There are several military slang words and phrases, and you may have heard and wondered about the Bravo Zulu meaning.

Bravo Zulu goes way back to the 1940s, and it shows up in casual conversation, as a way to communicate between two ships, and even over the radio waves.

Simply put, Bravo Zulu means ‘Good Job” or “Well Done.”

The Coast Guard communicates with flags a lot of the time and over airwaves.

When using nautical flags on ships, two flags with different meanings are raised to indicate Bravo Zulu meaning. One flag indicates Bravo, while the other represents Zulu.

While initially meant to communicate with flags and over the radio between ships, the term Bravo Zulu has made its way into everyday vernacular.

The saying is often used in the written word, emails, and even verbally to compliment the performance of another.

While it is easy enough to just say ‘Well Done,” the Coast Guard is known to hold onto traditions, so the motivation to say Bravo Zulu instead is strong.

Bravo Zulu Meaning Origins

The origins of Bravo Zulu go back to the Allied Naval Signal Book, which was an international naval code that came into being after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) came together in 1949.

Prior to this Signal Book, every Navy had its own way to communicate, and we learned during World War II that allies had a hard time talking to one another when everyone used a different ‘language.’

Therefore, NATO worked with one another to come up with a system of communication to make life easier.