“The suck” is a popular Marine Corps term from the 1990s to describe military life. The term “embrace the suck” became popular in 2003, during the Iraq War.
 
“Fuck the suck” (FTS) is what someone says who has had enough of “the suck.” “Fuck the suck” has been cited in print since at least March 1996 and “FTS” since at least July 2002.
 
     
The Squadbay
USMC Terms
FTS—-fuck the suck,what Marines say when they are mad at the Corps.
   
Google Groups: alt.desert-storm
Looking for Marines serving during Desert Storm
Thomas F Sexton
3/11/96
On 6 Mar 1996, SOCO wrote:
(...)
> And I STILL say fuck the suck!
 
Google Groups: alt.magick
E. L. Hamm
7/11/96
(...)
>fuck the suck.
>that’s the marine corps motto.
 
And here I thought it was Semper Fi, and that “Unit, Corps, God, Country” thing…. huh. [Announcer’s Voice] Introducing “fuck the suck”!  The new and improved motto of the United States Marines!  Yeah, I’m SURE that would go over well… sheesh…
   
Leatherneck.com Marine Corps Forum
wrbones
07-06-02, 12:57 PM
What’d we say?
(...)
FTS—-**** the suck,what Marines say when they are mad at the Corps.
 
Google Books
Jarhead:
A Solder’s Story of Modern War
By Anthony Swofford
New York, NY: Scribner
2003
Pg. ?:
“I don’t want any more. Fuck the Suck.”
 
Google Books
Warlord:
No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
By Ilario Pantano
New York, NY: Threshold Editions
2006
Pg. 37:
Tommy cut “FTS” into his chest hair: “Fuck the Suck.” In the 1990s, we called the Marine Corps “the Suck” just as grunts in Vietnam had called it “the Crotch.”
 
Urban Dictionary
fuck the suck
What a Marine says when he is totally and wholly pissed the fuck off at the Marine Corps.
It is friggin hot, sand in my ass and treeless here. “Fuck the Suck” I am ready to go home to kick Jodi’s ass and get Suzi Q back.”
by Sigman July 09, 2006
   
Google Books
It Takes Guts to Be Me:
How an Ex-Marine Beat Bipolar Disorder
By Ken Jensen
ItTakesGutsToBeMe.com
2008
Pg. 23:
Iwakuni is where I officially entered the Fleet. I was officially in the Suck. This term was derived from “Fuck the Suck,” a colloquialism for being enlisted. Never knew where you might come across “FTS” written or scratched on a piece of equipment.
 
Leatherneck.com—Forum
Garyius
06-16-10, 08:08 PM
“Unsat”, Suck, and the Corps
There have been several threads here over the last months about being a real Marine, fake Marines….
 
Anyhow, I think the real test is our language. And it changes.
 
First few weeks of boot in 87, ‘unsat’ was something I wasn’t quite sure what they were saying…
 
‘You muther****ers are muther****ing unsat muthers unsat bullshet notgoing fly unsat…’
 
Then our generation used the ‘Suck’ to call the Corps. FTS. The Suck. Earlier Marines I drink with now that I am old call it the Crotch or the Green Weenie, but that is their time.
     
Izzame2
06-25-10, 07:08 AM
There’s some oldies but goodies in this thread.I was in in 77-81 and remember FTS, eat the apple but,“F” the Corps.
 
an exercise in illiteracy
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Fuck the Suck
Shrink for an hour psych for another. Great people… Fun laugh till I cough blood types that allow me my crazies and can translate the sarcasm into emotions. In other words… They get me… had me at hello… and well life is better for them. Learned a new saying from the colonel ,“Fuck the Suck Attitude.” He says it what i have… an ability to realize things are screwed nine ways from Sunday… accept it and well say fuck it lets see what type of demented , fun, and cherished memories we can make today.