From the Soldier side: More OIF Slang and acronyms stuff...
Frankenstein : A Marine Corps monster truck, bulging and rippling with spot-welded seams of add on armor. Some of the Marines we worked with came up with some pretty cool shit. As of December 2004, of the 30,000 estimated wheeled vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 8,000 of the older models did not have armor protection. Of those that were protected, about 6, 000 had full protection, while about 10,000 vehicles had received add-on kits, many improvised in theater.
Green Zone : Heavily guarded area with several former Presidential Palaces in central Baghdad where US, coalition and iraqi authorities live and work. Much of the rest of Iraq is the "red zone". An attempt was made to rename it the International Zone (IZ), but this seems not to have stuck.
Gun truck : an armored and heavily armed vehicle used for convoy security. Usually any truck with any type of "crew served" weapon was called Gun Truck... even if it had a "Hajji" machine gun.
GWOT : global war on terrorism. They came up with another medal...you were supposed to have actully been deployed over seas to get this, but I know of one National Guard REMF who never left California who somehow ended up with one.
Haji : 1: Arabic word for someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca; 2: used by the American military for an Iraqi, anyone of arab decent, or even of a brownish skin tone, be they afghanis, or even bangladeshis; 3: the word many soldiers use derogatorily for the enemy.
Haji armor : improvised armor, installed by troops hiring Iraqis to update the vehicles by welding any available metal to the sides of Humvees
Haji mart : any small store operated by Iraqis to sell small items to Americans.
Haji patrol : 1: escort detail; 2: Local National unit is also referred to as the Haji patrol, with all the projects that are being performed by the local nationals.
Haji shop : even the smallest base has some form of what soldiers call a "haji shop" or, in more politically correct terms, a shop run by locals. Frequently near the PX, the "Haji" shop would sell everything from cigarettes to knockoff sunglasses to pirated DVDs.
Gun truck : an armored and heavily armed vehicle used for convoy security. Usually any truck with any type of "crew served" weapon was called Gun Truck... even if it had a "Hajji" machine gun.
GWOT : global war on terrorism. They came up with another medal...you were supposed to have actully been deployed over seas to get this, but I know of one National Guard REMF who never left California who somehow ended up with one.
Haji : 1: Arabic word for someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca; 2: used by the American military for an Iraqi, anyone of arab decent, or even of a brownish skin tone, be they afghanis, or even bangladeshis; 3: the word many soldiers use derogatorily for the enemy.
Haji armor : improvised armor, installed by troops hiring Iraqis to update the vehicles by welding any available metal to the sides of Humvees
Haji mart : any small store operated by Iraqis to sell small items to Americans.
Haji patrol : 1: escort detail; 2: Local National unit is also referred to as the Haji patrol, with all the projects that are being performed by the local nationals.
Haji shop : even the smallest base has some form of what soldiers call a "haji shop" or, in more politically correct terms, a shop run by locals. Frequently near the PX, the "Haji" shop would sell everything from cigarettes to knockoff sunglasses to pirated DVDs.
I still call anything that's really fucked up "hajji" and most civilains around me look at me funny.
Hillbilly armor : Improvised vehicle armor. Most often appeared to have been made in a high school welding shop class. Typically a half-inch of scrap steel hastily cut in the shape of the door and welded or riveted on. SecDef Rumsfeld in December 2004 lied about the need for such scrounging. That lying bastard claimed that there was plenty of armored vehicles in Iraq...I still saw a lot of Hajji Armor in Nov 2005 before we left. How could he say that with a straight face...
(updated...I had to search for the above pic of the USMC Humvee. They put 1/2 metal plates on the side and hung Kevelar blankets over that. It would stop small arms rounds.-- From Al Qaim Iraq, July 2005)
Hillbilly armor : Improvised vehicle armor. Most often appeared to have been made in a high school welding shop class. Typically a half-inch of scrap steel hastily cut in the shape of the door and welded or riveted on. SecDef Rumsfeld in December 2004 lied about the need for such scrounging. That lying bastard claimed that there was plenty of armored vehicles in Iraq...I still saw a lot of Hajji Armor in Nov 2005 before we left. How could he say that with a straight face...
(updated...I had to search for the above pic of the USMC Humvee. They put 1/2 metal plates on the side and hung Kevelar blankets over that. It would stop small arms rounds.-- From Al Qaim Iraq, July 2005)
More to follow....
8 comments:
I am not a defender of Rumsfeld , but I do remember when an Admiral came on board for inspections, he was shown only the stuff the Captain wanted him to see. Maybe the HMFIC’s (Head Mother Fuckers In Charge) gathered enough around to impress him. Or more likely, they showed him pictures of a fleet of Frankenstein’s. But I’m sure the Hillbilly amour was the best and safest. Especially if you got those hillbillies a jar of ‘shine first. I know because I was born a hillbilly. However, after a college education backed by my MBA, I am now a Hillwilliam.
I want a Frankenstein for the freeways..."bulging and rippling with spot-welded seams of add on armor". Oh Yeah.
Another "hajji" thing was to weld on big ass metal bumpers. If you look at the front of a "normal" factory made Humvee, they don't really have a bumper. But when Hajji drivers get in your way, or you need to ram through a metal gate to a home, you need a BAMB, Big Ass Metal Bumper.
Any kind of heavey metal would work...just find a torch and weld it on.
Howdy. I am a 21 year old American, born and raised, living in Texas. I am also a Hajji, meaning I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah. As a Hajji, and as an American, I find the US troops use of the word "Hajji" very offensive, disrespectful, and counterproductive to the US's goals. How can we expect to succeed in bringing peace to Iraq if we use an Islamic term of respect as an insult for all locals? I understand that under the stress of being in a warzone, humane sensibilities can become eroded, but after returning home, as you say, you "I still call anything that's really fucked up 'hajji'", you should reconsider the implication of what this word truly means and how you are using it. Thank you.
AJ, you are totally correct. I'm just reporting how the words were used...
A fact of most wars...terms and words come up that some don't know offend others.
I don't use words like this, this is just a report of what it was like when I was there.
A person shouldn't hate any religion, only hate those who use it to get what they want and abuse it. Same abuse has happened with most religions throughout history.
Thanks for your reply and understanding. I do appreciate your glossary of terms here, it was very interesting and informative. I understand how politically incorrect slang terms could develop in an environment like that, and though it's unfortunate, I know our boys out there have bigger things to worry about than being politically correct. I'm glad you (and I'm sure most others) don't intend for the use of the word to have a disparaging or disrespectful implication.
Sorry guys, this ain't the fucking news paper where you can debate shit.
Hi there! Do you know where I can find a HIGH-RES photo of hillbilly armour??
Thanks!
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