List of United States Marine Corps acronyms and expressions

This is a list of acronyms, expressions, euphemisms, jargon, military slang, and sayings in common or formerly common use in the United States Marine Corps. Many of the words or phrases have varying levels of acceptance among different units or communities, and some also have varying levels of appropriateness. Many terms also have equivalents among other service branches that are not acceptable among Marines, but are comparable in meaning. Many acronyms and terms have come into common use from voice procedure use over communication channels, translated into the phonetic alphabet, or both. Many are or derive from nautical terms and other naval terminology. Most vehicles and aircraft have a formal acronym or an informal nickname; those are detailed in their own articles.

The scope of this list is to include words and phrases that are unique to or predominantly used by the Marine Corps or the United States Naval Service. Recent joint operations have allowed terms from other military services to leak into the USMC lexicon, but can be found with their originating service's slang list, see the "See also" section.

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03 Hump-A-Lot – Pejorative used by combat support Marines to refer to Infantry Marines. 1st Civ Div – 1st Civilian Division. Civilian life, usually applied to Marines facing discharge or retirement. As in "getting assigned to 1st Civ Div." Also occasionally referred to as "1st Couch Company." Also referred to as "Camp Living Room" a play on Camp Lejeune, NC. 1st Civ Div, Camp Living Room, Zenith Remote Operator (new primary MOS). 360 – Forming a complete circle (as in on a compass [360°]); to put protection all around. 48, 72, 96 – In hours, the standard liberty periods of two, three, four days. 4th Battalion – Pejorative for individual or unit lacking toughness as in "He was trained in 4th Battalion". Derived from the 4th Battalion of the Recruit Training Regiment at MCRD Parris Island, which trains female enlisted Marines. 4th Marine Dimension – Derogatory term for the 4th Marine Division, the division to which the ground combat element of the Marine Forces Reserve is assigned; used by active duty Marines to denote displeasure with the difference in culture and operating procedures within the division as opposed to active duty units. 5.56 hickey – A scar or blister resulting from a burn suffered (usually on the neck) due to hot brass. 7 Day Store/Troop Store/Mini P – Convenience store (Mini-P denotes a "mini" or smaller sized version of the PX, or Post-Exchange). 782 Gear – Standard issue web gear such as ALICE, MOLLE, or ILBE. So called because the form used for issue of individual gear was NAVMC Form 782. (See Also Deuce Gear below.) 8 bells – Signal for the end of a four-hour watch, so named for the increase in bell strike each half-hour of the watch. 8th & I – Nickname for Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. so named from its street address at the corner of 8th and I Streets SE.

A Aboard – All personnel being accounted for in a building, such as a classroom. Above my/your pay grade – Expression denying responsibility or authority (indicating that the issue should be brought to higher-ranking officials); alternatively, a semi-sarcastic way of telling someone that they're not authorized to receive certain information.above my pay grade by Don Surber Acquire(d)/Tactically Acquire(d) – euphemism implying the item(s) in question were obtained either by theft or by otherwise non-traditional or creative methods.

Air Crew – Personnel that work on board any aircraft that can carry a crew (i.e. UH-1, CH-46, CH-53, V-22, etc.), and are normally charged with loading gear, passengers, and manning the door/ tail guns. Air Force pockets or Army gloves – An individual's hands being inside their pockets.

ALICE – All-purpose lightweight individual carrying equipment, a form of combat gear still in occasional use in some Marine activities, replaced by MOLLE and ILBEMetzger, E.: History Of The Development Of The LINCLOE Load-Carrying Equipment, July 1975 All Hands – entire ship's company or unit personnel, including all officers and enlisted personnel; also, the official Navy magazine Alphas or Class As – Service Alpha uniform from the phonetic letter A AMTRAC – Portmanteau for amphibious tractor; not to be confused with the railroad company Amtrak. Also referred to as "Tracks." ANGLICO – Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company Ant Farm – Area of an encampment where the radio antennae are emplaced. AO– Area of Operations during a deployment. ARMY – Ain't Ready to be a Marine Yet, Aren't Really Men/Marines Yet, or Air Force Rejected Me Yesterday – backronym pejorative term used for the Army. Arty– Short for Artillery. ASP – Ammunition Supply Point, where ammo is stored and issued. ASVAB waiver – Insinuates someone's inability to pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) As You Were – Order to disregard the immediately preceding orderas you were on answers.com"As you were", "As we were" on phrases.org.uk Asiatic – World War II term for eccentric behavior characteristic of men serving too long in the Far EastSledge, E. B. With the Old Breed, 1981 (New York: Ballantine Books, 2007), p. 37. At Ease – Command given to subordinate that he no longer needs to stand at attention. Is also used as slang as a way to tell someone to chill out or calm down. Aviation Units – See also active squadrons, decommissioned squadrons, & aviation support units HAMS – Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron, also H&MS HMA – Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron HMH – Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron HMHT – Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron HML – Marine Light Helicopter Squadrons HMLA – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron HMLAT – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron HMM – Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (formerly HMR) HMMT – Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron HMR – Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron HMT – Marine Helicopter Training Squadron (General designation prior to specific communities (i.e. HMHT(CH-53), HMLAT(H-1)) HMX-1 – Marine Helicopter Squadron One (divided into operational test & Executive transport support) LAAD Bn – Low-altitude Air Defense Battalion MABS – Marine Air Base Squadron MACG – Marine Air Command Group MACS – Marine Air Control Squadron MAMS – Marine Aircraft Maintenance Squadron MASS – Marine Air Support Squadron MALS – Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron MATCS – Marine Air Traffic Control Squadron MCAS – Marine Corps Air Station MOTS – Marine Operational Training Squadrons MTACS – Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron MWSS – Marine Wing Support Squadron MWCS – Marine Wing Communications Squadron MWHS – Marine Wing Headquarters squadron MWSG – Marine Wing Support Group SOES – Station Operations and Engineer Squadron VMAQ – Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron VMA – Marine Attack Squadron VMAT – Marine Attack Training Squadron VMB – Marine Bombing Squadron VMC – Marine Composite Squadron VMCJ – Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadron VMD – Marine Photographic Squadron VMF – Marine Fighter Squadron VMF(N) – Marine Night Fighter Squadron VMFA – Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA(AW) – Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron VMFAT – Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron VMFP – Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron VMGR – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron VMGRT – Marine Aerial Refueler/Transport Training Squadron VMJ – Marine Reconnaissance Squadron / Marine Target Towing Detachments VML – Marine Glider Squadron VMM – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (formerly HMM, HMH & VMFA) VMMT – Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron (formerly HMMT) VMO – Marine Observation Squadron VMP – Marine Patrol Squadron VMR – Marine Transport Squadron VMS – Marine Scouting Squadron VMSB – Marine Scout Bombing Squadron VMTB – Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron VMTD – Marine Target Towing Detachment VMU – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron VMX – Marine Tiltrotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron WES – Wing Engineer Squadron WTS – Wing Transport Squadron ZMQ – Marine Barrage Balloon Squadrons Aye-Aye – Nautical term used as a response to orders meaning "I understand the orders I have received and will carry them out"; aye (descended from Middle English yai) dialectical for 'yes', once common in the regions from which the Royal Navy drew its sailors

