What this country needs is catchall term for those in military uniform: Any ideas?

STLtoday.com ^ | 12-27-03 | Harry Levins

[FairWitness]

Each year, Time magazine picks the "Person of the Year" (formerly known, in less sensitive times, as the "Man of the Year"). This year, that person is "the American soldier," and the magazine's cover shows three of them, all from the Army's 1st Armored Division.

[autoresponder]

Victors fits under GW

[budwiesest]

"A" Team

Hogan's Heroes

Dream Team

[PatrickHenry]

"Troop" was a word that the sergeants at Fort Polk (and maybe everywhere) used for an individual, such as: "Hey troop, drop and gimme 20 [pushups]!" For a collective term, there's nothing wrong with calling everyone "the military." But that doesn't give us a singular noun. Maybe there isn't one.

[armymarinemom]

I think they should have just used "American Military". We got a big kick out of calling our Marine and asking him how it felt to have his brothers as Person of the Year.

[Revolting cat!]

Militarians?

[Revolting cat!]

Noncivilians?

[budwiesest]

"Your Worst Nightmare" or YWN for short.

[Revolting cat!]

Miliuniformants?

[Rider on the Rain]

G.I.

Nothing else comes close. Been there, done that, and damn proud of it.

[Revolting cat!]

Defendants?

[LiteKeeper]

I like "GI" too. One great thing about it is that it can only refer to US military personnel. Lots of other countries have soldiers, Marines, etc., but GIs are always Americans and it translates easily into every language in the world. ("US has 130,000 GIs is Iraq"). I was in the Air Force and I and all my fellow members considered ourselves GIs, along with all the members of the other services.

mega-dittoes - that's what we called each other, and that's what we have been lovingly called for a long time. It has time and tradition on it's side

[ralph rotten]

post 22 G.I. ALWAY G.I. SOME ONE IS 60 YEARS TO LATE
G.I.--AND PLEASE DO NOT ASK WHAT G.I. STANDS FOR!!!!!

[gcruse]

The real world does not need to change on someones' whim.

Real world as in...???

"Each expectant mother was issued his own ID bracelet."

[LiteKeeper]

G.I. Nothing else comes close. Been there, done that, and damn proud of it.

Me too - 29 years - Hoo-ah!

[Hugin]

Another vote for Warriors.

[LiteKeeper]

PLEASE DO NOT ASK WHAT G.I. STANDS FOR!!!!!>

"GI" stands for "government issue."

[FairWitness]

Defendants?

That sounds like what Ramsey Clark would like to call them.

[surely_you_jest]

I like "GI" too. One great thing about it is that it can only refer to US military personnel.

This USAF retiree agrees with you, and for the reason you stated.

[FairWitness]

I like "GI" too. One great thing about it is that it can only refer to US military personnel.
This USAF retiree agrees with you, and for the reason you stated.

"G.I." seems to be gaining ground as the favorite here. "surely_you_jest" indicates it is acceptable to a "USAF retiree". Do other the other services, in addition to the army, agree it is a good term for all?

[steplock]

Their can only be ONE WORD for a United States Marine ...

MARINE