Hooah
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Hooah (hü-ä or who-ah) is a U.S. Military slang term. It is used[1] by US Army soldiers, mainly those in the begining of the service, but begins to fade during middle years of service, then somehow magically returns toward the end of the career. Used basically by privates and 1SG's, and some commanders (be it CO, BN Commanders, or BDE Commanders). "Referring to or meaning anything and everything except no".[2] It can also be a type of battle cry. The word's etymology is unclear, but one possible origin is that it is based on the acronym HUA, meaning "heard, understood, acknowledged".[3] A joking etymology for this is also "Head Up Ass" so that Hua can have a double meaning, either a motivational one ("Hua, Sir, we'll take that hill") or else when told something that one couldn't possibly believe, they answer sarcastically with "Hua", knowing the other derivation.
Usage"Hooah" is ubiquitous in the life of a U.S. Military soldier. In informal situations, a soldier can reply with "hooah" in place of "Yes, (military rank)" such as "Yes, Sergeant." This can be useful when the rank of the superior officer is unknown, similar to using simply "Yes, Sir/Ma'am" without the honorific. "Hooah" can also be used as a question, usually as a tag question, as in "We're going to win this war, hooah?" The most appropriate response to the question, "Hooah?" is the exclamation, "Hooah!" Other services use other versions of the word such as, Marines use "OohRah" in the same way and the Air Force uses HUA and Hu-Ahh. Other popular usages of hooah include:[3]
The Origin of Hooah! I would like to share the origin of "Hooah" with my military friends. My Father served with the 82nd Airborne and the 101st during WWII--from Africa to the Battle of the Bulge and beyond. He was a 1st Sergeant with the 101st at the Bulge--One of the Battered Bastards of Bastogne. He also took part in three Search and Destroy missions behind enemy lines with a three man Allied Special Forces team. My father's badges, medals, and citations include being a "Master Paratrooper" with Gold Star and Two Bronze--seven combat jumps at night, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Valor Device, and Two Purple Hearts. I was born at Fort Bragg in 1950. I only tell you these things about my father because I am proud of his military service and to add credence to what I am about to tell you. My father was a part of the very first Airborne troops that trained for WWII with the 82nd Infantry Division at Camp Claiborne in Louisiana. His company became a part of one of the Parachute Field Artillery Battalions--I am sorry but I cannot remember if it was the 376th or the 456th. (On August 15, 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division became the 82nd Airborne Division.) According to my father it was at Camp Claiborne that Hooah was first used by anyone in the US Military. My father told me that one day when his Jumpmaster was telling him and his buddies to "Hook Up And Hold" in preparation for a jump that he suddenly started barking what sounded like Hooah "HUAH". It stuck right away and the rest is history as they say. Hooah and all of its derivatives came from an 82nd Airborne Jumpmaster. Hooah! This information is not meant to denigrate in any way the other US military units that went on to use Hooah or Oorah and so on. I just wanted to let the curious know where Hooah came from. Hooah! R.B. Leggett Jr. (Butch) In popular culture
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