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S-1
The
administrative section of a battalion. Administrative personnel are usually
given 01 MOSs.
S-2
The intelligence
section of a battalion. The 02 MOS is assigned to intelligence personnel.
S-3
The operations
and training section of a battalion.
S-4
The logistics
and supply section of a battalion.
Sage Green
One of the names
for the color of utility uniforms.
(see also
OD)
Sally
Nickname for the
air mattresses at one time provided to Marines for field use.
Sally Port
A gate or
passage into a fortified place.
Salty
Referring to
someone or something with a lot of experience, particularly at sea. A salty
Marine is one who has been around a while. A salty uniform is more faded and
obviously used, but still sharp. Salty language is language salted with
profanities or obscenities.
Sam Browne
A leather duty
belt worn by commissioned and warrant officers, consisting of a belt around the
waist with a second belt running from left hip over the right shoulder back to
the left hip. I t would give added support for the wearing of a sword. Worn
only for special occasions such as parades and formal events.
San Diego
CA
Location of the
Marine Corps' west coast Recruit Depot, it is located in San Diego adjacent to
the airport. Parents, friends and other relatives of Marine Corps Recruits can
find help and understanding among the members of myMarine.
(see
Hollywood Marine.)
Sand Crab
A
sideways-walking beach scavenger. It refers to a civil service employee or a
civilian contractor on board ship.
Sand Fleas
Parris Island
pests which delight in climbing on recruits standing at attention.
Sandy
A-1 aircraft.
Sarge
An army
diminutive of sergeant, and a good way to get your ass kicked when talking to a
Sergeant of Marines.
SAW
M249 Squad
Automatic Weapon. The automatic weapon for each fire team. It replaced the BAR
after Vietnam.
Say Again
Repeat.
Particularly important when talking to an artillery or mortar unit on the radio.
Repeat has specific consequences. By someone not paying attention the phrase,
"Say again, all after 'good morning'" could be used, but the consequences may be
painful.
Scarlet and Gold
The official
colors of the U. S. Marine Corps as ordered by Major General Commandant John A.
Lejeune in 1921.
School
of Infantry
The MOS school
for the Infantry career field. SOI East is at Camp Lejeune, NC and SOI West is
at Camp Pendleton, CA. Every Marine graduating from boot camp at either Parris
Island, SC or San Diego, CA goes next to SOI. New Marines who have not been
assigned an 0300 (Infantry MOS) report to Marine Combat Training for four weeks
of intensive training in combat weapons and techniques because "Every Marine is
a Rifleman." After MCT they are sent to their MOS school. New Infantry Marines
report to the School of Infantry's Infantry Training Battalion for MOS training.
In addition, SOI operates an Advanced Infantry Training company to teach NCOs
basic combat leadership skills as well as a Staff Non-Commissioned Officer's
Academy.
School Circle.
An informal
circle, sitting or standing around a Drill Instructor or other instructor for
the purpose of receiving training.
Scoop
Information,
usually unofficial but often correct.
(see
Bum Scoop.)
Screw the Pooch
To make a major
mistake, particularly one that will have serious ramifications.
Scribe
A recruit who
takes notes and makes lists for the platoon and the drill instructors. This is
an informal position selected by the drill instructors.
Scrimshaw
Intricate
drawings and etchings, usually on whalebone. Sailors would spend many of the
boring hours at sea creating these masterpieces of art.
SCUM
The only English
language word that can be made from the letters USMC.
Scumbag
(see Shitbird
or
Maggot.)
Scuttlebutt
1. A keg of
water on board ship around which sailors would gather and swap tales and gossip.
2. Present use
is as unverified information passed informally
3. Water
fountain or bubbler
Scuzz
Brush
The cleaning
brush included in the PX issue used for cleaning floors and porcelain objects.
As with all other items in the PX issue, the recruit pays for this item from
his or her first pay.
SDO
Staff (or
Squadron) Duty Officer. The commander’s representative during non-duty hours.
Sea
Bat
A mythical
creature used in a practical joke by salty Marines and sailors against
inexperienced compatriots, usually aboard ship. There are a number of
permutations of this joke, some quite nasty. One is that a newbie is shown a
helmet laying on the deck and is told that someone has captured a sea bat. He
is then told to position himself with one hand on each side of the helmet so
that when the helmet is lifted he can capture the bat with his hands. The "bat"
turns out to be a pile of feces or some other nasty substance.
