Respect the grunt and the work they do (2024)

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Dear Doc Jargon,
My dad keeps calling himself a grunt. I asked him why he would call himself that and he just told me not to worry because it’s a good thing.
I asked my teacher at school and she said she didn’t know why he would say that. Being a military kid is hard enough when other kids at school don’t understand what I’m talking about — but not understanding what my dad is talking about makes me feel like I’m still in elementary school instead of middle school.
So, why does he call himself a grunt and why is that good?
Signed,
Dis-grunt-led Daughter

Dear Dis-grunt-led,
For your Dad and others in his Army job, being a grunt is a good thing. It’s also a good thing for the Army. It refers to the infantry and the Soldiers who belong to it. Many think the term came from the sound made when an infantry Soldier first picks up his heavy pack. Others credit WWII for the origin of the term.
Back then, the infantry was experiencing high casualty rates and getting replacement Soldiers was important to refill the front-line ranks. A Soldier would be trained in the basics of being in the Army and sent out as a "General Replacement Unit, Not Trained," or GRUNT.
Today, Army infantry Soldiers are highly trained and the term has morphed to one of respect for the job they do, the pride they have in doing it and the service they render to the nation.
So, be proud of your grunt dad. Smile when you hear it because he’s doing a tough job and has learned some serious skills to be successful at his work.
Sincerely,
Doc Jargon

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