Do you consider the term jarhead and other names for the different branches of service offensive?

I'm Navy and my sister married a Marine. We got along great. As others mentioned, I don't care for outsiders to get involved.

I think our society has gotten a bit too easy to offend.

Oh Hell no!!! It is our history, traditions and family humor that makes the United States Military very dangerous. I am an old man and I remember a pre-Vietnam War MAD magazine that had a the fat American soldiers getting knocked out by the skinny Communists. History shows that did not happen.

Oh dear Lord... stop with the always being offended.... Who gives a toss???

Marines have a history of taking nicknames originally intended as barbs and making them their own - Jarhead, Devil Dog, etc. It's not the nickname that causes problems, it's the adjective in front of the nickname.

My army buddies call me a Puddle Pirate and I throw back with Grunt. It’s all in fun and we have mutual respect.

Intent goes a LONG way. I now have a gut - retirement means less PT and more food, at least for me. There is a difference between calling me "fatt*ss" (I call myself fat) with a smile on your face and calling me "that lazy fat*ss over there.". Same with many of the terms. Even the basic (and correct) terms of Soldier, Marine, Airman, and Squid.. err... Sailor can be said derisively.

YES but when you are at the VFW, or other bars, camping, or where ever you don't crack fun unless they know you, can start some real bad fights and hurt feeling. But I have friends who are Boat jockey's, squids, jar heads, uncle Sam's misguided children, Grunt's,11 bang bang, fly boy's fly girl's, but it is done between friend's and when people try to jump in and they have NEVER SERVED then it can and most of the time all branch's join the fight to teach the knuckle heads that you don't make fun of the arm services unless you know about it.

No, all services can take a joke from members of other services. My daughter asked me about calling Marines Jarheads, and asked why they call Solders. I replied we're Grunts, the Marines are jarheads, Navy, Squids, AF zippers and Coast Guard puddle jumpers. She asked if she could use these terms. I quickly replied if and ONLY if you wear any of the 5 mentioned uniforms. If you don't serve you will show the due respect for the rank of the Service Member. She got it.

Marines learn early on to embrace our nick names, I am a Jarhead, a Grunt, one of Uncle Sam's misguided children, the guys I ride with in the American Legion Riders are from all branches of the service and we always, constantly, incessantly engage in name calling. We get odd, nervous looks from the "uninitiated" and the "slimey civilians", but its all part of the brotherhood, you can push...but we dont hit family, its all in fun, just dont let others outside our circle try it.