-F-

F-4 Phantom  

(Vietnam) Twin engine jet fighter/bomber used by Marines for ground support. Made by McDonnell Douglas.

Falcon Code

A variation of the Charlie Echo Code.

Fantail 

An open deck at the rear of a ship, usually where trash was dumped overboard.

Fartsack

Sleeping bag or mattress cover.

Fathom

A unit of measurement which is essentially the distance between the fingers of outstretched arms. Originally "faedm" an Anglo Saxon word meaning hug or embrace, fadems were marked on a rope by a knot so that when thrown overboard attached to an anchor a sailor would count off the knots or fathoms to the bottom.
(Source: "Salty Talk", Naval History, U. S. Naval Institute, October 2002)

Feather Merchant

A person short or of slight build or a person in a comfortable or easy assignment such as headquarters duty or some staff billet. Often used for all civilians working for the military.

FEBA

Forward Edge of the Battle Area.

Fiddler's Green

Historically a sailor's idea of heaven. Many petty officer clubs on Navy installations are given this name.

Field Day

A day set aside for the thorough cleaning of barracks or offices.

Field Expedient

The art of getting the job done despite the limitations. See Tootsie Roll for a good example.

Field Grade

A commissioned officer in the grade of major, lieutenant colonel or colonel.

Field Marshall

A rank in many foreign military forces, usually the highest ranking officer of the service. They are generally identified by the highly decorated baton that they carry on official occasions. Vaguely equivalent to Commandant of the Marine Corps or Chief of Naval Operations or one of the Chiefs of Staff. Not used in the military services of the United States because during World War II, when it was proposed, the Chief of Staff of the Army was General George Marshall who refused to be Field Marshall Marshall. The rank in the U. S. Army became General of the Army.

Field Marshall’s Baton

See Field Marshall.

Field Medical Service School

Often called Devil Doc University, it is where Navy corpsmen and dental technicians are trained for field duty with operational Marine Corps field units.

Field Meet

An organized series of sporting competitions pitting one unit against another. Organized grab ass.

Field of Fire

The radius that an automatic weapon can cover in an arc from port to starboard.

Field scarf

A necktie worn on a Marine uniform.

Field Strip

Take apart or disassemble as in field strip a rifle or a cigarette.

Fighting Hole

Called a Fox Hole by the Army and Hollywood it is an entrenched position for one or more Marines in a static warfare situation.

FIIGMO

Fuck It, I Got My Orders. Often written FIGMO. Someone who has received permanent change of station orders or is ending their term of service. Either way they are Short Timers and don't much care about anything but leaving.

Final Strength Test

A physical fitness test given near the end of recruit training to determine if a recruit has improved sufficiently based upon the results of the Initial Strength Test.

Fire In The Hole

An alert that an explosive device is about to be detonated. If you hear this you probably missed all of the other warnings and are about to be blown away.

Fire Team

The basic infantry fighting unit consisting of four Marines with various weapons and support. Fire teams are combined into squads. In urban combat the fire team is being frequently broken into Buddy Units, further de-centralizing field control.

Fire watch Medal

National Defense Service Medal. A medal awarded during times of war to every person in the military with 60 days of service. It is therefore awarded to each new Marine at graduation. The theory being that in order to qualify for the NDSM all that was required is one tour of duty as a Fire watch.

Fire watch

A recruit's first introduction to guard duty. At least one recruit in each platoon remains awake and alert each night for safety and security purposes. When boot camp structures were made of wood the posting was absolutely necessary but since the fireproof buildings were constructed starting in the 1960s the job has remained as both tradition and training.

Firebase

An artillery support position.

Fireman

A Navy enlisted rank. See Seaman.

First Lieutenant

The second grade of commissioned officer, indicated by a silver bar on the collar of the uniform. The pay grade is O-2 and is the same in the Army and Air Force. In the Navy and Coast Guard the rank is lieutenant (junior grade) and is additionally indicated on shoulder boards or coat cuffs by one wide and one narrow gold stripe topped by an insignia indicating a branch (usually a gold star in the Navy or a gold shield in the Coast Guard indicating a line officer). In the Navy it refers to the Deck Division officer or person in charge of general seamanship.

First of foot and right of the line

Honor bestowed on the U. S. Marine Corps by the Secretary of the Navy on Aug. 9, 1876. It means that Marines take the place of honor in any Naval formation.

First Sergeant of Marines 

The senior noncommissioned officer in a company or squadron indicated by three chevrons and three rockers with a diamond (lozenge) between chevrons and rockers, worn on each sleeve or collar point as appropriate. The pay grade is E-8 and is the same in the Army. In the Air Force the rank is senior master sergeant which is a technical sergeant insignia with two chevrons above it. In the Navy and Coast Guard the rank is senior chief petty officer which is a chief petty officer with a star above the eagle. First sergeant in the Air Force is a billet and is indicated by a lozenge between chevrons and rockers on any insignia between master sergeant and chief master sergeant.

First Shirt

First Sergeant.

First to Fight

Marines have been in the forefront of every American war since the founding of the Corps. They entered the Revolution in 1775, even before the Declaration of Independence was signed! Marines have carried out more than 300 landings on foreign shores. They have served everywhere, from the Arctic to tropics; their record for readiness reflects pride, responsibility, and challenge.

FitRep

Fitness Report written on Marines in the rank of sergeant and above which measures his or her fitness for command. It is the written report of a Marine's career.

