List of United States Marine Corps Acronyms and Expressions - P

P

• padre – chaplain, usually Catholic, from the Spanish and Italian terms for "father".

• PALS – Pouch Attachment Ladder System, a webbing system used to attach combat accessories to MOLLE and ILBE equipment.

• Page 11 – NAVMC 118(11), a page of a Marine's Service Record Book or Officer Qualification Record where administrative remarks are made concerning a Marine's performance and conduct, and which may contain negative recommendations regarding promotion or re-enlistment; while not a punishment itself or inherently negative, it is part of a Marine's permanent service record and used as a basis for administrative decisions regarding a Marine's career; the term commonly refers to an entry itself made in this section.

• parade ground/field/deck – area set aside for the conduct of parades, drill, and ceremonies, often paved or well-maintained lawn. See also grinder.

• Paradise Island – Nickname for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

• passageway – corridor or hallway.

• passed over – having failed selection for the next higher rank (for SNCOs and officers).

• pay grade – DOD system of designating a U.S. serviceperson's pay (E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, and O-1 through O-10), not to be confused with rank (though the two usually correspond) or billet.

• PCP – Physical Conditioning Program, exercise regimen for Marines failing to meet the minimum physical requirements; also Physical Conditioning Platoon, for the unit where a physically unfit recruit is sent prior to recruit training, nicknamed Pork Chop Platoon.

• PCS – Permanent Change of Station, transfer to another post, station, base, or installation.

• PFC – Private First Class.

• PFT – Physical Fitness Test, a semiannual test measuring strength, agility, and endurance by scoring performance in pull-ups (flexed-arm hang for females), abdominal crunches, and a 3-mile run.

• phrog – nickname for CH-46 Sea Knight.

• phone watch – duty where a Marine is responsible for answering phones when others are busy or unavailable (such as lunch hours); also the person filling the duty.

• PI – Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island; formerly also Philippine Islands, a frequent port of call for Pacific Marines until 1992

• pickle suit – Service "A" uniform, from its all over green appearance.

• pinning or pinning on – promotion by pinning the new rank insignia onto the MCCUU collar; also a form of hazing by striking the pins into the wearer's chest.

• piss and punk/puke – solitary confinement on bread and water, which is only authorized aboard ship.

• piss cover or piss cutter – nickname for soft green garrison cap worn with the service uniform. See also fore-and-aft cap.

• pit – depressed area on a shooting range where the targets are located, shooters staff it by marking, raising, and lowering targets from behind a berm. See also butts and pulling butts / pits.

• pitting – incentive training for a large group of recruits, so named for the sandy pits set aside for such events. See also quarterdecking.

• pizza box – Marksman Weapons Qualification Badge, so named for its square shape.

• pizza stain – a nickname used by some marines during recruit training to refer to the National Defense Service Medal, so named for the red and yellow appearance, like the cheese and sauce of a pizza.

• platoon sergeant – SNCO executive to the platoon commander, usually the senior enlisted man.

• PMCM - Equipment such as aircraft that are partially mission capable due to maintenance that needs to be performed. Parts are available but not manpower.

• PMCS – Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services, regularly performed maintenance on equipment, as opposed to corrective maintenance.Also, partial mission capability of equipment such as aircraft due to parts shortage in the supply chain.

• PMO – Provost Marshal's Office, the military police force of a Marine installation.

• P.O.A – Position Of Attention .

• pogue or POG – Marine not of the combat arms (infantry, armor, and artillery), etymology is disputed: possibly "pogue" derived from the Tagalog word meaning "prostitute" or the Erse Gaelic word meaning "to kiss ", while "POG" could be from the acronym Persons Other than Grunt, but could be a backronym.

• poguey or pogey bait – Candy or sweets. See also geedunk.

• poguey or pogey rope – The French Fourragère authorized for wear by members of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.

• police – to pick up items (such as litter or expended ammunition casings), to return an area to a natural state, or to correct another Marine.

• poncho liner – insulating blanket used to warm the individual wearing a rain poncho, often used as a stand-alone blanket.

• pop smoke – to leave quickly or hastily; from the method of throwing a smoke grenade to mark a landing zone or conceal a retreat.

• port – naval term for "left"; opposite of starboard.

• portholes – military issue eyeglasses, or the wearer of glasses. See also BCGs & RPGs.

• pot shack – place where cooking utensils are washed.

• possible – slang term for the highest score possible in a marksmanship exercise as in "shooting a possible"; used on the rifle range during Recruit Training to denote the shooter possibly achieving a perfect score in a given round of firing.

• prick – slang for any equipment bearing the "PRC" JETDS designator, usually man-portable radios.

• property shed – place where organizational property is stored, often a warehouse.

• PT – Physical Training, physical exercise to build or maintain strength, agility, and flexibility.

• pucker factor – high level of anxiety experienced by those in tight situations, usually aircrew.

• pull butts / pits – to mark and score targets on a shooting range from behind a berm. See also butts & pits.

• PX – Post eXchange, a term borrowed from the Army; more properly the Marine Corps Exchange.