In the U.S. Army procedures documented in the cited manuals, “ON THE WAY” is the firing person’s spoken call immediately before firing. In the Abrams manual, the person firing squeezes the trigger on the “Y” in “WAY.” It is a crew procedure—not just a dramatic line—and the manuals do not establish that every army uses the same phrase.
When do they say it?
The call comes at the point of firing, after the crew’s fire command. In an example sequence in FM 17-12-8, the commander says “FIRE,” the gunner says “ON THE WAY,” and the sequence later reaches “CEASE FIRE.” That places the phrase within a larger crew procedure rather than as narration added after the shot. See the manual’s example sequence.
The 2001 Abrams gunnery manual is especially precise about timing: “ON THE WAY” is the last verbal response announced by whoever is firing, who squeezes the trigger on the “Y” of “WAY.” U.S. Army, FM 3-20.12: M1/M1A1/M1A2 Abrams Tank Gunnery (1 October 2001).
Why is there sometimes a pause?
The 1957 U.S. Army tank-gunnery manual distinguishes training from combat. During training, it directs the gunner to pause about one second between saying “ON THE WAY” and firing. In combat, it says there should be no pause because rapid engagement of targets is vital. U.S. Army, FM 17-12: Tank Gunnery, paragraph 96 (May 1957).
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So the call marks the firing action for the crew, while its interval before the shot depends on the procedure described: a short pause in that manual’s training guidance, but no pause in its combat guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is “on the way” used by every tank crew?
The cited sources establish the wording in specific U.S. Army procedures: a 1957 tank-gunnery manual and a 2001 Abrams manual. They do not establish the phrase as universal across countries, vehicles, or current units. Nor do they document when the wording was first adopted or give a single historical explanation for why those words were chosen. It is safest to describe the phrase by its documented role and timing, rather than claim a particular origin or a universal meaning.
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