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MrPernickety Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

Meaning of "muster in/out"

Hi,

Do you really use "muster in/out" with reference to enlisting in/discharging from military service, especially in easy, laid-back conversation ? Or do you have other slang that more fits the bill ?

Are the following phrases up to standard ?

1. I was mustered in when I was all of 18 years of age.

2. I was mustered out as soon as I turned 20

Thanks !
  

Top answer

No, it is not a casual phrase. I doubt if many Americans other than military personnel use it. However, it is a quite normal phrase, specifically during wartime.

— Mister Micawber

  • No, it is not a casual phrase.
  • I doubt if many Americans other than military personnel use it.
  • However, it is a quite normal phrase, specifically during wartime.
  • No doubt there is contemporary military slang for it-- there always is-- but I am not familiar with it.
  • I know: He joined the army.
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3 Answers
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No, it is not a casual phrase. I doubt if many Americans other than military personnel use it. However, it is a quite normal phrase, specifically during wartime. No doubt there is contemporary military slang for it-- there always is-- but I am not familiar with it. I know:

He joined the army.
He was drafted.
He was discharged.
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Thank you, MM !

I had a gut feeling that "muster in/out" is not in common usage in the US.
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Speaking as a veteran of the US Armed Forces, I've never used "muster" in that way. I've used it to refer to the equivalent of taking attendance or where you meet for a project/outing/assignment.

I do not refer to mustering in or out of the service.

I was commissioned or he enlisted. I got out out or I left the service.
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