The REAL Meaning of Military Acronyms

The Colorado Springs Gazette recently got taken by a USAFA euphemism.  In an article about the new Air Force Academy program that helps cadets learn about UAVs, the paper said

The F-35 fighter now in production may be the last fighter the Air Force buys that carries a pilot.  That doesn’t mean the remote planes are super stars at the Air Force Academy, where the cadet wing’s favorite acronym is IHTFP for “I’m here to fly planes.”

The cadet wing’s favorite acronym may be IHTFP (though it would be in close running with BOHICA), but that’s not what it stands for.  A quick web search will tell you that, as well as the ongoing controversy about where it originated (apparently MIT claims credit).

It’s not for polite company, so if you’re a reporter for the Gazette, yes, cadets will probably tell you it means flying planes.  If you’re lucky, they’ll tell you off the record what it really means.

That’ll keep you from looking naive when you put it in print.

On a related topic, this site has a resource for understanding a variety of fighter pilot terms.