AC-130J “Ghostrider” – Four propeller aircraft – gunship platform https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/467756/ac-130j-ghostrider
AC-130W “Stinger” – Four propeller aircraft – gunship platform https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104485/ac-130w-stinger-ii/
ACR – Armored Cavalry Regiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Armored_Cavalry_Regiment
ADA – Air Defense Artillery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Defense_Artillery_Branch
AGL – Above Ground Level
Alpha Team – An armed helicopter and infantry team for fast reaction
ANG – Air National Guard
Apache – AH-64 Attack Helicopter https://www.boeing.com/defense/ah-64-apache/
APC – Armored Personnel Carrier (M1126 Stryker) https://chroniclesofthecovenant.com/index.php/2022/04/28/m1126-icv-stryker/
Arty – artillery
BCT/ABCT – Brigade Combat Team/Armored Brigade Combat Team https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade_combat_team
BDA – Battle Damage Assessment
BDU – Battle Dress Uniform
Blackhawk – UH-60 multipurpose military helicopter https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/sikorsky-black-hawk-helicopter.html
BNSF – Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad
BOQ – Bachelor Officers Quarters
C-130 – Large military cargo/transport aircraft basis for the AC-130 gunships https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1555054/c-130-hercules/
C3 – Command, control, and communications
CAG – Commander, Air Group. Senior Officer of a Naval carrier air wing.
CAP – Combat Air Patrol
CAS – Close Air Support (‘Cassie’)
Chinook – H-47 Large heavy-lift twin-rotor helicopter https://www.boeing.com/defense/ch-47-chinook/
CIC – Combat Information Center
CO – Commanding Officer
COMSUBFLTLANT – Commander Submarine Fleet, Atlantic
COMSUBFLTPAC – Commander Submarine Fleet, Pacific
CONCAN – Continental Canada
CP/CN – Canadian Pacific/Canadian National Railroad
Crunchies – Infantry, a term used by armored units for how they sound when a tank rolls over them.
Dash A2 – shorthand for M1A2
Dash 16’s – F-16 Air Force tactical fighter https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon/
Dash 6 or -6 – Commander of Company (on the radio, referred to as ‘Actual’)
DIA – Defense Intelligence Agency
Didi mao – “we are outta here, like right NOW”
DSS – Diplomatic Security Service
DU – Depleted uranium
EC-130H “Compass Call” – Four propeller aircraft – electronics platform https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104550/ec-130h-compass-call/
Fobbit – A soldier stationed at a Forward Operating Base who avoids combat by remaining at the base.
FRT – Fast Response Team, an armored team
GMLRS – Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System – a module that fits on the M270 MLRS vehicle, and uses GPS for accuracy. https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/guided-multiple-launch-rocket-system-gmlrs-dpicmunitaryalternative-warhead/
HAZMAT – Hazardous Materials
HE – High explosive
HEAT – High explosive anti-tank (sometimes armor tearing) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-explosive_anti-tank
Hellfire – Air to Surface missile https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/hellfire-family-of-missiles/
Hummer/Humvee – HMMWV M10xx series, replaced the Jeep in active service https://www.army-technology.com/projects/hmmvv/#:~:text=debut%20in%201989.-,The%20high%2Dmobility%20multipurpose%20wheeled%20vehicle%20(HMMWV%20or%20Humvee),at%20its%20Mishawaka%20industrial%20plant.
Hull-down – Unit is below line-of-sight, usually hidden in a small valley or depression
IFV – Infantry Fighting Vehicle (M2/3 Bradley, called Brads) https://www.army-technology.com/projects/bradley-m2-m3/
JCS – Joint Chiefs of Staff (Pentagon Brass)
JLTV – Joint Light Tactical Vehicle https://oshkoshdefense.com/vehicles/light-tactical-vehicles/jltv/
JSOC – Joint Special Operations Command https://www.military.com/special-operations/jsoc-joint-special-operations.html
Kiowa – OH-58 Scout Helicopter https://www.military.com/equipment/oh-58d-kiowa-warrior
Kirk Chair – Center seat in the CIC
M1A2 – 2nd generation of the M1 Main Battle Tank https://www.military.com/equipment/m1a2-abrams-main-battle-tank
Ma Deuce – M2 heavy automatic machine gun, fires .50 caliber BMG rounds. Usually mounted on a tripod or on the back of a pickup truck called a “technical.” Also mounted on many infantry carrier vehicles, notable the Bradley, Stryker, and HUMVEE. The M1A2 sometimes has a co-axial version of the M2, which can be fired at crunchies instead of the main gun. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning
MBT – Main Battle Tank
MILDist – Military District
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket System https://www.army-technology.com/projects/mlrs/
MOA – Minutes of angle, a measurement of the tightness of a shot grouping
MOS – Military Occupational Specialty https://www.military.com/topics/military-occupational-specialty-mos
NavWeaps – Naval Weapons https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrma/installations/nws_yorktown.html
NBC – Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
NG – National Guard
Paladin – M109 self-propelled howitzer (155 mm main gun) https://www.military.com/equipment/m109-paladin
Patriot – Air and ballistic missile defense system, little brother to THAAD. https://www.army-technology.com/projects/patriot/
POL – Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricant
Pylon – pivot maneuver that is done by AC-130 aircraft. Plane circles and guns maintain a constant single target. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130#:~:text=The%20AC%2D130%20has%20an,in%20a%20conventional%20strafing%20attack.
Quad – Quadrant
RA – Regular Army
REFOR – Reinforcement
REFORUS – Reinforce the United States, wartime plan to reinforce the military inside the US borders in case of war and/or invasion by a foreign military force
Remf – A non-combatant soldier serving in a support or administrative role. Acronym for “Rear Echelon Mother F*cker.”
Road Equipment – Semi-trucks that are equipped to haul military armor and artillery
RO-RO – Roll-On Roll-Off ships that allow military equipment to easily roll onto and off the ship without the use of cranes
ROE – Rules of Engagement
RON – Squadron
RTB – Return to Base
SAC – Special Agent in Charge (usually FBI/ATF)
Sheepdog – guardian of a flock, someone who is responsible for the overall safety of civilians under military control
Shepherd – military controller of one or more sheepdogs. Usually ranked Lieutenant Colonel or higher
SHTF – Shit Hits the Fan
SIG-INT – Signals Intelligence, radio, satellite, and telephone intercepts
SMAW – Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (rocket launcher against ground targets) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_153_Shoulder-Launched_Multipurpose_Assault_Weapon
Squid – What members of other branches of the military call Navy sailors.
Stryker – M112x 8-wheel infantry carrier vehicle, nearly all-terrain. Holds 2 crew and 9 passengers. https://www.army-technology.com/projects/stryker-armoured-combat-vehicle/
SWAT – Special Weapons and Tactics
THAAD – Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach. Patriot’s big brother. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/thaad.html
THREATCON – Threat Condition also called FPCON, increased security levels based on cogent threats, ranging from Normal (no threat or general threats, but nothing specific) to Delta (localized on-going threats where an attack has already occurred).
TOE – Table of Organization and Equipment
TOW – Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided missile
UC – undercover
UCMJ – Uniform Code of Military Justice
Unass – General term, means ‘to unload personnel from transport vehicles’
UP – Union Pacific Railroad
USAF – United States Air Force
USNORTHCOM – US Northern Command, responsible for the national interests of the United States https://www.northcom.mil/About-USNORTHCOM/
VOTF – Violent Offender Task Force
Warthog/Wart – A-10 Attack Aircraft https://www.military.com/equipment/a-10-thunderbolt-ii
WSG – White Supremacist Group