Definition
The proportion of combat forces (teeth) to support personnel (tail) in a military organization. A measure of how many people with guns you have per person carrying clipboards and fixing trucks.
Example Usage
Our tooth-to-tail ratio is terrible—we have three support soldiers for every combat infantryman.
Origin
20th century military force structure analysis
Fun Fact
Modern militaries have increasingly large 'tails' due to technological complexity—WWII soldiers could fix their equipment with a wrench; today's require computer scientists and million-dollar parts.
Source: Military force structure and organizational analysis
Related Terms
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See “Tooth-to-Tail Ratio” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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