Flag Allotment

A detachment of Marines assigned for security and ceremonial purposes to certain Navy Admirals.

Flag Officer

Any of the general or admiral ranks or any officer whose billet authorizes him or her to fly a personal flag (almost never applied in the present). Prior to the Civil War and the introduction of the rank of admiral Navy captains in charge of squadrons or fleets were called flag officers as a point of courtesy.

Flak Jacket

Body Armor.

Flare Ship

(Vietnam) C-47 twin prop cargo plane with flares suspended from parachutes to provide night time illumination of a battle area. Sometimes called "Spooky" or "Puff the Magic Dragon".

Fleet Admiral

 A wartime rank given to full admirals who command a fleet. The rank insignia consists of five silver stars in a circle. Fleet Admirals do not retire. This rank has been held by Admirals Leahy, King and Nimitz who were promoted in Dec. 1944. Admiral "Bull" Halsey received the rank a year later. 

Fleet Hospital

Naval field hospital.

Fleet

A group of ships usually under the command of a flag officer. Also, "In the Fleet" a term used to indicate the Marine Corps beyond boot camp and technical school. It is "in the fleet" that a Marine does his or her job.

Flight Line

The place on an airfield where the airplanes are parked. Also a mythical item which newbies to a unit are sent in quest of.

Flight Surgeon

A physician and Navy Medical Officer who specializes in aviation medicine for both the Navy and Marine Corps.

Float

To be deployed at sea, usually on a MEU as in "six month float"

Flotsam

Floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; floating debris; unimportant miscellaneous material.

Fluff-n-buff

Cammies that were dried and not pressed (fluff dry) and boots that were brushed but not spit polished (buffed), or the person wearing such an outfit. This was especially noticeable during inspections.

Flying Coffin

An informal name applied to a number of aircraft including the C-119 and the CH-46.

FMF

Fleet Marine Force. Sometimes Fighting Mother Fuckers.

FNG

Fucking New Guy.

FO

Forward Observer. Usually an artillery officer or pilot assigned to infantry units to coordinate artillery support or air strikes in support of the Mud Marines.

FOB

Forward Operating Base

Fore 

In front. From the naval term.

Forecastle 

Pronounced fok' sil. An open deck on board most ships at the bow, usually where the anchors were secured. Generally a place for off duty sailors to gather, tell sea stories and smoke.

Formed

Reference to a unit of Marines who are under the control of someone and are standing, walking, marching, sitting or even lying in a prescribed manner. It is said that whenever two Marines are walking together, one is in command and the other is formed.

Former Marine

An acceptable term for a Marine who is not currently serving, but make no mistake, that person is a Marine and always will be a Marine. The editor prefers to be called a veteran Marine.

Fortitudine

The original motto of the Marine Corps, Latin for fortitude. It has been replaced by Semper Fidelis.

Forty five  

See 45.

Forward Edge of the Battle Area

The "front line" or the spot where the battle is active.

Four Holer

(Vietnam)A field head consisting of a shack constructed over four 55 gallon drums cut in half to expedite removal of fecal material. There was no privacy.

Four-deuce

A 4.2 inch mortar.

Foxhole

An Army term for a fighting hole.

FOXTROT

(Commtalk) F.

FPL

Final Protective Line. The point at which a position is about to be overrun--it signals a switch to survival instincts.

Frag

(Vietnam) To kill a person of superior rank, usually by throwing a fragmentation grenade into the room or area where he or she is located (such as a hooch or a head). Also to bombard with excess for the purpose of causing a problem or creating a distraction. Additionally, a fragmentary order giving subordinate commanders the information they require to conduct their portion of an operation.

Free Fire Zone

(Vietnam) Most of the area along the DMZ that is a "no man's land" where standing orders allow for anyone seen in that area to be fired upon. Toward the end of Vietnam it became necessary to radio in a sighting and request permission to fire (widely ignored by the troops on the line).

French Forragere

 The government of France honored the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments and the 6th Machinegun Battalion with the Forragere for their fighting skills during World War I. Marines assigned to those units still wear the award today. The actual criteria for the award was that the unit was cited three times in official French Army orders; at Chateau-Thierry, Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne (Champagne).

Frog

Nickname for the CH-46 helicopter which sits with the rear portion of the craft lower than the front, squatting like a frog (some people spell it Phrog). Also, the green scarf worn wrapped around a Marine's neck in winter or a device attached to the duty belt upon which a sword is attached.  See Throg.

Front Leaning Rest Position

The position for pushups. Often just "the position".

Frontier land

The 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC in the 1960s before the new brick barracks were built.  The 2nd Battalion was called the Twilight Zone and the 3rd Battalion was called Disneyland. The 4th Battalion was then officially the Woman Marine Battalion.

Frozen Chosin 

See Chosin Reservoir.

FTA

Fuck the Army.  In an attempt to clean it up the Army tried coopting the phrase as Fun, Travel and Adventure.

FTN

Fuck the Navy.

FUBAB

Fucked Up Beyond All Belief.

FUBAR

Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Another version is Fucked Up Beyond All Repair.

Fuck You Bird

A bird indigenous to Southeast Asia whose call sounds exactly like, "fuck you".

Fuller, Ben H

Fifteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Michigan native who was born Feb. 27, 1870 graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy and was appointed Major General Commandant on the death of Wendell Neville, July 9, 1930 and served until Feb. 28, 1934. He died June 8, 1937.

Funeral Pace

The pace of march for funerals, approximately half of quick time.

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