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'Embrace the Suck' and More Military Speak

You know you must be a member of the armed forces if you know what a "fobbit" is or what "FUBIJAR" means or where, exactly, "Marineland" is located. Morning Edition commentator Austin Bay, a retired colonel in the Army Reserve and a veteran of the Iraq war, explains some of the military jargon, which he's compiled in a little handbook called Embrace the Suck: A Pocket Guide to Milspeak.

"Marineland" is Anbar province in Iraq, which is patrolled mainly by Marines. And if you were to visit Marineland, you might hear a few new variations on the Marines' celebrated motto, "Semper Fi." For example, calling someone a "Semper I" means he's "somebody who is not helping his fellow soldiers," Bay tells Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne.

"Part of the humor is an attack on the system, or making fun of the ridiculous elements of the system," Bay says. "At the same time, there's a reinforcement of the group identity."

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.