# Members of the US military are called...? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011 "2015-03-02T14:09:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/1 "2015-03-02T14:09:39Z")
In the four branches of the US military, we have sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines. Is there a generic term to describe a current member of the US military whose service branch is not specified? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/2 "2015-03-02T14:10:24Z")
serviceman? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/3 "2015-03-02T14:13:11Z")
It depends on the context. Service member (SM) is used in a lot of official communications and regulations. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/4 "2015-03-02T18:24:35Z")
US Coast Guard is, much of the time it is ‘Coastie’ or ?? ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/5 "2015-03-02T22:44:10Z")
“Soldiers” is commonly used in news reports and such, without any implication that they’re referring specifically to Army personnel. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/6 "2015-03-02T23:03:04Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > US Coast Guard is, much of the time it is ‘Coastie’ or ?? After Homeland Security took over the CG, they tried “Guardsmen”. The only people who liked that was the DHS people. Coasties didn’t appreciate people thinking they were in the National Guard and kept on using “Coastie”. “Service Member” is branch and gender unspecific. Or is “inclusive” the proper word? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/7 "2015-03-02T23:07:04Z")
Warrior ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/8 "2015-03-02T23:07:51Z")
‘Warfighter’ seems to be popular. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mike\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_H)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/9 "2015-03-02T23:08:23Z")
On radio commercials for defense contractors here in the DC area, I’ve heard the term “war fighter”; which to me is a silly term, since I’d wager service men spend a minority of their time actually fighting wars. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/10 "2015-03-02T23:08:56Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > “Soldiers” is commonly used in news reports and such, without any implication that they’re referring specifically to Army personnel. This is simply wrong with respect to the U.S. armed forces. “Service member” is the preferred term. “Troops” can be used in some informal contexts. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/11 "2015-03-02T23:29:29Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > serviceman? Correct. Also applicable to the other uniformed services, the USCG, and USPHS and NOAA Commissioned Corps. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/12 "2015-03-02T23:39:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > “Service member” is the preferred term. “Troops” can be used in some informal contexts. Even though “troops” (plural) does convey “people in the military” the idea of “troop” (singular) used to refer to an individual person in the military always strikes me as odd, if not silly. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/13 "2015-03-03T00:14:55Z")
Agreed, good clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/14 "2015-03-03T01:13:37Z")
I thought maybe “enlistee.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/15 "2015-03-03T01:18:32Z")
> [@Lee\_Q](#): > > I thought maybe “enlistee.” But that leaves out the commissioned officers and warrant officers. And, arguably, the NCOs. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/16 "2015-03-03T04:44:53Z")
> [@Mike\_H](#): > > On radio commercials for defense contractors here in the DC area, I’ve heard the term “war fighter”; which to me is a silly term, since I’d wager service men spend a minority of their time actually fighting wars. 4 year Navy vet here and never heard this one. Then or now I couldn’t be able to say it with a straight face. Veterans or Serviceman. Or informally; groundpounder, jarhead, squid and those lazy bastards playing volleyball in baby blue. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/17 "2015-03-03T06:49:33Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Even though “troops” (plural) does convey “people in the military” the idea of “troop” (singular) used to refer to an individual person in the military always strikes me as odd, if not silly. You were never in the Cavalry. We were Troops or Troopers, not Soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/18 "2015-03-03T06:59:24Z")
Obama Regime Operatives? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/19 "2015-03-03T07:18:33Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > You were never in the Cavalry. We were Troops or Troopers, not Soldiers. All I was trying to say is that an individual being called a “troop” is like calling a cow a cattle. See [Troop Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troop) for the basis of my observation. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011/20 "2015-03-03T12:38:44Z")
> [@Mike\_H](#): > > On radio commercials for defense contractors here in the DC area, I’ve heard the term “war fighter”; which to me is a silly term, since I’d wager service men spend a minority of their time actually fighting wars. I’ll wager the same is true of firefighters; out of a 2080-hour work year, how many of those hours are they actually out fighting a fire? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/members-of-the-us-military-are-called/714011.md?page=2)