"All right Ladies. . ."

It certainly happened in Basic Training in the 80s. However, the basic training units were segregated by sex, so certain terms and "unusual Jody cadences" were common then. Now days, that would get the Drills busted on EO complaints in a heartbeat. (A kinder, gentler Army, doncha know.)

The purpose? To try and sting the young recruits manhood so they'd try a little bit harder rather than embarrassing themselves in front of their platoon/company. It was much more effective with the 17-21 year olds in the unit than it was on the older recruits. Most of us knew it was all a game and the object was "do what you're told, when you're told and as quickly as you can. Let the young bucks draw the Drills attention."

There was very little that "got to me" during basic but as I said, I was 25 when I joined up, but I saw the Drills reduce some of the hard heads to tears after a good dressing down.

In basic training, officers usually only addressed us in formations.

However, many non-com cadre (corporals and sergeants who were drill instructors) often insulted trainees using lots of names, including ladies, grannies, sisters, laddies, lassies, children, boys and girls, kiddies, toddlers, infants. Animals and vermin were popular, too: apes, monkeys, worms, grubs, piglets, rats, bats, suckers, pigeons, cockroaches, leeches, fleas.

One particular sergeant called us "gentlemen" with such dripping sarcasm that I still give a chuckle when referred to as one.

Perhaps only limited to my own experience, after basic and advanced training, derogatory name-calling decreased sharply and was more reserved for screw-ups.

Long long ago, in a boot camp far far away, our drill instructor called the recruits names like pukes, punks, faggots, and a few I've thankfully forgotten. The only time we saw an officer was at graduation.

RJK said:

Long long ago, in a boot camp far far away, our drill instructor called the recruits names like pukes, punks, faggots, and a few I've thankfully forgotten.

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Did that actually serve a purpose, or was the instructor just still mad at his parents for never hugging him?

It's a game to try and get a rise out of the recruit. Try to find just how far you can push someone before they break. It helps the recruit learn how to control themselves, which theoretically helps them when they get into the stress of battle.

Basic Training seems like it's pretty petty and brutal at times to an observer, but there's a lot of thought that goes into it. They have eight weeks to take people from civilian to soldier and try to teach them enough to stay alive and to pay attention to detail and understand there are consequences for screwing up.

I was in the military for 15 years and you couldn't pay me enough to be a Drill Sergeant.

Calliopenjo said:

Hi there,

This is for any male who has ever been in the military. Is it common practice for an officer in charge of his troop to call the troop ladies? What would be the purpose? Doesn't it get old after a while and lose it's sting?

Calliopenjo

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"Ladies" was considered nice talk when you were going for Aviation and the DIs were hardcore 11 Bravos.

I'm not a guy but was in the 'Corps and I wish they'd called us "ladies" instead of the other colorful terms they came up with...