"fobbits" - troops who do not go outside the barbed wire

[bananas]

Some joked that whenever VIP's come to visit they just go to the main bases and meet the "fobbits," the nickname given to troops who do not go outside the barbed wire.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2250716

[Shilohtd16]

1. that is probably accurate.

from what i have heard from some soldier buddies nobody else could be that positive.

[MADem]

8. Of COURSE it is accurate--those are the only people whose uniforms

are not rank, stinkin' and beat to shit. It's a helluva lot easier maintaining your uniform appearance when you aren't doing shitstinking, sweaty work in heavy armor in the brutal heat, but instead, working out of an air conditioned building or trailer. And of course, Monkey wants his backdrops of service personnel to look all crisp and pretty....

[Selatius]

2. I know that "FOB" in the US means...

"Fresh off the boat" and is often used as a derogatory term for new, inexperienced immigrants and is also often used by immigrants against each other usually in a jovial manner but also a derogatory manner as well. Maybe "fobbits" means those who never really experience real-time combat?

:shrug:

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Forward Operating Base in military parlance

It means they hang out structly in the Forward Operating Base and never leave the wire.

[acmejack]

6. Forward Operating Base.

Fobbits inhabit those posts, they get combat pay but stay in the (relative( safety of the FOB.

[shain from kane]

13. It's probably wise. Don't get off the boat. (Apocalyse Now,) n/t

[kenny blankenship]

3. REMFs?

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. fobbits seems a bit nicer than REMFs, though, no?

[TomInTib]

7. And anything is better than FNGs

those guys will get you killed.

[MADem]

9. Darn that political correctness!

And of course, if you are in country, there really is no rear, with or without the gear...someone can chuck a mortar your way if you are anywhere in the sandbox.

The closest equivalent to REMFs would be stationed in Kuwait, Bahrain or Qatar...

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. But are there Sargeant Majors and Beer?

;-)

[MADem]

12. Well, no beer in Kuwait at all--they had non-alcoholic beer but they

were considering pulling it off the shelves because it had trace amounts of alcohol in it. Not sure how that shook out...anyway, none of the real stuff.

You can get beer in Qatar, and Bahrain, but not during Ramadan!!!

[Neil Lisst]

10. When W was in the Air Guard, real soldiers called them FANGS

F***ing
Air
National
Guard

[rppper]

14. FOB's on submarines.........

Free-loading Oxygen Breathers.....it can mean a sailor fresh out of sub school or "A" school just reporting on board, VIP's, spooks for the spy missions, rotc and annapolis cadets, squadron pencil pushers......anyone not qualified submarines....whatever the service, it is always derogatory and generally true