5 definitions by USMCG_Spyder
The term "poge" (pronounced with a long "o", like "rogue") is used in the military as a general descriptor for someone who's MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is anything but Infantry. In the Marines an Infantry MOS is preceeded by "03" (i.e. "0311 - Basic Rifleman"). The term is synonomous with REMF ("Rear Echelon MotherFucker"). If your USMC MOS starts with "01" ("Administration") you are considered a big 'ole poge.
It is important to remember that there are different levels of being a poge depending on who you are talking to. Starting at the front line, each echelon considers the folks behind him a poge. Boiled down like this, it becomes glaringly apparent that the only folks who are NOT poges are grunts but non-grunts feel the need to decrease their poge level by pointing fingers at someone who is more of a poge than they are. They have an inner desire to be a door-kicker but that desire didn't run deep enough to actually join the Infantry and they usually make fun of grunts while at the same time trying to be like them.
It is also important to understand that any member of the service will, under diress, admit that the service as a whole could not function at all if it were not for the mighty poge. They are administrators, facilitators and have their fingers in every aspect of the grunt's life with the exception of actually pulling the trigger for him.
A typical poge works in some sort of office and performs administrative duties while enjoying cold AC and hot coffee. He does personal favors for the Sergeant Major, calls staff NCO's by their first name when discussing them with his peers, always has creases in his uniform and highly polished boots. His workday is 0700-1630 or so, but because of the "fluid" nature of his job he may disappear somewhere around 1300 on Friday and not be seen until formation Monday morning. He gets first crack at all the new gear that comes through Supply, never mind the fact that it'll most likely never see neither light of day nor speck of dirt. He enjoys the power his MOS gives him over people who require his services from time to time and likes to let them know how vital he is to the process by sandbagging requests he doesn't deem to be important. Generally an unsavory, whiny pencil-necked suckass travelling in the CO's vacuum.
Few grunts would literally define the term as "any non-grunt", however. For example, pilots are not grunts, nor are EOD, artillery, medics, engineers, and a myriad of other personnel who are exposed to hostile fire during the normal course of their duties. Grunts respect anyone who pulls their load, regardless of their MOS.
The classic poge is all about the "hide and slide", skating out of duty when the opportunity arises but more than willing to pick up a ribbon or two for "what the unit did". The first Gulf War was a fuckin' breeding ground for these people - it was a great "Put Your Boot In The Sand And Get A Medal" war for those not directly involved in the fighting, and when they rotated back to CONUS they had all sorts of "desert warrior" stories to tell about how rough it was.
It is usually derogatory in nature but can be spoken as either an epithet or in general conversation as good-natured ribbing. Call a poge a "grunt" and they love it, but call a grunt a "poge" and see what happens :-)
It is important to remember that there are different levels of being a poge depending on who you are talking to. Starting at the front line, each echelon considers the folks behind him a poge. Boiled down like this, it becomes glaringly apparent that the only folks who are NOT poges are grunts but non-grunts feel the need to decrease their poge level by pointing fingers at someone who is more of a poge than they are. They have an inner desire to be a door-kicker but that desire didn't run deep enough to actually join the Infantry and they usually make fun of grunts while at the same time trying to be like them.
It is also important to understand that any member of the service will, under diress, admit that the service as a whole could not function at all if it were not for the mighty poge. They are administrators, facilitators and have their fingers in every aspect of the grunt's life with the exception of actually pulling the trigger for him.
A typical poge works in some sort of office and performs administrative duties while enjoying cold AC and hot coffee. He does personal favors for the Sergeant Major, calls staff NCO's by their first name when discussing them with his peers, always has creases in his uniform and highly polished boots. His workday is 0700-1630 or so, but because of the "fluid" nature of his job he may disappear somewhere around 1300 on Friday and not be seen until formation Monday morning. He gets first crack at all the new gear that comes through Supply, never mind the fact that it'll most likely never see neither light of day nor speck of dirt. He enjoys the power his MOS gives him over people who require his services from time to time and likes to let them know how vital he is to the process by sandbagging requests he doesn't deem to be important. Generally an unsavory, whiny pencil-necked suckass travelling in the CO's vacuum.
