (highest rank 1st Lt -Capt) who was always called the "Old Man" his job was to be the father figure and to protect the rank and file from the excesses of the XO. He was always a softy and willing to listen to the problems of the troops. Upon his promotion or transfer, the XO stepped into his position and had an immediate change of personality and the former FDO, now the XO, immediately became the most foul tempered sob in the battery. Battery 1st Sgt was an E-7 or occasionally E-8 and was known as the "shirt" or "sleeve" and was generally benign and was the one person in the Battery that remembered your birthday. If you were having woman troubles you went to talk to him Next ranking NCO was the dreaded Chief of Smoke. He reported directly to the XO and was generally as mean as the XO. The Gun Chiefs were a world to their own and were directly responsible for the day to day actions and training of the gun crews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 The Artillery Battery had a Fire Direction Officer FDO(always the lowest rank-2nd Lt least authority and generally overlooked) and Executive Officer (2nd or 1st Lt) XO and the Battery Commander (highest rank 1st Lt -Capt) who was always called the "Old Man" his job was to be the father figure and to protect the rank and file from the excesses of the XO. He was always a softy and willing to listen to the problems of the troops. Upon his promotion or transfer, the XO stepped into his position and had an immediate change of personality and the former FDO, now the XO, immediately became the most foul tempered sob in the battery. Battery 1st Sgt was an E-7 or occasionally E-8 and was known as the "shirt" or "sleeve" and was generally benign and was the one person in the Battery that remembered your birthday. If you were having woman troubles you went to talk to him Next ranking NCO was the dreaded Chief of Smoke. He reported directly to the XO and was generally as mean as the XO. The Gun Chiefs were a world to their own and were directly responsible for the day to day actions and training of the gun crews. Sounds about how I observed it and remembered it. It was good being their doc. The Gun Chiefs would always ask me if I wanted to fire their guns (Duh!) and the BC (Battery Commander), XO and First Sergeant would leave me alone, so long as I walked the gun lines regularly checking on the guys, and made sure they washed their hands before chow. I will admit that almost as fun as firing the guns was sitting in FDC and calling a fire mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 "I will admit that almost as fun as firing the guns was sitting in FDC and calling a fire mission." "Fire For Effect!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Trail Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Tankers were referred to as DATs. Dumb Arse tankers.. I was a tank systems meechanic. They were anything but dumb. Still I used it to rib my compadres. After the M 1 they became CDATs computerized dumb are tankers. Yep, I was DAT and CDAT having served on M48A5E8, M60, M60A1, M60A3 and M1 Abrams. Most tankers are definitely not dumb, but riding around in the biggest target on the battlefield does lead some to question the intelligence of our choice of MOS. We called infantry "track grease". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grapeshot 8553 Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Anyone driving or riding in a tracked vehicle was called a tread head, ADA gunners were called fly swatters Mechanics = SAM's (Smart Arsed Mechanics) Tankers = DAT Airman= Wing Wipers AF Pilots = Jet Jockey Helo Pilot= Rotor Head Medics = Doc Artillery = Gun Bunnies, Cannon Cocker, (deaf) Infantry = Grunt, 1-1 Bullet Stopper, 1-1 Brush Beater, Dog Face, Airborne = Paratrooper; There are to many descriptions for me to remember and are unfit to print. Just remember only two things fall out of the sky, precipitation and bird droppings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Air Force flightline: Hydraulic troops - Bubble Chasers Electricians - Spark Chasers Avionics Technicians (Your truly) - Pointy Heads Crew Chief - Booger Hooker Weapons Loaders - Load Toads Weapons Depot - BB Stackers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Crimes Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 Some Aussie ones for you: Armed Corps: Tankies, Buckets, Wheelie Bins (that's what we call our garbage bins- APC's were full of garbage), bullet magnets. Infantry: Grunts, Splat Cats (para's). Service Corps: POGO's (posted on garrison only). Aviation: rotor heads, woka's (the sound of rotors), target indicators (can you see the burning chopper? well the bad guys are over there). Artillery: Drop shorts, Cooks: Fitters and Turners (fit food into pots and turn it into......) RAEME (mechanics) The black hand gang Engineers: Sappers, mine detectors (something goes bang and everyone yells "he found it"!). Those are the printable ones I can remember right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Carpenter Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 USAF: Fighter Pilot= Fighter Jock C 141, C5, C 124, Etc Pilot= Trash Hauler Aircraft Maintenance Officer= Maintenance Puke SAC Missile Crew= Cone Heads Other AFSCs (Non Pilots/Navs/ Boomers}= Ground Pounders KC 135 Boomer= Gas Passer (A figher jock's best friend) I am too old to remember any more.... Hoss C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I'm getting to this thread late, and I'm shocked and dismayed that no one has said "Dog Face," or "Dog Face Soldier" to refer to infantrymen. Back in the day, I started my career as a straight leg dog face. I was 17 then (and yes, you CAN enlist at age 17 with a parental waiver and *IF* your AIT is scheduled so you'll turn 18 before you graduate). Wow. That was a long time ago. I turn 40 in a few weeks and I'm still in. Since my straight leg dog face days, I've gotten commissioned, am on my fourth MOS, and moved up to LTC. My current MOS is something 99.9% of you never knew existed, so we don't have a nickname yet. I'm calling myself "Steely-eyed Rocket Man." Stuff hurts these days. Somehow I became the old guy. When did that happen? I know on this forum 40 isn't old. But in the Army, believe you me, it's ancient. Consider this: I had been in the Army for four years already when the average new Private was born. None of them have any memory of 9-11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 RE: the original post Soldier nicknames? Sailors, Marines, and Airmen are not soldiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 RE: the original post Soldier nicknames? Sailors, Marines, and Airmen are not soldiers. And Coastguardsmen, well, . . . )))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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