What Does GI Stand For In The Military?

Every U.S. military branch has its sobriquets, including the Jarheads of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Air Force's plethora of nicknames for its military aircraft. Likewise, the Army has its G.I.s. 

Sometime in the early 1900s, items were stamped with "G.I.," including trash cans, cots, and just about anything else a soldier needs to survive in the field. Initially, the term was applied to anything made of galvanized iron; hence, "G.I." But the name changed over time. By World War II, it was common to refer to American soldiers as "G.I.," "Joe," or even "G.I. Joe." 

The origin of this usage dates back to 1941, when Dave Breger coined the term for his comic strip of the same name, published in the Army magazine Yank, and later in Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper. Breger coined it with the understanding that "G.I." referred to "government issue," which is how many people today identify the acronym, sometimes also stated as "general issue."

The term was codified into law when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act in June 1944. That act is known colloquially as the G.I. Bill of Rights, and it remains the name for the U.S. military's veteran assistance package to this day. Granted, it's now called the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, but the "G.I." remains.

After the term "G.I." or "G.I. Joe" entered popular culture in the early 1940s via Dave Breger's comic strip, it took some time before American kids were playing with G.I. Joe action figures. The popular Hasbro brand G.I.Joe launched in 1964, marketed as "America's Movable Fighting Man," and standing 12 inches high, though they were reduced to 3.75 inches in 1982. 

In '93, the animated series "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" hit the airwaves, with the character fighting a terrorist organization called Cobra — and popularizing the term "G.I." for a whole new generation of kids. But it didn't stop with the cartoons and action figures. Over the years, Hasbro has released all manner of vehicles, bases, enemies, weapons, and an unaffordable but ridiculously large and iconic G.I. Joe aircraft carrier.

There have also been several live-action "G.I. Joe" films as well as other movies centered around the term. "G.I. Jane" features Demi Moore as a prospective Navy SEAL going through training, and the title reflects her gender. Given the brand's popularity and the fact that soldiers have fully accepted the term as their own, it's unlikely "G.I." will fade from the zeitgeist anytime soon — or in other words, "Go, Joe!"