TED74

Saying “shack” to mean “exactly” or “precisely” isn’t even intentionally slipping tactical comm into everyday conversation - it’s usually just habit from two or three decades of using “shack” to mean those very things...because that’s what the community (and everyone in it) did. And even after retirement, one’s closest friends retain the vernacular of a former career, so its use is naturally perpetuated (as is callsign use). It’s no different than saying “standby” to your wife on the phone, or “roger” to a golfing buddy establishing the bet for the round - it is habit. Who among us isn’t guilty of such gross negligence? As far as callsigns go, these guys and gals went by a particular name for decades and have often adopted it as their identity. Often times, even their closest friends could struggle to recall their actual name(s) or its proper pronunciation. I didn’t used to understand the angst against these two characteristics (use of military jargon and callsign use), but now I see it for what it often is - jealousy. And if it’s not that, it’s just one person trying to put another down to feel better about themself - psychology 101.