Looking for gouge? Ask your Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation here (Part 1)

[Son of a Grunt]

What do CAP, LSO, RAG, FAC, USS (as in a ship's name) mean?

 

[HeyJoe]

What do CAP, LSO, RAG, FAC, USS (as in a ship's name) mean?

CAP = Combat Air Patrol (a mission)
LSO = Landing Signal Officer (a job for an aviator and the person)
RAG = Old School Name for the Fleet Readiness Squadron (used to be Replacement Air Group...where you go to learn how to fly a particular type aircraft)
FAC = Forward Air Controller (a job for an aviator and the person)
USS = United States Ship (in UK, they use HMS for Her Majesty's Ship)

 

[MasterBates]

CAP= also can meanCivil Air Patrol
LSO =Landing Signal Officer (CV) or Landing Safety Officer (small deck)
RAG =Replacement Air Group (now called FRS, Fleet Replacement Squadron)
USS = United States Ship

 

[HokiePilot]

Civil Air Patrol...an Air Force "flying club", they actually do some useful things though
Landing Signal Officer...stands at the back of a carrier and helps pilots land
Replacement Air Group...where you learn to fly a fleet plane after flight school
Forward Air Controller...a pilot who hangs out with infantry and calls in air strikes
United States Ship

 

[FLYTPAY]

Circus pass.

 

[AllAmerican75]

CAP= also can meanCivil Air Patrol

Responsible for 85% of all inland SAR missions in CONUS. Also have a cadet program that is similar to a mixture of the USAF and the Boy Scouts. All in all, a good program.


<--- Proud former CAP cadet.

 

[schwarti]

USS = United States Ship (in UK, they use HMS for Her Majesty's Ship)

Related - would it be the USS SHIP or USS SHIP? I've heard the "the" is incorrect for British ships (since "the Her Majesty's Ship Victory" makes no sense), but I've heard both ways when applied to American ships.

 

[raptor10]

Putting "the" in front make grammatical sense.

These are the voyages of the Star Ship Enterprise...

 

[llnick2001]

I think someone posted a list of fitrep writing tips a while back that said not to use "the." I've heard it both ways, so I don't know for sure what's technically correct. My guess is no "the" since we personify our ships and you wouldn't say the Sally or Steve (though you should say "The Todd").

 

[AJB37]

(though you should say "The Todd").

 

[llnick2001]

Todd 5!

 

[Uncle Fester]

For Official Navy purposes, there's no definite article. So, "aboard USS BOAT (CVN X)" is correct. Also, no hyphen in the designation (CVN X, not CVN-X) is the current convention.

Grammatically, yeah, you're right, "the USS Boat" would be correct, but as they say: right way, wrong way, Navy way.

 

[A4sForever]

..... but as they say: right way, wrong way, Navy way.

... it doesn't matter WHAT you call 'em, as long as all your mates do it too and it's recognized throughout the Fleet .... especially when referring to a ship by her "nickname" .... as in:

THE O-BOAT

THE TICO

THE HAWK a.k.a. THE SHITTY KITTY

THE CORAL MARU

THE HANDJOB

etc., etc. ... and so it goes.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Slack Jack
Ike
Abe
Mobile Chernobyl
G-Dub (or GW)

 

[Nose]

I always like the "Blue Ghost" (Lex)

and Huck (Hancock)

and everyone's favorite:

The Bonny Dick