How did the military ended up calling the bathroom a 'HEAD'?

Question

Having a few beers with some friends, X military person said he was going to the 'head'. Non military said 'what and why??????'
I know I am going to get some really bad comments, but maybe some one or two have a good explaination........thanks

Answer 1

Navy, Marines and Coasties refer to it as the head. Soldiers and Airmen call it the latrine.

It's an old naval term from when the toilet facilities were under the bow-sprit of the ship. It was located there for odor control and also as it was continuously splashed with water thereby keeping it relatively clean.

Answer 2

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Im a guy, but I ran an Integrated Army Basic Training Company for two years. For the Army, if there is a problem where things happen more then normal, then the trainee will be sent to sick call. I had females go to sick call having a heavier then normal flow, or skipped a period. I only had one that turned out to be pregnant, but it was week in 1 from her husband before she shipped. I had one female that was hospitalized over it as they evaluated other problems because things were too different and they found a hormone imbalance. Other then that, the drill sergeants or TIs will let you take care of things as long as it doesn't interfere with things. For example, if something happened on a rifle range, they wont shut the range down for you to go to the bathroom, you would have to wait for the all clear for safety reasons. It got interesting in the female living areas, especially since the females cycles would shift towards each other so towards the end of the training, a lot of the females would have their cycle at near the same time. I had more fights in the female barracks then I did in the male barracks. In general, if something unusual happens, tell the TI and they will send you to sick call if needed or the latrine. Again, I was on the Army side with Basic Training, but I am sure the AF is the same in respects to that. +++++++++++++++ A couple more points. The female Drill Sergeants in my company gave a female hygene class that explained the specifics. If someone did have a problem, one female Drill Sergeant was at training no matter what. They were there specifically for female issues, not just for hygene, but for personal issues too for lack of a better term.

Answer 3

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RE:
How did the military ended up calling the bathroom a 'HEAD'?
Having a few beers with some friends, X military person said he was going to the 'head'. Non military said 'what and why??????'
I know I am going to get some really bad comments, but maybe some one or two have a good explaination........thanks

Answer 4

Ok,there are different branches of the armed forces.In the navy
on ships its called a head .In the army its called a latrine.

Answer 5

In the US Navy the toilets are called Heads.
The best way to find out withoout any trouble is to Yahoo Search or Google.

Answer 6

I have no idea, but I do remember my husband told me when he first joined, him and a few other had to scrub the bathroom floor and they were all in there laughing & jokin when in come's his SSGT and screams "WHY DO I HEAR VOICES IN MY HEAD!!!!!!!" EVRYONE busted out laughing and even his ssgt said, ok ok I'll let that one go.

Answer 7

That's NAVY speak.

In basic we called it the Latrine (USAF)

Answer 8

It come from shipboard sailors and Marines. On ship a kitchen is a galley, wall a bulkhead even a shirt is a blouse

Answer 9

it coems from the navy, its called a head because the place where you took a crap on an old wooden ship of say the revoltionary war period was it the very front or "head" of the ship

Answer 10

Hmmm.... reading some of the answers... so that's why they call it the poop deck?