B Back on the Block – Behaving like a civilian. BAH (a.k.a. "bee ay aych" – Basic Allowance for Housing: Supplemental pay for living off-base; previously known as Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ). Ball ammo – Typically referring to M855 (5.56mm NATO) cartridge, colloquially known as "green-tips" Barney-style – to perform strictly according to regulation; idiot proof; simplified for the benefit of mental underachievers; often said as "Breaking it down Barney-style" or "Mr. Potato Head style"; Bert and Ernie for the 1980s and 1990s Marinesby the numbers on Merriam-Webster OnLine Barracks – On base housing for Marines who have no dependents, any dependents living with them. Military dormitory rooms. Barracks Bunny – Female Marines that tend or are rumored to sleep around in the barracks, also referred to as "hopping from room to room". Barracks Cover – Fabric-cover frame cap worn green with the service uniform and white with the dress uniform; traditionally officers wear this cap with quatrefoil and gilt devices that increase with rank. Barracks Rat – Guy who stays in the barracks instead of going into town. BAS – Battalion Aid Station: A unit's medical post for routine ailments and injuries; also Basic Allowance for Subsistence. See also sick bay. Battery – Consists of six Artillery pieces, Guns Platoon (cannoneers), & HQ Platoon (support & logistics). Equivalent to an Infantry "Company". Battery Operated Grunt – combat radio operator. Battle Blaze – original name for the 1st & 2nd Marine Division shoulder sleeve insignias commemorating service in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Battle Pin – Tie clasp or tie tack; until the start of World War II a metal bar worn on shirt collar. Battle Sight Zero or BZO – calibrated settings on a gunsight that contribute to accuracy; used as default before adjusting windage or elevation; also used as verb when triangulating a BZO. BB Counter – Marine whose duties are the handling, storage, issue of ordnance.BB stacker on Answers.com BCD – Bad Conduct Discharge; also known as Big Chicken Dinner. BCGs or BCs – Birth Control Goggles or Boot Camp Glasses: military issue glasses worn at recruit training; so called because they make the wearer too ugly to engage in sexual relations. See also portholes & RPGs.

Beer Garden – Social area permitting the consumption of alcohol etc.; may contain barbecue or picnic facilities. Belay – To cancel an order; to stop; to firmly secure a line. Below Decks – Area below the surface (deck) of a ship. Benotz – Generic, unnamed junior Marine. Often gets into trouble, especially when accompanied by his friend Schmuckatelli. BEQ – Bachelor Enlisted Quarters: living spaces for single enlisted Marines; usually a barracks.BEQ on TheFreeDictionary.com Big Green Weenie – euphemism for the Marine Corps when it has cheated or "screwed over a Marine. Bird, Ball & Fish Hook – derogatory term for the Eagle, Globe and Anchor of the Marine Corps Emblem. Binnacle List – sick list: those excused from duty for health reasons; traditionally posted on or near the binnacle. Blanket Party – Group assault: victim's head is covered by a blanket so the perpetrators cannot be identified. Blood pinning – Hazing ritual wherein more senior servicemembers will pound a newly earned award (typically airborne wings or rank) into the recipients chest causing bleeding Blood stripe – Red band on dress uniform trousers; traditionally said to symbolize blood shed by Marine officers and NCOs during the Battle of Chapultepec; worn by NCOs and officers.