Luckily, nicknames assigned in boot camp aren’t likely to stay with a Marine into the Fleet. BJtM hates spam. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. 16. CHAOS is more than a theory – Defense Secretary James Mattis’ nickname CHAOS is actually an acronym that stands for “Colonel Has An(Another) Outstanding Solution.” The tongue-in-cheek nickname was first given to Mattis while he was a colonel at Twentynine Palms, California. The connection appears to from back in the 60s, when sailors on the West Coast would buy fresh-off-the-boat Japanese motorcycles without any real riding experience, and ride around while schnockered. 15. (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); 10. Ernest “Boots” Thomas, one of the U.S. Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, enlisted in spite of being color blind by memorizing the results of another recruit’s test. When it returned on July 11th, 1798, it celebrated it’s birthday on that date until 1921, when Maj. Edwin North McClellan sent Commandant John A. Lejeune a memorandum requesting the original November 10th date be declared as a Marine Corps holiday. Mmmmm … BLT – The most delicious sandwich ever created is also the acronym that describes the Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team – the Marine infantry unit designed to be sent into combat first and are often referred to within the Marine Corps as the very tip of the spear. What are the nicknames for the Marines? Whether or not she actually said that, and whether or not those things are true about Marines is largely debatable, but here are 22 facts most Marines won’t debate: 1. What’s a Good Cookie? Marines are tough as nails – In 1959, Marine Lt. Col. William Rankin is the only known person to survive a fall from the top of a cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud. Nicknames are kind of a thing – If your name is too long or difficult to pronounce, it’s likely that drill … The first is the “high and tight” buzzed haircut that has long characterized the (motivated) Marine, and how the style somewhat looks like a jar. [CDATA[ The Fleet – The FMF (Fleet Marine Force) is the name Marines give to the “real life” Marine Corps beyond the “pipeline” that includes Marine Corps Recruit Training and MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) school. This is just point of fact, and shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as anything other than amusing. This is just point of fact, and shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as anything other than amusing. After working with veterans for more than 12 years, Jennifer McGuigan decided it was her turn to serve in the military. In the fleet, many enlisted members straight out of RTC or may be referred to as a “boot”. The closest thing to a viable explanation of the origin I could find is “squid” as it applies to inexperienced motorcyclists. // ]]> Join our newsletter received by other visitors who are preparing for their military career! A long time ago, these ships were considered fast and heavily armed for their size (about 450 ft) with a crew complement of (theoretically) 120-150. Stand up, Marine – Marines, whether on active duty, retired or veteran, always stand at attention during the playing of the Marines Hymn. 5. 12. This one, is uh — to put it politely — the woman who enjoys getting the most attention …