Few grunts would literally define the term as "any non-grunt", however. For example, pilots are not grunts, nor are EOD, artillery, medics, engineers, and a myriad of other personnel who are exposed to hostile fire during the normal course of their duties. Grunts respect anyone who pulls their load, regardless of their MOS.
The classic poge is all about the "hide and slide", skating out of duty when the opportunity arises but more than willing to pick up a ribbon or two for "what the unit did". The first Gulf War was a fuckin' breeding ground for these people - it was a great "Put Your Boot In The Sand And Get A Medal" war for those not directly involved in the fighting, and when they rotated back to CONUS they had all sorts of "desert warrior" stories to tell about how rough it was.
It is usually derogatory in nature but can be spoken as either an epithet or in general conversation as good-natured ribbing. Call a poge a "grunt" and they love it, but call a grunt a "poge" and see what happens :-)
Grunt 1 - "Dude, I'm fixin' to be TAD to G-1 until my EAS"
Grunt 2 - "I always knew you were a fuckin' poge at heart"
"Man, those fuckin' poges have it easy - hot chow, cots, a fuckin' GP tent, must be nice."
A great example can be found in Stanley Kubrick's movie "Full Metal Jacket", where "grunt" and "poge" are used in the same line:
Chili: You weren't on Operation Hastings, Payback. You weren't even in country.
Private Payback: Oh, eat shit and die, you fuckin' Spanish American, you fuckin' poge. I was THERE man, I was in the shit with the grunts.
Grunt 2 - "I always knew you were a fuckin' poge at heart"
"Man, those fuckin' poges have it easy - hot chow, cots, a fuckin' GP tent, must be nice."
A great example can be found in Stanley Kubrick's movie "Full Metal Jacket", where "grunt" and "poge" are used in the same line:
Chili: You weren't on Operation Hastings, Payback. You weren't even in country.
Private Payback: Oh, eat shit and die, you fuckin' Spanish American, you fuckin' poge. I was THERE man, I was in the shit with the grunts.
by USMCG_Spyder January 1, 2006
Derogatory reference to a United States Marine. Commonly a reference to a member of "MARDET", the Marine Detatchment that is present on some Navy ships. MARDET personnel perform duties as sentries, security, orderlies, provide an honor guard for special occasions, and provide the nucleus of the ship's landing party among other things.
Sea duty is one of the oldes traditions of the Corps, so this is a good epithet for starting a fight with any Marine (not just MARDET), esp. if said with plenty of sarcasm. Bring your own trauma surgeon.
Sea duty is one of the oldes traditions of the Corps, so this is a good epithet for starting a fight with any Marine (not just MARDET), esp. if said with plenty of sarcasm. Bring your own trauma surgeon.
Sailor - "Check out that fuckin' Sea-going Bellhop over there thinkin' he's all hot shit. I bet he...."
*Marine decks sailor*
Sailor (through shattered teeth) - "Corpsman up!"
*Marine decks sailor*
Sailor (through shattered teeth) - "Corpsman up!"
by USMCG_Spyder January 1, 2006
Term of endearment applied by US Marines to their platoon-level medical personnel based on "Devildog". Unlike the other services the Marine Corps does not have a medical field, so we get ours from the Navy. A Hospital Corpsman is assigned to the platoon and he eats, sleeps, shits, fights and sometimes dies with "his" Marines.
A Corpsman is probably the single most highly respected member of the US Navy to an infantryman because he chooses to be there instead of some soft-ass REMF job. We treat them like a mascot and fuck with them constantly; within the platoon he's harassed about his branch of service, uniform, buddies, car, parents, girlfriend (or lack thereof), haircut (or lack thereof) and any manner of other things you know will rile him up.
Corpsmen tend to be highly protective of their Marines and there are many accounts of "Doc" coming to the aid of a wounded Marine under heavy enemy fire. John "Doc" Bradley is one example, winning the Navy Cross a short time after helping to raise the flag on Iwo Jima (he's one of the gentlemen immortalized on the monument).
