Government issue

This article is about the US army term "government issue". For the hardcore punk band, see Government Issue.

Government Issue, popularly abbreviated as G.I., is a terminology that can be traced to have originated in the US Military Lingo during the World War II. G.I. originally refers to the material supplies of the US Armed Forces like uniforms, guns, helmets, boots, packed ration meals, etc. Then, the G.I. term evolved from a mere verbal lingo to printed/etched labels of the US military supplies. Then afterwards, as the US soldiers wear the dog tags, the soldiers themselves were perceived as expendable Government Issues (GIs). After that, G.I. became a terminology refering to both the US military supplies and the soldiers of the United States in general.