US Military term (
ca. 1960s-1990s) used by "line" types (fleet, aviation
crew & flightline, special forces, infantry) to refer with contempt to HQ and staff (non-operations) personnel, especially bureaucratic types who
push petty regulations as a way to harrass others. Also used as mildly derisive term by aviation types to refer to crewmembers temporarily removed from flying and assigned "desk" (non-flying) duties for administrative or disciplinary purposes.
What
asswipe desk jockey came up with the idea of prohibiting bags (flightsuits) and cammies in the NCO
Club for lunch? Guess those clerks didn't want all those grubby SOBs who
work for a living spoiling the view...