Citations: 2004 Steve Smith @ FOB Bernstein, Iraq ArmySteve (Nov. 12) “Fobbits and other Iraqi critters”: Those of us who conduct missions “outside the wire’ on a regular basis have come up with a variety of terms to refer to those who remain safe and comfortable on base. The most common one lately has been “Fobbit,” referring to those short, fat, hairy creatures that live in little holes and rarely venture out into the world (see Tolkien for more info). I’ve also seen some units refer to them as FOB Dwellers, with one platoon of Bradleys stenciling the letters FUFD on their back hatches (FU FOB Dweller). Prior to deploying, non-combat troops were usually referred to as REMFs, where RE stood for Rear Echelon (and MF you can guess), but that term seems to have been replaced by Fobbit here. 2005 David Zucchino Los Angeles Times (Mar. 27) “Comforts Of Home Amid Perils Of Iraq” p. A1: Administrative specialists who never leave the fob are known, with some condescension, as fobbits. Like every soldier here, a fobbit could be killed at any time by a random rocket or mortar round. But on most days the greatest danger to a fobbit’s health are the three heaping, deep-fried daily portions of mess hall food. 2005 Anna Badkhen San Francisco Chronicle (June 6) “Appointment in Samarra”: According to soldiers at Patrol Base Uvanni in central Samarra…everyone at Brassfield-Mora, or any other FOB, is a Fobbit. But…1st Lt. Jason Scott…narrows down the definition: a Fobbit is someone who never goes out of a FOB except to go to another FOB. Sgt. Christopher Caulk, 37, from Hawaii, a medic at Brassfield-Mora, is more specific.…"If a mortar round hits your FOB and you can’t hear it because your FOB is so big, you’re a Fobbit. If you have more knives than you have hands and you act like John Wayne, you’re a Fobbit.…If you’re out in a Bradley (fighting vehicle) and you close the hatch when you receive small-arms fire, while the gunner at the Humvee is fighting back with his 50-cal (machine gun), you’re a Displaced Fobbit you’re out on the front line but you belong on a FOB.” 2005 Edward Lee Pitts (AP) (July 9) “Stories from embedded journalists with U.S. units in Iraq”: If you think leaving “the wire” might be a fun adventure, you might be a fobbit, and if the second time you’ll be off the FOB is on leave, you might be a fobbit. 2005 Sri Lausier @ Camp Liberty, Iraq MaineToday.com (July 18) “Living in Iraq”: I am a sentry in our FOB (forward operating base). I am what people call a Fobbit, because I never leave the “wire.”
Posted 13 Dec 05 Permalink Tell a Friend
http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/fobbit/
http://www.timesfreepress.com/iwwl/pitts061805.html
Fobbit article from pitts
A TOCroach would be a fobbit working in a tactical operations center
No Revisionist History Here.
