Hooah /ˈhuːɑː/ is a battle cry used by members of the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force.[1] Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, after Seminole chief Coacoochee toasted officers of the regiment with a loud "Hough!", apparently a corruption of "How d'ye do!"[2] Since WWII, the word has been widely used throughout the U.S. Army and gained a more general meaning of "anything and everything except 'no'".[3][4]
It is comparable to Oorah which the United States Marine Corps uses. The United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard use hooyah.[citation needed]
Some popular usages of hooah include:[5]