Sea Buoy
see Mail Buoy.
Sea Dip
An effect of
over-tightening the hoop in a Frame Cover, causing the sides to curve downward.
A sign of saltiness sometimes considered fashionable among enlisted Marines.
Never done by any officer other than a Mustang, and then only with great
subtlety.
Sea
Lawyer
Someone who
appears to know all the angles and methods to escape punishment or who provides
legal advice while not a lawyer.
Sea Snake
A legendary
creature for which newer crew members would be sent to find or which would be
used to intimidate inexperienced members of the ship's complement. During
Vietnam, however, great masses of white churning fish would follow the
illuminated hull of the USS Repose (hospital ship) as she plied her course at
Yankee Station.
Sea Story
A tale. Often
containing a small grain of truth somewhere.
Seabag
A large canvas
bag into which sailors and Marines stuff their entire issue of uniforms and
personal items when being transferred. In the Army and Air Force, it is a duffel
bag.
Seabag Drag
see Bag Drag.
Seabees
Navy Combat
Construction Battalions.
Seagoing Bellhop
Derogatory term
for Marines.
Seagoing Marine
The first
mission of the Marine Corps. A Marine, trained at Sea School and assigned to
the Marine Detachment on board ship. While most Marines at some time in their
career will spend time on ship, only those Marines assigned as members of the
ship’s complement earn this title. The insignia of a seagoing Marine is a gold
seahorse superimposed on a gold anchor within a crimson lozenge. In 1998, all
Marine Detachments on board ships were disbanded, thus ending a tradition that
dated to 1775 and the first duty of the Marine Corps.
(see
USS Marine Association.)
SEAL
Sea, Air, Land.
The guerrilla and reconnaissance force of the U. S. Navy, specially trained for
covert operations.
Seaman
An enlisted
sailor in the pay grade E-3, equivalent to a Marine lance corporal. The
non-rated grades wear slash marks on the upper left arm only. Seaman is a "deck
force" rate and is indicated with white slashes. Airman is an "aviation" rate
and is indicated with green slashes. Fireman is a mechanical rate and is
indicated with red slashes. Constructionman is for members of Navy Construction
Battalions (Sea Bees) and the slashes are blue.
Seaman
Apprentice
An enlisted
sailor in the pay grade E-2, equivalent to a Marine private first class.
(see
Seaman.)
Seaman Recruit
An enlisted
sailor in the pay grade E-1, equivalent to a Marine private.
(see
Seaman.)
Secretary of the
Navy
The civilian
appointee of the President responsible for the efficient management of the Navy
and Marine Corps. Abbreviated SecNav.
Second
Lieutenant
The first grade
of commissioned officer indicated by a gold bar on the collar of the uniform.
The pay grade is O-1 and is the same in the Army and the Air Force. In the
Navy and Coast Guard the rank is ensign, and is additionally indicated with a
broad gold stripe topped by a gold star (or insignia of staff branch) in the
Navy, or a gold shield in the Coast Guard worn on shoulder boards or jacket
cuffs. Sometimes pejoratively called a "butter bar."
Secure
To stop work or
to lock up for safe keeping.
Semper Fidelis
Latin for
“always faithful”. The current motto of the U. S. Marine Corps. Often expressed
informally as Semper Fi.
Semper Gumby
An unofficial
motto of the Marines in a mixed Latin/cartoon dialect meaning “always flexible”.
Senior Drill
Instructor
(see
Drill Instructor.)
Sergeant Major
of Marines
The senior
enlisted person in a battalion, regiment, group, wing or higher. His or her
insignia consists of three chevrons and four rockers with a star between the
chevrons and rockers. The pay grade is E-9 and it is shared with the rank of
master gunnery sergeant. In the Army, the rank is the same but the insignia
contains one less rocker. In the Air Force, the rank is chief master sergeant
and the insignia is a technical sergeant insignia with three chevrons on top.
In the Navy and Coast Guard, the insignia is worn on the left arm only and
consists of a chief petty officer insignia with two stars above the eagle.
