Gunner
From Free net encyclopedia
Gunner refers to anyone whose main job is to operate a gun.
- Hand rifles are generally not considered to be guns, and the appropriate term to describe one is rifleman (which is gender non-specific, -man is used for men and women alike.)
- Heavier rifles which are intended to be used against anything more than a single person can be freely called guns, and the operator can be called a gunner. This can include .50" or greater anti-material rifles; recoilless rifles; or some assault rifles.
- An air gunner operates any of a range of flexibly-mounted machine guns or cannons used in an aircraft.
- Machine guns are typically manned by machinegunners rather than gunners, or they are often referred to by their weapon, i.e. the first machinegunner in a section might be called #1LMG (Light Machine Gun,) the platoon machine gunner might be called 1GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun,) but these only apply when they are currently carrying the weapon. E.g., if a light machine gunner hands off his weapon to join a recce party, than the person who takes his weapon would then be called #LMG.
- Those who carry submachine guns or shotguns don't have a specific term to describe them, and are often referred to by their role (MOUT soldier or urban infantry,) or are simply called light infantry.
- Gunner (abbreviated Gnr) is a military rank in artillery regiments, equivalent to private or private first class in the U.S. forces. The rank equivalent to corporal is Bombardier.
- In the U.S. Marine Corps, the term gunner in informal speech) is used to refer to or address a warrant officer regardless of rank or technical speciality (though historically in charge of ordnance). It is usually considered inappropriate to use the term in formal situations, or where there is a lack of rapport or familiarity with those dealing with a warrant officer. (Not to be confused with the informal term Gunny, an abbreviation which only refers to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (Grade E-7, a Non-Commissioned Officer ranking immediately above a Staff Sergeant and below a First Sergeant or Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps; and has an Anglo-Indian homophone, from goney "coarse fabric," from Hindi goni, from Sanskrit goni "sack")
- see also gunner's daughter
The word has also several uses in non-military contexts.
- A gunner, especially in medical schools and law schools, is a person who is competitive, overly-ambitious and substantially exceeds minimum requirements. A gunner will compromise his or her peer relationships in order to obtain recognition and praise from his or her instructors and superiors.
- Gunner is also the name of a non-alcoholic cocktail enjoyed by British expats in Hong Kong and other parts of the Far East and India. It consists of equal parts ginger ale and ginger beer with a dash of Angostura bitters. It is famed for its refreshing qualities and is drunk in large quantities in the summer.
- The Gunners is a nickname for Arsenal FC, a London football team (which was originally founded by workers at the Woolwich Arsenal). It is also the nickname for the Edinburgh rugby team.
- Gunner can refer to an American football player who specializes in quickly running down the field to tackle a kick returner during kickoffs and punts.
- Gunner is also a class in some Final Fantasy games, such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance