mud slogger

American military slang for an infantry soldier — a grunt who fights on the ground, often in difficult terrain, rain, mud, and miserable conditions. The term captures the unglamorous, physically punishing reality of infantry combat: not aviation or naval service, but the slog through mud, dust, jungle, or snow on foot. It was most commonly used during the World Wars and Korea but persists in veteran and military history vocabulary as a term of gruff respect for the foot soldier.