G2 on G2

For the past few years I have heard the term "G2" thrown around when someone is talking about information. Like "Get some G2 on that company," or "Here is some G2 I found out about the new iPhone".

I always wondered where the phrase came from. I couldn't figure out two words with G in them that worked and I couldn't find anything on the internet. I figured it came out of some marketing book or consulting company and the phrase just got passed around.

It was in a WWII book I am reading that I found the answer:

G-1 is a U.S. Army staff designation. It signifies the staff officer responsible for operations at a divisional or corps headquarters. Likewise a G-2 was responsible for intelligence, a G-3 for supply.

So like ASAP and snafu, it's an army expression, in this case just shorthand for "intelligence".

The Same Thought - East and West?

Though in Kyoto, I long for Kyoto - Basho

The best things in life aren't quite true - Goethe