Pogue
Pogue is pejorative military slang for non-combat, staff, and other rear-echelon or support units. "Pogue" frequently includes those who don't have to undergo the stresses that the infantry does.
History and etymology
It supposedly has been used in the United States Navy and Marine Corps since before World War II, but did not enter Army terminology until some time after the Vietnam War.
Originally, the term was a sexual insult in early twentieth century gay culture, and "pogue" was slang for a young male would who submit to homosexual advances.
"Pogue" was never originally spelled "pog", nor is it an acronym. The spelling change from "pogue" to "POG" may be a confusion with the verb "póg", meaning "to kiss" in Irish Gaelic. The common Irish insult "póg mo thóin" literally means "kiss my ass." The Irish punk band "the Pogues" derived their name from that phrase. Coincidentally, the spelling itself is anglicized "pogue", since "pog" is pronounced like the word "rogue."
Due to having lost contact with its linguistic source, the modern military vernacular has turned "pogue" into a retronym/backronym (Personnel Other than Grunts).
