Australian troops have received specific orders to steer clear of Aussie slang while working with US Marines to avoid terms that might get lost in translation.
About 1,700 Marines have been deployed to Darwin, Australia; they first started arriving in April for training and exercises and are expected to grow to a force of 2,500 by the time their stay ends in October.
Fair dinkum?! Soldiers in Darwin have been BANNED from using Aussie slang around American troops amid concerns a miscommunication could have dire consequences on the battlefield. #9Today pic.twitter.com/4dBcPwNJS0
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 1, 2019
Despite the servicemen, part of the eighth iteration of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, basically speak the same language as their local counterparts, Australian troops have been told to avoid all slang around the American marines.
Australian Air Force Group Captain Stewart Dowrie, from Robertson Barracks, told the news site 10 Daily that they had more lost in translation moments than one could ever imagine.
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"The time to figure that out is not on the battlefield when the bullets are flying," he added.
Once you begin using colloquialisms, he said, you end up with total confusion all around and misunderstandings about whether something is going to happen.
When one is operating military equipment it’s imperative to keep all communication crystal clear.
