Marine Terminology:

Aft......................................Referring to or toward the stern (rear) of a vessel.

All hands............................All members of a command.

As you were.......................Resume former activity.

Brig....................................A place of confinement; a prison.

Bow...................................The front portion of a ship.

Bridge................................The portion of a ship's structure from which it is controlled.

Carry On.............................The order to resume previous activity.

Field Day............................Barracks cleanup

Galley.................................Shipboard kitchen; kitchen of a mess hall; mobile field kitchen.

Hatch.................................Door or doorway.

Police.................................To straighten or tidy up.

Port.....................................Left

Seabag...............................The bag used to stow personal gear.

Sick Bay.............................Hospital or dispensary.

Starboard............................Right.

Topside...............................Upstairs.

Turn To...............................Begin work; get started.

Aye, Aye, Sir.......................Correct form to acknowledge a direct order. Naval custom.

Bivouac...............................Term for a camp area in the field.

Boot....................................A Marine recuit.

Bulkhead..............................A wall.

Rack.....................................A bed.

Corpsman or Doc.................A Marine or Naval term for "medic".

Cover...................................Any form of headgear other than a helmet.

FMF.....................................Fleet Marine Force.

FAC.....................................Forward Air Controller. A pilot serving with infantry units who is responsible for coordinating close-air support with ground action.

Fire Team............................The second smallest tactical unit in the Corps. The smallest is the individual rifleman. Three Marine riflemen make up a fire team.

Grunt...................................A Marine infantryman.

Gung-Ho..............................Chinese term for "working together". Understood as the team spirit pervasive in Marine Corps life. First used in Marine Raider Battalions during WWII.

Gunner.................................Old naval term applied to warrant officers.

Warrant officers ...................whose specialty is weapons still wear an exploding bomb on their collars.

Head....................................Bathroom, toilet, restroom, or latrine.

Hootch.................................Anything from a tent to a wooden hut.

Irish Pennants.......................Loose thread or fiber on a uniform.

Junk on the Bunk..................During inspection, A Marine lays out all his gear and uniforms (junk) on a flat surface, such as a bunk.

K-Bar....................................A Marine's fighting knife.

MEU.....................................Marine Expeditionary Unit.

MOS.....................................Military Occupational Specialty, or a Marine's primary training For instance: 03 stands for infantry, 02 would be intelligence, and 08 .would be artillery.

MRE....................................."Meal, Ready to Eat". Lightweight plastic packets of dehydrated food.

Maggie's Drawers..................A complete miss on the firing range.

Mustang................................An enlisted man or woman who has obtained an officer' commission.

Scuttlebutt..............................Rumor.

Secure....................................Finishing up work.

Squared Away.......................Someone or something that makes a good impression. Well maintained uniform or a successful exercise.

782 Gear............................... The equipment a Marine carries in the field, including a web belt, suspenders, ammunition pouches, canteens, etc. Also called Deuce-gear.