It's true that some things in the military never change. Case in point, the age-old rivalry between the service branches. The Marine Corps pokes fun at the Air Force, the Air Force jeers at the Army, the Army mock the Navy, the Navy ridicules the Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard takes potshots at the SEALS (later realizing their mistake and deciding a better target would be those pesky E-2C Hawkeye pilots who keep trying to infiltrate . . . )

Life in the military is demanding, stressful, and, at times, dangerous, both for those who serve and for their families. As with any hardship, people use humor to cope, so it’s not surprising that much military humor comes straight from the battlefield. A classic example of this gallows humor is: “Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo and not want to waste a bullet on you.”

While this joke almost certainly originated in the Second World War (if not earlier), the sentiment holds true today. Any G.I. in modern combat can identify with this joke, and realize there’s a seed of truth in it. They are still being shot at, officers are still a prime target, and there is an element of chance in your survival. In fact, other than changes in lingo and degree of sophistication (when was the last time Private SNAFU got used for booby trap instruction?), military humor doesn’t change much over time. Jokes have always come from the ranks and made their way up. And there have always been two versions of the same joke: the version you tell your buddies and the version you tell your mom.