I suspect most of my readers have no clue of the meaning of FIGMO. It's not a term I've used in a long long time. It's a military term for those about to be shipped off to their next assignment (you don't move without orders). Finally (or more commonly Fu-- it) I Got My Orders = FIGMO.
Over 30 years ago I wore this T-shirt proudly as I finally reached FIGMO status.
It was at Officer Training School at the end of a long summer of sweat and salutes.
When you went FIGMO the undergraduates would present you with a shirt that they made. The goal was to poke some fun at you.
The golden arches with cadet standing nearby depicts an OTS story of mine.
I marched more in those 3 months than ever in my life. We had very precise movements and wordings for the parade ground drills. Each of us would take command of the group (called a flight), march around and then transfer the command to the nextone
victim. As part of the transfer of command routine the words "will that be all" and a very precised practiced
reply would be exchanged. We were graded on the words, the commanding voice
we shouted, the way we looked when we said them, etc.
I marched more in those 3 months than ever in my life. We had very precise movements and wordings for the parade ground drills. Each of us would take command of the group (called a flight), march around and then transfer the command to the next
A few us were off on our first off-base weekend pass and we dropped into a Mickey D's. As I
finished my order the clerk asked "will that be all?"
Quickly without thinking words just rushed out of me. I shouted back "That will be all!"
The clerk jumped back. He looked scared. The other cadets with me doubled over in laughter. The most commanding voice I've ever and will ever use at McDonald's. Training does work.
Those shock absorbers where on there because I tended to bounce too much when I first started marching. Once the guy behind me complained that he was getting sea sick.
Here's another FIGMO picture I found on the internet:
credit Jackson Library, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
This trip down one of my memory lanes came about because I was reading Pearl's post about a witty thing said during a rain storm. Often it's so much funnier when you are there. That made me think of this story.
Well you just had to be there!
another circus
6 comments:
FIGMO. I learned something new today. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Laughter is a factor of 1/age. The bigger the age, the harder to laugh. It is always nice to go down memory lane.
Never heard this term but I like it. And I LOL'd at the McDonald's story. Would've liked to have heard that one in person!
Thanks all for checking out my FIGMO story. Ocean girl, I'm not so sure about your equation. When you get older you have even more memories to laugh about. One great thing about being old is the chance to act nutty. I'm not there yet but I'm starting to practice now.
It's nice to know this about you.
@unknown mami - now I'm wondering what part of "this" you mean. Thanks
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