General
bolo
What does bolo mean?
To fail to qualify, especially on a marksmanship or skills test; also 'be on the lookout' as an unrelated acronym.
"He boloed the rifle range and had to re-fire."
Origin
U.S. military training slang.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'bolo' mean in the military?
As a verb, to bolo means to fail to qualify on a test — most often a marksmanship or skills event — and have to redo it.
Does BOLO mean 'be on the lookout' too?
Yes, but that is a separate, unrelated acronym. The training-failure sense (to bolo something) is the meaning in this entry's first definition.
How is the verb used?
Usually in the past tense: 'he boloed the rifle range,' meaning he failed to qualify and had to re-fire.
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