Sergeant Major
of the Marine Corps
This is a billet
and not a rank. He or she is the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of
the Marine Corps and the insignia is the same as a sergeant major except that,
between the chevrons and rockers is an eagle globe and anchor flanked by stars.
The pay grade is E-9 and is shared with sergeants major and master gunnery
sergeants. The other services have equivalent billets. The Sergeant Major of
the Army’s insignia replaces the star with the Army eagle flanked by two stars.
The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force wears a chief master sergeant rank
except that the silver star is contained within a wreath. The Chief Petty
Officer of the Navy and the Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard wear chief
petty officer insignia with three stars above the eagle.
Sergeant of
Marines.
The second step
in the noncommissioned officer ranks is indicated by three chevrons with crossed
rifles. The pay grade is E-5 and is equivalent in the Army to a sergeant who
wears three chevrons. In the Air Force, a staff sergeant wears four inverted
chevrons with the top three covered at the angle by a blue field and a silver
star. In the Navy and Coast Guard, the rank is petty officer second class and
is indicated by two inverted chevrons under a Navy eagle, on the left arm only.
Sewer Pipe
Sailor
Pejorative term
for a member of the submarine service.
SGLI
Servicemen's
Group Life Insurance. GI Life Insurance.
Shallow Water
Sailors
Coast Guardsmen.
(background)
There is a Navy joke that inquires of a Coastie of
short stature, how he was able to enlist. When asked what is meant by that the
response is, "You guys in the Coast Guard have to be 6 feet tall so that when
your ship sinks you can walk ashore."
Shanker Mechanic
A Navy doctor.
Shellback
Anyone who has
crossed the Equator and gone through the initiation. All others are Polliwogs.
Shelter Half
Half of a pup
tent. Each Marine carried one half so that two Marines could buddy up, snap or
button their shelter halves together and make a pup tent.
Shepherd Jr.,
Lemuel C
Twentieth
Commandant of the Marine Corps from Jan 1, 1952 until Dec 31, 1955 in the rank
of general. He was born in Virginia on Feb 10, 1897 and died on Aug 6, 1990.
Ship
A large vessel
equipped for deep-water operation. A sailing vessel furnished with a bowsprit
and three masts (a mainmast, a foremast, and a mizzenmast), each of which is
composed of a lower mast, a topmast, and a topgallant mast, and square-rigged on
all masts.
Ship Over
To reenlist.
Ship's
Compliment
The sailors and
Marines who make up the permanent party of a ship, as opposed to those who are
assigned for a single cruise or action.
(see
Seagoing Marine.)
Shield,
The
Subdued metal
collar device with a Caduceus on a shield worn by Medical corpsmen, below the
rank of chief petty officer, while in field uniform. The shield is worn on the
left collar while a rank insignia is worn on the right collar.
Shit Bird
A screw-up.
Someone who regularly gets into trouble.
Shitpot
Toilet or a
large group as in "A whole shitpot full of Army pukes."
Shit Sandwich
A bad or barely
tolerable event. Usually a mission or activity that has gone bad.
Shitcan
A trash can or
to remove a person from his or her position.
Shithook
A pejorative
term for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Shitter
Nickname given
to CH-53 helicopters due to the huge amounts of exhaust smoke that they "shit"
out of their exhausts.
(see Super
Shitter)
Shock Troop
A form of
address between Marines, mostly in-country.
(origin)
Vietnam
Short
Close to ETS or
PCS. An attitude involving lack of interest and inattention. Someone who is
short is known as a Short-timer.
Short-Arm
Inspection
A physical
inspection of the genitals usually by a corpsman, often in formation following
Cinderella Liberty in a foreign port. It was intended to identify the early
signs of sexually transmitted diseases early enough to be treated properly.
Short Round
1. An artillery
shell that falls short of its intended target, often because of defective
gunpowder or a miscalculation.
2. A person who
is diminutive in stature.
Short-Timer
Anyone nearing
the end of an enlistment or an assignment.
Shoup, David M
Medal of Honor
recipient and twenty-second Commandant of the Marine Corps, serving from Jan 1,
1960 until Dec 31, 1963. He was born Dec 30, 1904 and died Jan 13, 1983.
