Posted on Jun 12, 2018
What are some of the best nicknames you heard (or owned) while in the military?
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Nicknames. They can be great, like a badge of honor, or you can be saddled with one for a dumb mistake (to never forget). For about the last six-months of my Naval career, I was known as the 3PON (stood for Third Class Petty Officer of the Navy) because our ship's career counselor said my detailer told him I was the senior E-4 Torpedoman on Submarines on the entire East Coast (at that time). We had some other great names for some of the characters on my boat. What are some of the best nicknames you heard (or owned) while in the military?
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Esprit de Corps
Esprit de Corps
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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I had a couple over the years.
While still a Mid, I got called "Pappy" for a while. No, it wasn't because I was older or looked older...in fact, I was one of the youngest in my class and looked even younger. It all had to do with a pre-commissioning test and some confusion regarding various "tests"...won't go into further detail than that, but the "wise" will get the somewhat "dirty" connotation.
The second, longest lasting one was "Dizzy". It started in Annapolis during Plebe year (our first year, which is as close to "basic training" as we get). My training company was handed one of those "uniform races"; you know...go from utility uniform to dress uniform and back again in three minutes or some such nonsense. After that, we were heading to a field event. Well, Your's Truly ended up taking four minutes to get back to "Red Beach", and Charlie Company had already took off without me. Trying to be "smart", I just fell in to march with Delta, which was always a few mics behind us to any event. Naturally, the Detailer caught me anyway, and I paid for it by "loosing my @$$" for a few days...meaning I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without reporting myself to a Detailer, and inevitably getting "smoked" as a result.
Well-that got me the name "Dizzy" for "being so lost".
It was later supported by a serious head injury I got during training...then later, it "fit" with Gillespie pretty good, and went from being an "insult" to a cherished nick-name.
It stayed with me through the Fleet and the ETTs, and most of my friends still call me "Dizzy" today.
While still a Mid, I got called "Pappy" for a while. No, it wasn't because I was older or looked older...in fact, I was one of the youngest in my class and looked even younger. It all had to do with a pre-commissioning test and some confusion regarding various "tests"...won't go into further detail than that, but the "wise" will get the somewhat "dirty" connotation.
The second, longest lasting one was "Dizzy". It started in Annapolis during Plebe year (our first year, which is as close to "basic training" as we get). My training company was handed one of those "uniform races"; you know...go from utility uniform to dress uniform and back again in three minutes or some such nonsense. After that, we were heading to a field event. Well, Your's Truly ended up taking four minutes to get back to "Red Beach", and Charlie Company had already took off without me. Trying to be "smart", I just fell in to march with Delta, which was always a few mics behind us to any event. Naturally, the Detailer caught me anyway, and I paid for it by "loosing my @$$" for a few days...meaning I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without reporting myself to a Detailer, and inevitably getting "smoked" as a result.
Well-that got me the name "Dizzy" for "being so lost".
It was later supported by a serious head injury I got during training...then later, it "fit" with Gillespie pretty good, and went from being an "insult" to a cherished nick-name.
It stayed with me through the Fleet and the ETTs, and most of my friends still call me "Dizzy" today.
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One nickname I picked up in the Air Force was "Mad Dog" many years later on a Police Dept. the same nickname "Mad Dog" came up and they didn't even know it had been used on Me before. It wasn't I was out of control but in the same taken My reactions were quick and decisive and I wasn't one to be walked all over. It seems My seniors didn't have any problem with that although the nickname didn't come from them. I always beleived imediate action was the key, indecision and beating around the bush doesn't work well and only makes things worse.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
TSgt David L. - I agree 100% with You on that. I even had one Supervisor that kept the next ranking NCO with Him so He wouldn't have to make decisions and had Me do it instead as He knew I would without hesitation and make the right choice. Basically He contained that man and had Me do the job and if He took a night off made sure that other NCO was off also and left Me in charge. He knew He couldn't depend on the other guy but was stuck with him and wanted someone He could depend on. Often a "Mad Dog" does have confidence in there own ability to make the right decision quickly !
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TSgt David L.
That's an endorsement of your style for sure. Like I said, I'd rather have someone make the wrong decision than be wishy-washy and not want to make ANY decision. I make my own mind up on a call anyway, and have gone against the On-Scene Commander's recommendation many times, but I know I'm right before I go against an 0-5 or 0-6. But waiting for someone who can't decide is ridiculous. Especially when lives and/or property are in peril.
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I've had several callsigns, none of which are funny without the stories behind them. I think the most obvious nickname has been Kool-Aid.
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