Battle Dress

by Amy Efaw

  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 (medical evacuation): 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.