Sick Bay
The location on
ship where sick and injured people are treated.
Sick
Bay Commando
Someone who is
frequently at sick call. A malingerer.
Sick Call
A designated
time and place for people to report themselves as sick and unable to perform
their duties.
Sierra Hotel
1.
Shit Hot,
meaning the best or in prime form.
Sight Picture
Firing
alignment. Aligning the rear and front sights of a weapon so that the bull
rests directly upon the sight blade.
Signal
Bridge
A small open
deck in the superstructure of a ship, usually above the bridge, for the hoisting
of flags and pennants, which were used to signal to other ships and to shore
installations from ship.
Six
Usually, Your
Six, meaning your back. From the clock system of identifying an object when 12
is to your front, 6 is to your rear.
Six, Six and a
Kick
The ultimate
General Courts Martial punishment consisting of 6 months forfeiture of pay, 6
months confinement at hard labor and a dishonorable discharge.
Six, The
A full colonel
from the pay grade (O-6).
Six-By
Originally a
truck with six-wheel drive, a deuce and a half. Now any multi-wheeled,
multi-drive vehicle.
Skinny
Information,
usually accurate. When it is known to be accurate it is often called Straight
Skinny.
Skipper
A term of
respect for a company grade officer (usually a captain). Not used much in the
modern Marine Corps.
Skippie
A not-too-bright
Marine.
Skittles™
- Motrin™
The name is used
supposedly because Navy Corpsmen handed out the pain killers like candy.
Skivvies
Underwear. More
specifically, white baggy boxer shorts.
Skivvy
Honcho
Lothario or
ladies man.
Skivvy
House
Brothel. Whore
House.
Skoshi
A small space or
time, from Japanese.
(synonym)
Sometimes Mo Skosh.
SKS
Simonov Soviet
or Chinese made semiautomatic 7.62 x 39 mm rifle. Standard Viet Com infantry
rifle with a distinctive sound and high accuracy.
Slack
To treat with a
reduced level of emphasis, i.e., to give someone slack. To ease off.
Slick
A Huey
helicopter with the seats removed so that a larger number of combat troops could
be transported (from the helicopter's slick deck).
(origin)
Vietnam
Sliders
Hamburgers, from
the Naval reference to the amount of fat and grease on them, allowing them to
slide down the throat. "With Lids" refers to cheeseburgers.
Slit
Trench
(see Straddle
Trench.)
Slop
Chute
A bar for lower
enlisted grades having few amenities and serving only low content beer-no hard
liquor.
Small
Arms
Weapons of small
caliber and usually requiring only one person to operate as opposed to
crew-served weapons. This is not a precise term as some crew-served weapons,
such as smaller machine guns are usually called small arms.
Small Boat and
Barge School
The U. S. Naval
Academy.
SMAW
Shoulder
Launched Multi-Purpose Assault Weapon. A missile-firing weapon which fires an
83 mm dual-mode encased rocket which detonates in either a fast mode against a
hard target or a slow mode against a soft target.
Smoker
Boxing matches
pitting unit champion boxers against on another.
Smoking
Lamp
Naval term.
When the smoking lamp is lit it is alright to smoke, when it is out smoking is
prohibited. Fire is the most dangerous threat at sea so, particularly on wooden
ships, it was necessary to strictly control the use of fire and smoking
materials. A lamp was hung on the forecastle, where sailors were allowed to sit
and relax, and the sailors knew they could smoke their pipes if the lamp was
lit. If it was not lit, smoking was not allowed.
SNAFU
Situation
Normal; All Fucked Up.
Snake
A pejorative
term used in the 1960s in reference to Women Marines.
Snake
Pit
(Not PC) Living
quarters of female enlisted Marines (BAMs or WMs).
S
nap and Pop
Term used to
describe sharp and quick rifle drill, as would be seen when viewing the Marine
Corps Silent Drill Team.
Snap In
Practice,
especially on a rifle range.
SNCO
Staff
Noncommissioned Officer. An NCO in the rank of staff sergeant, gunnery
sergeant, master sergeant or first sergeant, sergeant major or master gunnery
sergeant and sergeant major of the Marine Corps. While officially Enlisted
Marines they are set apart much like Commissioned Officers are set apart from
enlisted Marines.
