camp follower
noun
plural camp followers
1
: a civilian who follows a military unit to attend or exploit military personnel
The first "armies"—actually collections of knights, armed peasants and camp followers—resembled outings more than columns on the march.—David Kahn
At first there was little fighting and much cavorting with camp followers resulting in an outbreak of syphilis in Naples that decimated the army …—Wayne Biddle
2
: someone who follows a well-known individual or group (such as a politician or sports team)
… the players have a certain contempt for the fans, abusing the camp followers, called "Baseball Annies," and refusing to sign autographs for the kids.—Robert Lipsyte
All during the campaign in the constituencies, I was struck by the kindness and decency of citizens who had every reason to be bored with politicians and their journalist camp followers.—Bernard Nossiter
3
: a disciple or follower who is not part of the main body of members or adherents
Each group will have … its camp followers trying to ingratiate themselves, its bored veterans who secretly dream of escape.—Ken Early
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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