When we share our spouse with the Army, we agree to let some – OK, a lot – of the Army into our homes. And while the Army jargon and slang that comes with it may be really confusing at first, before long it’s just as much of our vocabulary as it is our soldier’s.
Roger?
At a recent Military.com Spouse Experience event at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wa. we asked Army spouses for their favorite Army jargon and slang they use at home. And in honor of the Army’s Birthday we want to share it with you.
Here is what they came up with. What would you add to the list?
Top 10 Army slang phrases you can use at home:
Are you tracking? If your spouse asks you “are you tracking” that he is going to be in the field for the next two weeks, the answer hopefully is “yes.” But are you tracking that he won’t be home for dinner every night the week before that? Maybe not.
MOS. Your spouse’s military operational specialty (MOS) is his job. And your MOS is keeping track of that unit PT shirt he forgot to put in the laundry but needs to wear today.
Refuse. When you tell your child to pick-up the refuse in the car, it’s a fancy way to say “get the garbage.” Because you can’t just use the normal person word in the Army – or in the Army home.
Latrine. Remember “refuse?” Same thing goes for latrine. After all, unless there’s a bath in there it’s not actually a bathroom, you know.
"You’re high speed now!" The good people of the Southern United States can keep “bless your heart,” because in the Army we say “you’re high speed now!” instead.
"It’s Rangerific." We all have special respect for the real Rangers. But those guys (and gals) who are love the pain in a way that just must be mocked but aren’t actually Rangers? They are Rangerific – as is anything Army that’s a little too much.
Hooah. But “rangerific” shouldn’t be confused with “hooah.” True, “Hooah,” usually means anything except “no.” You might hear a commander say something like “we’re going to go out into the field and blow some stuff up, hooah?” over which all soldiers present are probably stoked about, and will therefore reply “hooah!”
But it can also be used as an adjective at home to describe an over-the-top love for the Army. For example, a diaper bag made from my husband’s used uniform is just a little too Hooah for me.
Roger. Why say “yes,” when you can say “roger.” But just warning: if you say this to a non-military person they just might ask you “who is Roger?"
Troop. Don’t be offended if your spouse refers to you – or anyone in your house – as a “troop.”
Command voice. If it is stern sounding and a bit lower than your normal voice range, it’s your command voice. Whip that bad boy out when your kids are fighting and see what happens. Should be accompanied by: your command face. Practice it in the mirror like your Army spouse probably does when you're not looking.