Snoopin' and
Poopin'
Patrolling or
walking in the bush.
(origin)
Vietnam
Snot Locker
The nose. Used
mostly as in "I'm gonna hit you in the snot locker."
Snuffy
A low ranking
enlisted Marine.
SOC
Special
Operations Capable, a designation usually placed after the title of a Marine
unit and usually within parenthesis (SOC). See
Marine Expeditionary Unit as an example of an organization that can be
given this additional designation.
SOI
School of
Infantry.
Soldier
A member of a
military force that trains for and fights in wars. General reference is to a
member of the Army while in fact soldiering is practiced by Marines, certain
sailors and some airmen.
Sommers, David W
Eleventh
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps serving from June 27, 1987 through June 27,
1991. He was born on Feb. 18, 1943 in St. Louis, MO.
SOP
Standard
Operating Procedure.
SOS
An international
distress signal used mostly with Morse code communications. Also, Shit on a
Shingle, a breakfast meal consisting of creamed chipped beef served on toast.
(see
Mayday.)
Soup Cooler
1. Large lips.
2. The mouth.
Soup Sandwich
1. Not squared
away.
2. Not sharp or
crisp.
SP
Shore Patrol.
Duties performed by both Navy petty officers and Marine noncommissioned
officers, usually as an additional duty, to police sailors and Marines on
liberty in a foreign or domestic port. Not a professional MOS but now often
performed by MPs.
(see
MP)
Spad
A-1 aircraft.
SPAR
Semper Paratus,
Always Ready. The motto of the U. S. Coast Guard and the group name for a woman
in the Coast Guard. Also a wooden or metal pole such as a boom, yard or bowsprit
used to support sails.
(see
Women Marines)
Special
Sea and Anchor Detail
A shipboard
situation in which everyone has a special job on entering and leaving a port.
This may include Manning the Rails.
Spider Hole
An enemy
fighting hole, always well hidden.
(origin)
Vietnam
Spit Shine
An unauthorized
reference to “high gloss footwear”. It came by its name honestly as it had been
customary to use saliva when shining leather shoes and boots before Corfam®
became the norm.
Splash
To drive an
Amtrac off the back of an amphibious ship.
Splib
A derogatory
term for black people. Sometimes spelled Spliv.
(origin)
Vietnam
Splice the Main
Brace
(Civil War) A
Naval term indicating that the crew should muster for their regular issue of
Grog. The issue of Grog on U. S. flag vessels ended during the Civil War. It
is still practiced in the Royal Navy. The main brace is the line (not rope)
that holds the main sail in place. It was always a target of battle and after
the battle the first duty of most sailors was to take care of the main brace and
splice it if it was torn. On completion of that arduous task it was customary
to take a drink of strong spirits to also strengthen the men.
Split Tail
A female.
Spouse
Wife or husband,
usually preceded with "Dependent".
(see
Dependent Wife)
Spy Rigging
A rope designed
to be hung from a helicopter to which Marines have been attached for the purpose
of inserting them into or extracting them from dense jungle or other places
where helicopters can not land.
(synonym)
Sometimes called Dope on a Rope.
Spooky
A flare ship
(origin)
Vietnam
(see
Basketball
)
Squad
A unit
consisting of three fire teams. It is assigned to a platoon and is usually led
by a sergeant or staff sergeant.
Squad
Bay
The living
quarters for a recruit platoon, it consists of a large open space where bunk
beds are set up, a head, a drill instructor’s hut and a small meeting area.
Also, any open living space for Marines.
Squared Away
In good shape,
everything in place, prepared.
Squid
A pejorative
term for sailors.
SRB
Service Record
Book.
SSAN
Social Security
Account Number. Attack Nuclear Submarine .
SSN
Social Security
Number. Nuclear Submarine.
SSS
Shit, shower and
shave or Skin So Soft, a skin moisturizer by Avon that also repels bugs.
(background)
Skin So Soft works so well that it is part of the
initial PX issue in boot camp (the cost of which comes out of the recruit's
first pay).