The "Devildoc" is poked, prodded and ridiculed within the platoon (all in good fun, mind you), but let someone from outside the unit say one negative word about him and they can stand the fuck by. Any Marine worth his salt will buy a Devildoc a drink at the drop of a hat whether he knows him or not.
Also used when you're trying to buddy up to the Corpsman in order to get something from him.
A Corpsman is probably the single most highly respected member of the US Navy to an infantryman because he chooses to be there instead of some soft-ass REMF job. We treat them like a mascot and fuck with them constantly; within the platoon he's harassed about his branch of service, uniform, buddies, car, parents, girlfriend (or lack thereof), haircut (or lack thereof) and any manner of other things you know will rile him up.
Corpsmen tend to be highly protective of their Marines and there are many accounts of "Doc" coming to the aid of a wounded Marine under heavy enemy fire. John "Doc" Bradley is one example, winning the Navy Cross a short time after helping to raise the flag on Iwo Jima (he's one of the gentlemen immortalized on the monument).
The "Devildoc" is poked, prodded and ridiculed within the platoon (all in good fun, mind you), but let someone from outside the unit say one negative word about him and they can stand the fuck by. Any Marine worth his salt will buy a Devildoc a drink at the drop of a hat whether he knows him or not.
Also used when you're trying to buddy up to the Corpsman in order to get something from him.
Marine - "OORAH Devildoc!"
Corpsman - "Yeah, yeah... Whatever, Jarhead."
Marine - "Hey there, Devildoc. Wanna souvenir me one of those fuckin' cigarettes?"
Corpsman - "Golly gee, sure thing Marine! Take the pack!"
Corpsman *to himself* - "Broke-ass motherfucker..."
Corpsman - "Yeah, yeah... Whatever, Jarhead."
Marine - "Hey there, Devildoc. Wanna souvenir me one of those fuckin' cigarettes?"
Corpsman - "Golly gee, sure thing Marine! Take the pack!"
Corpsman *to himself* - "Broke-ass motherfucker..."
by USMCG_Spyder January 1, 2006
The term "grunt" is used in the military as a general term for someone who's MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is "Infantry". In the Marine Corps all MOS' preceeded by the number "03" are Infantry. About as "grunt" as you can get in the Corps is "0311 - Basic Rifleman".
The opposite of a "grunt" is a "pougue", which is a derogatory reference to pretty much anyone who isn't a grunt, but normally reserved for Marines who work in an office or some other rear-echelon job as part of their regular duties ("In the rear with the gear"). Call a pougue a "grunt" and they love it, but call a grunt a "pougue" and see what happens :-)
The opposite of a "grunt" is a "pougue", which is a derogatory reference to pretty much anyone who isn't a grunt, but normally reserved for Marines who work in an office or some other rear-echelon job as part of their regular duties ("In the rear with the gear"). Call a pougue a "grunt" and they love it, but call a grunt a "pougue" and see what happens :-)
"If you ain't a grunt you ain't SHIT"
"The grunts at Phase Line Echo report multiple hostiles, scattered small-arms fire and are currently engaging."
"The fuckin' grunts always come to our E-Club and start shit."
"The grunts at Phase Line Echo report multiple hostiles, scattered small-arms fire and are currently engaging."
"The fuckin' grunts always come to our E-Club and start shit."
by USMCG_Spyder January 1, 2006
The origin of the term is commonly associated with the Battle of Belleau Wood which took place in France during the First World War. The Germans were shocked at the ferocity of the attacking U.S. Marines (elements of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments) and called them "Teufelhunde" which loosely translates to "Devil dog". After the battle, the French renamed it "Bois de la Brigade de Marine" ("Wood of the Marine Brigade").
1. Commonly used to address another Marine and has no real negative connotations (unless spoken sarcastically, at which point the speaker is likely to spring a rather nasty leak).
2. Used to address a Marine who's name is not known (before nametapes on the utility uniform became standard).
1. Commonly used to address another Marine and has no real negative connotations (unless spoken sarcastically, at which point the speaker is likely to spring a rather nasty leak).
2. Used to address a Marine who's name is not known (before nametapes on the utility uniform became standard).
by USMCG_Spyder December 28, 2005