There’s a lot to proud of when we have a loved one join the military. There’s also a lot of concern, especially if we don’t come from a military background. As a military mom, part of my struggle in supporting my son stemmed from not understanding the language and the nuances of military life.
Even though we didn’t join up, we also need to understand what’s going on. So today I’m going to tackle some of the things that tripped me up when my son first enlisted in the U.S. Marines.
1) Military time.
Now it comes naturally, but at first I struggled to translate. Instead of a twelve-hour clock with a.m. and p.m., the military approaches it as a twenty-four-hour clock. One in the morning through twelve noon is the same. Beginning with the afternoon the numbers change. One p.m. becomes thirteen-hundred, two p.m. is fourteen-hundred, etc.
2) Boots.
This doesn’t always refer to footware. It’s also the name given to those who’ve graduated boot camp but haven’t yet been on a deployment.
3) MOS.
Military Occupation Specialty. This is the job the service member does, like being a mechanic or computer tech.
4) FPO.
This is the Fleet Post Office and where we send packages to personnel who are overseas.
5) PCS.
Permanent Change of Station. At least it’s permanent for the military and usually lasts a couple of years.
6) USA.
It’s not what you think, it’s the acronym for United States Army.
7) USAF
The acronym for United States Air Force.
8) USMC
The acronym for United States Marine Corp.
9) USCG
The acronym for United States Coast Guard.
10) USN
The acronym for United States Navy.
11) CO
The commanding officer.
12) XO
The executive officer, usually second in command.
13) Watch Your Six.
Means there’s a need to watch your back.
14) Civvies
Civilian clothes.
15) Boots on the Ground.
Means that the troops are on site at their deployment.
16) HMMWV
This is the vehicle commonly know as a Humvee. And just so you know, the military doesn’t have Hummers.
17) Soldiers
In the United States, only those who are serving in the Army are referred to as soldiers. Those in the Marine Corps especially object to this term. “Service members” or “Troops” are the acceptable generic terms for those in the military.
This is a very short list, but it covers the basics. The best thing I learned though was that no matter what was going on with our service member, God was always there with him. That assurance kept me sane, no matter where he was serving.
