Jargon for each Carrier Flight ops seaman

AndreF · Sep 8, 2014

I know what the different colored shirts on a flight deck stand for.

I'm curious to know what their nicknames are.

I have so far

Grapes

Ordies

Yellow-Shirts

Hangar Rat

Deck Boss

Mini Deck Boss

Tower Flower

What about the guys in blue, white, brown, and green? Do they have nicknames?

BenPanced · Sep 8, 2014

Minimize jargon. Not everybody's going to know what you're talking about. Just write the book, already.

Cath · Sep 9, 2014

That's not your decision, Ben. What is wrong with an author wanting to know how those in the situation would refer to each other, then write as much or as little as they wish into the story?

Please focus on answering the question, not commenting on its validity.

mrsmig · Sep 9, 2014

My younger brother served on the USS Abraham Lincoln (in fact, was part of its commissioning crew) and was a Navy RIO for many years. I've emailed him to see if he can answer your questions.

ETA: So, I heard back from my brother. He says that the green, brown, blue and white-shirted personnel do not have any nicknames that he's aware of. They're just referred to as "_____-shirts."

noranne · Sep 9, 2014

Just a minor note, but the flight deck personnel are going to be airmen, not seamen. Until they reach E-4, and then they are petty officers.

MDSchafer · Sep 9, 2014

A couple of years ago PBS ran a docu-series called Carrier. It's available online.

http://video.pbs.org/program/carrier/

Jargon for each Carrier Flight ops seaman

AndreF

practical experience, FTW

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Cath

The mean one

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

noranne

the possibilities are endless

MDSchafer