Stacking
Swivel
1. A clip near
the muzzle of most military rifles allowing for the stacking of weapons when in
a garrison setting.
2. Often a
euphemism for the neck. A drill instructor might, for instance, threaten to grab
a recruit by the stacking swivel if he or she were particularly upset with the
recruit.
Staff Sergeant
of Marines
The first staff
non-commissioned officer rank is indicated by three chevrons with a single
rocker connecting them and crossed rifles in between chevrons and rocker. The
pay grade is E-6, and the Army equivalent is also a staff sergeant who wears the
same insignia except for the color and without the crossed rifles. In the Air
Force, the rank is Technical Sergeant which is indicated by five inverted
chevrons with the top three partially covered with a blue circle containing a
star. Navy and Coast Guard equivalents are Petty Officer First Class and their
insignia of three inverted chevrons topped with a Navy eagle is worn on the left
arm only.
Stanchion
On board ship,
any pole or pillar used to support the overhead.
Stand Fast
A command to
stay where you are and not move until told otherwise.
Starboard
Naval term for
right. The starboard side of a ship will be illuminated with a green light.
Starchies
Highly starched
utilities.
Starlight Scope
Night vision
equipment.
(see
Green Eye.)
Stateside
The United
States of America. In Vietnam, it was also referred to as "The World" as in
"Back in the world."
Stealth
Approaching
invisibility usually through the application of technology,
Steel
Beach
A party on board
a ship,
Stick
An individual
row or line of Marines lined up to disembark a vehicle (aircraft or ship). Most
famously used by paratroopers preparing to jump from a well maintained and fully
functional aircraft,
Stow
To put away in
its assigned place and neatly. Or to stop as in the Navy phrase "stow that
bilge" meaning stop talking garbage,
Straight
Skinny
(see Skinny.)
Straddle
Trench
A field head or
latrine dug quickly with an entrenching tool just wide enough so that the grunt
can squat with one foot on either side of the trench. Also a Slit Trench.
Strength
Test
(see
Initial Strength Test and Final Strength Test.)
Striker
A sailor in
training for a rate is said to be striking. Someone learning to be a fire
control technician is called a fire control striker. A midshipman at the U. S.
Naval Academy is said to be an admiral striker.
Stroke Book
Pornographic
magazine or pulp-paper book.
Stumps, The
Marine
Corps Air-Ground Coordination Center, Twenty Nine Palms, California. The
largest Marine Corps base right in the middle of the desert. It is said that a
Marine can not go UA there because he or she can walk for three days and still
be seen from mainside.
Suck
A mouth.
Super Shitter
Nickname
reserved specifically for the CH-53E Super Sea Stallion helicopter.
(see Shitter.)
Superstructure
All of that
portion of a ship above the main deck. The decks are numbered up from the first
deck above the main weather deck, the 01 level. Therefore the 05 level is five
decks above the main weather deck. The bridge is located in the superstructure,
Suppression Fire
Fire directed at
an enemy position to keep that position from using their own weapons. Often
applied to allow portions of a unit to reposition without being hit by enemy
fire.
Survey
Dispose of or
evaluate for value to the mission.
Suzy
Rottencrotch
Every Marine's
girlfriend, most of who are shacked up with Jody while the Marine is off
defending his country.
Swabbie
Sailor.
Swagger Stick
A short (usually
under 2') decorated stick carried by some Marine commissioned and
non-commissioned officers. They have been outlawed at times by the Marine Corps
and were introduced by the British Royal Marines whose leaders use them
extensively.
Swamp Lagoon
A pejorative
term for Camp Lejeune, NC.
Sweet, Herbert J
Fourth Sergeant
Major of the Marine Corps, he served from July 17, 1965 until July 31, 1969.
Born Oct 8, 1919 in Hartford, CT he died in October of 1997.
Swinging Dick
A male
individual. Used most often in the phrase, "every swinging dick" meaning all
present.
Swoop
Term for the
travel of a Marine on liberty to his or her hometown, usually ridiculously far
from where they are assigned.
Swoop Circle
The place on
base where swoop drivers met up with swoop passengers. At Camp Lejeune, it was
the handball courts (formerly the outdoor theater) on mainside across from the
8th Marines gym.
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