yardbird

A chicken.

A person who is imprisoned.

The working convict is a rare exception, sometimes envied because his time is occupied, sometimes derided for his deviance from the yardbird norm.

A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base.

As the Marines expanded to war strength, Lou Diamond was the ideal liaison between crusty old-timers and impressionable recruits. He taught quick action by threats of yardbird detail.