Originally US
Army slang, it was used as a term of contempt for a non-combat soldier. The term, derived from the Gaelic 'Póg' meaning arse, carries with it an implication of unmanliness, homosexuality, even paedophilia, since Hershey bars and other types of candy are known as ‘pogue bait’. Demonstrating the complete contempt of the combat soldier for any kind of REMF, it was probably first used troops of
Irish descent but quickly became widespread as unpopular
WASP officers would not know what it meant.
In Gaelic
one use of the word would be in the phrase ‘Póg
mo thóin’ (pronounced pogue mahone) meaning 'kiss my arse'