2007-10-09 07:15:57 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
It stand for Government Issue because in WWII all equipment was issue by the US Government to our troops. This is how the term GI became part of our langauge.
2007-10-09 07:21:26 · answer #1 · answered by David_the_Great 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A G.I. Soldier is someone in the Army.
A G.I. Sailor is someone in the Navy.
A G.I. Airman is someone in the Air Force or the Army Air Corps in WWII.
A G.I. Marine is someone in the USMC.
As several mentioned, G.I. is Goverment Issued from the stamps on equipment. All four have that equipment with those stamps
2007-10-09 07:58:42 · answer #2 · answered by mnbvcxz52773 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
G.I. is usually taken to stand for Government Issue, but could aslo be from Galvanised Iron... the initals were on a lot of the kit that was sent over to the Uk and Europe in WWII and the label just stuck...so it's just an american soldier.
2007-10-09 07:21:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was in G.I. referred to someone who was hard core. A lifer, regular army all the way. If used by a draftee it was pejorative. If used by a volunteer is was usually a compliment.
2007-10-09 08:04:13 · answer #4 · answered by oldhippypaul 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It originally meant Galvanized Iron, But became known as Government Issue through a misinterpretation of the GI initials on equipment issued to soldiers in WW1.
2007-10-09 07:19:26 · answer #5 · answered by booman17 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
I have heard 2 versions.
!. General Issue
2 Named after General Ikes' troops. That is General Eisenhower. Funny how Eisenhower sounds like a German Name.
2007-10-10 10:29:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
GI or G.I. is a term describing a member of the US armed forces or an item of their equipment. It may be used as an adjective or as a noun. The term is often thought to be an initialism of "Government Issue" but the origin of the term is in fact galvanized iron after the letters "GI" that used to denote equipment such as metal trash cans made from it in U.S. Army inventories and supply records. [1][2] During World War I, US soldiers sardonically referred to incoming German artillery shells as "GI cans". During World War I it was somehow assumed that GI stood for Government Issue and the term was applied to all military equipment and the soldiers themselves (another incorrect interpretation is General Infantry[2]). The term reached even farther use as its usage spread with the American troops during World War II.
2007-10-09 07:19:27 · answer #7 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 6⤊ 2⤋
It refers to either General Issue or sometimes called Government Issue which simply means "standardized."
g-day!
2007-10-09 12:28:47 · answer #8 · answered by Kekionga 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
General Infantry - Army.
Factoid, G.I. Jane, the movie, was about a Navy seal - not a G.I. - ha ha!
2007-10-09 07:19:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
Government Issue. (GI)
2007-10-10 10:54:11 · answer #10 · answered by Liza 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