Battle Dress (34 page)

butt:
1. the remains of anything, the remaining portion of any whole (e.g., the butt of a minute). 2. the base or bottom (e.g., the butt of a rifle).

C-130:
a military aircraft used to transport equipment or troops.

Cadet in Charge of Quarters (CCQ or CQ):
an upperclass cadet whose duty for the day is to sit at a desk outside the orderly room and answer the telephone, relay messages, and guard the barracks.

Cadet in the Red Sash:
the first upperclass cadet to whom NEW CADETS must report. Characterized by a scarlet sash worn around the waist.

Camp Buckner:
the eight-week military training camp for THIRD CLASSMEN, located on the USMA Military Reservation and named after General Simon Bolivar Buckner, West Point Class of 1908.

CO:
short for Commanding Officer, usually used to refer to the Company Commander.

Combat Medical Badge:
a decoration awarded to Army medical personnel who were attached or assigned to infantry units as medics during combat.

company:
a unit of approximately 120 to 140 soldiers or cadets, consisting of four PLATOONS.

cover down:
the command for soldiers within a formation to align themselves from front to rear.

dammits:
clasps on the back of name tags, BRASS, or service ribbons which are pinned to the uniform.

deuce-and-a-half:
a two-and-a-half ton truck used to transport military supplies or troops. Also referred to as a “LMTV” (Light Medium Tactical Vehicle).

dick:
to look out for oneself at the expense of others; to take advantage of.

dress right:
the command for all soldiers within a formation to align themselves with the soldier on their right.

dress right, dress:
perfectly ordered; correct. Comes from the command for soldiers to DRESS RIGHT.

drop:
command to get into the Leaning Rest, the push-up position.

entrenching tool (e-tool):
a lightweight fold-up military shovel that soldiers carry to dig foxholes.

fall out:
1. the command for dismissing soldiers from a formation. 2. command to relax or disperse. 3. to fall or lag behind, as in a run or ruck march.

fall-out:
a person who consistently lags behind; straggler.

first classman:
also “firstie”; a senior at West Point.

First Sergeant:
the Company Commander’s chief assistant, responsible for unit accountability and administration; the highest-ranking sergeant in a COMPANY.

fourth classman:
also PLEBE; a freshman at West Point.

get-over:
a person who consistently doesn’t pull his or her own weight or tries to get by with a minimum amount of effort.

hu-ah:
1. a guttural grunt used by people in the military to show motivation or excitement. Slang for anything except “no.” Also, the primary method for soldiers to emphatically affirm or agree with a speaker (i.e., Amen! Yes! Great!). 2. motivated, tough, hard-charging.

Jody:
slang for the boy back home who is dating a soldier’s girlfriend.

knowledge:
the information that each NEW CADET or PLEBE is required to memorize and recite on order, especially from
BUGLE NOTES
.

M-14:
primary rifle used by the Army between World War II and Vietnam. Currently used at West Point for drill and ceremony.

M-16:
a semi-automatic, magazine-fed combat rifle weighing approximately nine pounds. Primary weapon currently used in the Army.

medevac
(
med
ical
evac
uation): to remove wounded soldiers from an area by helicopter, military aircraft, or ambulance.

military time:
the designation of time of day using a twenty-four-hour clock. The day begins at one minute after midnight (12:01 A.M.), which is written as 0001.

new cadet:
status of a FOURTH CLASSMAN during Beast.

phonetic alphabet:
a standardized system of words spoken in place of each letter of the alphabet. Used during oral communication to clearly distinguish and minimize confusion among letters of the alphabet.

A—Alpha

B—B ravo

C—Charlie

D—Delta

E—Echo

F—Foxtrot

G—Golf

H—Hotel

I—India

J—Juliet

K—Kilo

L—Lima

M—Mike

N—November

O—Oscar

P—Papa

Q—Quebec

R—Romeo

S—Sierra

T—Tango

U—Uniform

V—Victor

W—Whiskey

X—X-ray

Y—Yankee

Z—Zulu
ping:
to walk quicky (i.e., 120 steps per minute) in an erect posture with head and eyes to the front and hands cupped.

platoon:
a unit of approximately thirty to forty cadets or soldiers, consisting of four SQUADS.

plebe:
a FOURTH CLASSMAN; freshman at West Point.

police:
1. to clean or straighten up; to groom. 2. to collect, gather.

Prep School
: short for the United States Military Academy Preparatory School.

rack:
1. to sleep. 2. cadet bed or cot.

R-Day:
Reception Day. The day in which the NEW CADET reports to West Point for the beginning of Cadet Basic Training; the first day of BEAST.

regiment:
a unit of approximately twelve hundred cadets or soldiers, consisting of three battalions.

second classman:
also cow, a junior at West Point.

smack:
Soldier Minus Ability, Coordination, and Knowledge. Slang for a FOURTH CLASSMAN or NEW CADET. Originating from a time when FOURTH CLASSMEN were required to smack against the wall in the position of attention when encountering an UPPERCLASSMAN in a hallway or stairwell.

squad:
a unit of approximately ten soldiers; the Army’s smallest tactical unit.

third classman:
also YEARLING, a sophomore at West Point.

upperclassman:
a cadet in his second, third, or fourth year at West Point.

USMA
(often pronounced as a word,
yoos
-may): United States Military Academy.

Woo Poo U:
slang for West Point.

yearling:
a THIRD CLASSMAN; a sophomore at West Point.

zoomie:
slang for a person who attends the United States Air Force Academy.