# Soldier in the Marine Corp is called a marine; soldier in the Army is called ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993 "2004-01-25T14:02:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993/21 "2004-01-26T14:52:31Z")

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I hear “soldier” and I assume you’re in the army. I can assure you that some random airman (such as my brother), let alone Marine, would NOT like that assumption.

“Service member” or “in the military” are a bit clumsy, but better than applying one service’s term across the board, what with all the mostly-friendly rivalry between them.

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**Author:** ![QuizCustodet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ba0ec/32.png) [@QuizCustodet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuizCustodet)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993/22 "2004-01-26T17:17:46Z")

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Serviceman/woman does seem to be the generic term (insofar as there is one!). For your interest and fighting ignorance, in the British Army things get a bit more complicated than this, mostly due to regimental traditions. Thus, a member of the Royal Engineers is generically referred to not as a soldier, or even as an engineer, but as a Sapper; members of the Rifle Brigade are ‘Riflemen’; other titles include Craftsman, Fusilier, Trooper, and Gunner (for my own regiment, the Royal Artillery).

The generic term for a group comprising members of many different regiments remains soldier, though.

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**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993/23 "2004-01-26T23:00:18Z")

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I never really liked being called a “service member” or referring to “service members” in general. I’m just childish enough to immediately visualize a large formation of penises, all standing at attention.

If you don’t like “soldier,” then “service men and women” is good. “Service men and service women” seems a bit lengthy, and “service people” or “service persons” seems too PC for me.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-in-the-marine-corp-is-called-a-marine-soldier-in-the-army-is-called/225993/24 "2004-01-27T01:03:16Z")

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I was a U.S. Navy Seabee (Naval Construction Force), and as such we were neither fish nor fowl (so to speak). “Squid” didn’t apply and I never really heard any cute interservice name for us. Usually, it was just “fuckin’ Seabees”, usually said with either a tone of admiration or a sigh of disgust.

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