What is a military foxhole?

foxhole in British English

(ˈfɒksˌhəʊl ) noun. military. a small pit dug during an action to provide individual shelter against hostile fire.

Why do they call it a foxhole?

The first recorded use was in a US army report from that year, describing German soldiers building "a hole in the ground sufficient to give shelter...to one or two soldiers." The Old English origin is fox-hol, "a fox's den."

What do Marines call a fox hole?

3. USMC: Fighting hole, Army: Fox hole. A fighting hole is an underground defensive structure used by a platoon sized element or greater to provide cover and concealment.

Why do soldiers dig foxholes?

Basically foxholes provide cover (protection) by putting the ground between the soldier and the shrapnel. Foxholes, as you probably already know, are holes dug in the ground about 4-5 feet deep, sometimes deeper, sometimes more shallow. Its main purpose is to protect soldiers from enemy fire from guns or artillery.

Why do Marines dig holes to sleep in?

This fighting hole or foxhole features several elements that help keep you dry, warm, and out of the wind. It also keeps you out of sight and protected from shrapnel and gunfire.

Foxholes (Military Tactic)

How long does it take a soldier to dig a foxhole?

They take much longer to dig compared to a hasty fighting position, but they offer far more protection. The standard foxhole takes between 1-3 hours to dig, but can be shorter if you have more than one person to assist you.

How deep is a military foxhole?

a. To explosively construct an individual dug-in position that would provide immediate protection to the individual soldier, and which could be improved with time to approach the dimensions of the field-manual foxhole. Initial desired hole dimensions were 4 ft** in surface diameter and 3.5-ft depth.

What is a grenade sump?

Grenade sump - this is a circular grenade sump large enough to accept the largest known grenade. It is dug under and at the lower part of the fire-step riser. Grenades thrown into the fighting hole are exploded in the sump. Fragmentation is restricted to the unoccupied end of the fighting hole.

What is a Ranger grave?

A shell scrape, also referred to as a "shallow grave" or "ranger grave", is a type of military earthwork both long and deep enough to lie flat in.

Do soldiers poop their pants?

Siddle wrote that in surveys of soldiers during World War II, “a quarter of combat veterans admitted that they urinated in their pants in combat, and a quarter admitted that they defecated in their pants in combat.”

How do you say OK in military terms?

1.) Roger That. “OK,” “Understood,” and “Yes, sir/ma'am” are all acceptable replacements for this military phrase. The general public will understand what you mean if you do slip up, but it is not a common saying among civilians.

What's a mike in military terms?

11 Bullet Catcher/Bang-Bang -- An Army infantryman. Recommended by user NGH144. 40 Mike-Mike -- An M203 grenade launcher, usually mounted under an M-16 or similar weapon. A. Air Picket -- Any airborne system tasked with detecting, reporting and tracking enemy aerial movements within a certain area of operation.

Who invented the fox hole?

One of the first newspaper articles about a foxhole radio ran in the New York Times April 29, 1944. That radio was built by Private Eldon Phelps of Enid, Oklahoma, who later claimed to have invented the design.

What is a fox hole guy?

noun. informal US Military. A person with whom one shares a foxhole; (in extended use) a close friend or ally.

Who do you want in your fox hole?

It comes down to one question - Who do you want in your foxhole? Who is there fighting beside you, day in and day out, side by side making the world a better place? Who is there beside you positively influencing the world for a better tomorrow?

What's a spider hole in Vietnam?

"Spider hole," the phrase used to describe Hussein's hiding place, is a term from the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong created networks of tunnels with well-camouflaged holes. When fighting began, they could pop out of these holes or disappear into them.

Why do Vietnam vets not talk about the war?

Civilians do not like to hear about killing, and combat soldiers do not want to talk about it. There is no euphemistic way to talk about killing, and there is no eloquent way to describe a violent death. So, in order to cope, soldiers have invented their own private language to talk about these subjects.

What are the soldiers most afraid of?

-Being coward is a soldier's greatest fear. -Anything that portrays a sense of giving up or embarrassment is a soldier's greatest fear.

Can you pull a grenade pin with your teeth?

Pulling the pin with your teeth.

Pulling the pin on a grenade is easy, but it's not that easy. If you plan to pull the pin with your teeth, set up a dental appointment because you're going to rip at least three pearly whites from your mouth. Just slow down and pull it with your hand, Rambo.

Can you hold a grenade forever?

As for the amount of time it is advised to cook a grenade before throwing it, every official source we consulted notes that 2 seconds is the absolute maximum amount of time a soldier is advised to hold onto a live grenade before throwing it, with emphasis on MAXIMUM.

Will a grenade explode if you hold it?

If the "Pull Ring" gets snagged on clothing as you remove the grenade, and if you don't hold onto the "Safety Lever," the fuse will be ignited and within a few seconds, the grenade will explode.

Do Marines dig foxholes?

Marines dig fighting holes during a combat readiness evaluation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Nov. 29, 2017. The Marines are assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.

What breed of dog does the US military use?

The military has kept mum on the breed of the dog, but the military usually has relied on Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds and Labradors in previous missions. The Belgian Malinois is a breed not as well known as the German Shepherd or the Labrador, but it is also trained to herd sheep.

How big is an army foxhole?

Dig a rectangular hole 6.5' by 3'.

The hole should be deep such that if you stand in the hole, the walls come up to your armpits.