Terms and descriptions of the GI language.
5 by 5 |
I read you 5 by 5, means you have good radio reception. |
AAA |
Anti-Aircraft Artillery |
AAC |
Army Air Corps |
AAF |
Army Air Forces |
ACE |
Also Fighter Ace, credited with 5 or more kills (downed enemy aircraft). |
Ack-Ack |
AAA Fire or Flak |
AF |
Air Force |
APO |
Army Post Office |
BC |
Bomber Command |
BG |
Bombardment Group |
BG (D) |
Bombardment Group - Dive |
BG (H) |
Bombardment Group (Heavy) |
BG (L) |
Bombardment Group (Light) |
BG (M) |
Bombardment Group (Medium) |
BG (P) |
Bombardment Group (Pathfinder) |
BG (VH) |
Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) |
BOQ |
Bachelors Officer Quarters |
CAP |
Civil Air Patrol |
CBI |
China-Burma-India |
DFC |
Distinquished Flying Cross |
DSC |
Distinguished Service Cross |
DSM |
Distinguished Service Medal |
DUC |
Distinguished Unit Citation |
EAME |
European, Africa & Middle East Medal. |
EM |
Enlisted Man |
ETO |
European Theater of Operations |
FG |
Fighter Group |
FIGMO |
Forget it, I got my orders. |
Flak |
German Anti-Aircraft Gunfire. |
FS |
Fighter Squadron |
FUBAR |
Fouled up beyond all recognition. |
FW |
Fighter Wing |
GP |
Group or General Purpose |
Hangar Queen |
An airplane that spends more time in maintenance than in the air. Not the plane you want to draw as an assignment. |
HE |
Heavy Explosive |
HQ |
Headquarters |
IFF |
Identification, Friend or Foe. Radar transponder. |
IP |
Initial Point |
KIA |
Killed in Action |
Kilroy |
Who? |
MAAF |
Mediterranean Allied Air Forces |
MACR |
Missing Air Crew Report |
Mae West |
Inflatable life-preserver jacket worn by Air Crew. |
MIA |
Missing In Action |
MOS |
Military Occupation Specialty |
MTO |
Mediterranean Theater of Operations. |
NCO |
Non-Commissioned Officer. |
OCS |
Officer Candidate School |
OD |
Olive Drab. Army green. Uniform, camoflage. |
OLC |
Oak Leaf Cluster. Multiple or repeat awards. Bronze(1), Silver(5). |
POW |
Prisoner of War |
PTO |
Pacific Theater of Operations |
PUC |
Presidential Unit Citation |
QM |
Quartermaster |
RADAR |
Radio Detecting and Ranging |
SNAFU |
Situation Normal, All fouled up. |
SOS |
Morse Code, Distress Signal. |
TARFU |
Things are really fouled up. |
VE Day |
Victory in Europe Day. |
Remember any great phrases? Let us know! Thanks to all of you who have provided us with various venacular; people like Henry "Hank" West, a Navigator, aboard "Dickie Doodle II", a B-17 from the 301st Bombardment Group, 352nd Bomb Squadron of the 8th and then 12th AF.
