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A Glimpse Into Service Slang

Members of the military often use their own slang for a variety of things. The Army and Air Force share a lot of slang, while the sea services — Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — use many of the same terms. 

Ranks and Titles 

Sailors in flight deck uniforms walk around fighter jets on a ship's deck.
Military Slang
On Navy ships, troops eat in the galley and use a bathroom known as the head. Pictured is the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson while sailing in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 17, 2025.
Credit: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Isaiah Goessl
VIRIN: 250417-N-TD381-1293
In the Navy and Coast Guard, a senior chief petty officer is often called senior. In the Marine Corps, a gunnery sergeant is called gunny, a master sergeant is called top, a master gunnery sergeant can be called master guns, and those in the warrant officer ranks are gunners. A Marine Corps captain is often called skipper, but a Navy skipper refers to a captain of a ship. All Marines can be called leathernecks or devil dogs. 

In the Army and Air Force, any enlisted member with the rank of sergeant and above can informally be called sarge, with an Army master sergeant and an Air Force senior master sergeant sometimes called top sergeant. 

Enlisted recruits in the Navy are trained by recruit division commanders. Enlisted Marines are trained by drill instructors, while officers are trained by sergeant instructors. Service members in the Coast Guard are trained by company commanders, and those in the Army and Air Force are trained by drill sergeants. 

Deployments 

The Army and Marine Corps share some terms when deployed or in the field, aka downrange. Distances on maps are measured in clicks, which means kilometers. Infantrymen in both services are called grunts. When they're hiking through the field, soldiers are said to be on a ruck march while Marines are on a hump. 

When setting sail on a cruise or float, the Navy and Coast Guard use maps called charts, and distances are measured in nautical miles. 

A large white vessel with the words U.S. Coast Guard on the side sails in the water.
Military Slang
The Coast Guard calls its larger vessels cutters, and instead of maps, they use charts with distances labeled in nautical miles. This is the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca patrolling off the coast of Haiti, March 1, 2025.
Credit: Coast Guard Seaman Solana Laughlin
VIRIN: 250301-G-G0100-1001K

Ships and Structures 

The sea services use nautical terms to describe ships and structures — the Coast Guard calls its vessels cutters. The deck is the floor, walls are bulkheads, a bathroom is called the head, and beds are racks or bunks. When facing the bow or front of a vessel, the left side is called the port, and the right side is called the starboard. 

In the Marine Corps, the dining facility is the chow hall or mess hall, and in the Navy, it's the galley. 

In the Army and Air Force, the dining facility is often abbreviated to DFAC, and the bathroom is the latrine. 

Two men in military camouflage uniforms and red chef’s hats serve food to men in casual clothing.
Military Slang
Airmen are served food, called chow, in a dining facility, called a DFAC, in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 20, 2025.
Credit: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Timothy Leddick
VIRIN: 250420-F-KE594-1039

Other Slang 

If someone gets into trouble, but it's not serious enough for them to be court martialed, the service member can receive nonjudicial punishment, aka Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or simply Article 15. Marines also call NJP office hours. 

When Marines are given special liberty that's not part of their vacation time, known as leave, it usually involves an extended weekend, with three days off called a 72 and four days off a 96. The other service branches refer to it as a pass. 

Being squared away means someone is acting professional and looking sharp in uniform in all services. 

There are thousands of other slang terms used by the military, some of which are used by certain military occupational specialties, aka MOSs or jobs. 

Four soldiers in camouflage uniforms walk while carrying rifles.
Military Slang
Soldiers carrying rucks on a ruck march, June 28, 2023, in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
Credit: Staff Sgt. Randis Monroe
VIRIN: 230628-A-XB890-1034

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