troops

[Dave Wilton]

> In my long-ago Army service (1969-1971) the unit I was in
> used "troop" as a singular to mean one soldier.  Most
> often it was in the expression "a strack troop" meaning
> a soldier who was ready to pass inspection at any time.
> (I have yet to find out where "strack" came from).

"STRAC" is an old military acronym for "Skilled, Trained/Tough, Ready Around
the Clock."

It began life as an official acronym for "Strategic Army Corps/Command" in
the 1950s. This was an army unit that was to be quickly deployed to trouble
spots around the world. The term was later morphed in the above form as a
motto for this unit and later various other military units. STRAC (sometimes
"strack") passed into general Army use as an adjective meaning a soldier who
had it together. It was revived recently in official use as an acronum for
"Standards in Training Commission."