AWOL (Absent Without Leave): Refers to a military personnel who is absent from their duty without permission.
ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering): Tactical maneuvers performed by aircraft during aerial combat.
AO (Area of Operations): A geographical area where military forces conduct operations.
BDA (Battle Damage Assessment): The assessment of damage resulting from the application of military force.
Battalion: A large military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 800 soldiers, commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
Battleground: A general term for a geographic location where a battle is being fought or has been fought.
Battlefield Air Interdiction (BAI): Air missions aimed at destroying, neutralizing, or delaying enemy forces before they can engage friendly forces.
Battlefield Surveillance: The systematic observation of enemy forces and the terrain in a combat area to provide tactical intelligence.
Beach Landing: An amphibious operation where forces land on a beach to commence an attack or occupation.
Beachhead: A secure initial position that has been gained and can be used for further advancement.
Bivouac: A temporary camp without tents or cover, used especially by soldiers or mountaineers.
Black Ops (Black Operations): Secret or covert operations by a government or military organization.
Black Site: A location where an unacknowledged black project is conducted.
Blast Radius: The area affected by the explosion of a bomb or missile.
Blue Force: Friendly military forces in an operation, often identified on maps or displays with blue symbols.
Blue-on-Blue: A military term for an incident where friendly forces or allies engage each other mistakenly.
Broken Arrow: A code phrase indicating an accidental event involving nuclear weapons that does not pose a threat of war.
CQB (Close Quarters Battle): A type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range.
CAS (Close Air Support): Air action by fixed or rotary-wing aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces.
CASREP (Casualty Report): A report made to high-level commands to inform them of a major unit’s combat readiness.
COIN (Counter-Insurgency): Military or political action taken to defeat insurgency, typically involving a blend of military, economic, and political efforts.
Collateral Damage: Unintentional or incidental damage to people or property during a military operation.
Combat Load: The standard amount of ammunition and other supplies that a soldier carries into battle.
Combat Readiness: The state of being prepared and capable to engage in combat operations.
Counter-Battery Fire: Fire intended to destroy or neutralize enemy artillery.
Counter-Insurgency (COIN): Comprehensive civilian and military efforts to defeat and contain insurgency and address its root causes.
Counter-Intelligence Tactics: Techniques used to protect against espionage or other intelligence threats.
Countermeasure: An action or device designed to counteract or negate an enemy attack or surveillance.
Cyber Warfare: The use of digital attacks against an enemy’s information systems to disrupt their activities.
Debrief: The process of questioning to obtain intelligence or useful information after a mission or operation.
Decoy Flare: Flares used by aircraft to counter heat-seeking missiles or radar-guided munitions.
Defensive Counter-Air (DCA): Air missions conducted to detect, identify, intercept, and destroy enemy forces attempting to penetrate or attack through friendly airspace.
Defensive Perimeter: A security boundary established around an area or installation to protect against enemy incursions.
Defilade: A position that is protected from enemy fire by natural or artificial obstacles.
Deterrence: A strategy intended to discourage an adversary from taking an action not yet started by fear of the potential consequences.
Doctrine: Fundamental principles by which the military forces guide their actions in support of objectives.
Drone: An unmanned aircraft operated by remote control, used for reconnaissance or combat missions.
Echelon: A level of command, authority, or rank in a military organization.
EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal): The process of detecting, disarming, and disposing of explosive devices.
FUBAR (Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition/Repair): Slang for a situation that has gone terribly wrong, often used informally to describe a disorderly or chaotic situation.
Flanking Maneuver: A military tactic where forces attack the sides of an enemy formation.
Force Multiplier: A factor, such as technology or strategy, that dramatically increases (multiplies) the effectiveness of a military force.
Forward Air Controller (FAC): An individual who provides guidance and control for aircraft engaged in close air support.
Forward Operating Location (FOL): A strategic military position used for staging operations, support, and logistic activities in a specific region.
Guerilla Tactics: Unconventional warfare tactics used by small, mobile groups to combat a larger, less mobile traditional military force, often including ambushes, sabotage, and raids.
High-Altitude Aerial Reconnaissance: The use of aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles at high altitudes to gather intelligence or conduct surveillance over a wide area.
High-Altitude Low Opening (HALO): A parachute technique where the jump is made at a high altitude, and the parachute is opened at a low altitude.
High-Value Target (HVT): A person, installation, or equipment that, if destroyed or captured, will significantly affect the outcome of a military operation.
Hostile Environment: An area where military personnel are at risk due to enemy activity or adverse conditions.
Human Intelligence (HUMINT): Intelligence gathered from human sources, including espionage, interrogations, and interactions with local populations.
IED (Improvised Explosive Device): A homemade bomb constructed and deployed in unconventional ways, typically used in guerrilla warfare.
Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM): Systems used to protect aircraft from infrared-guided missiles by confusing or diverting the missiles’ tracking systems.
Interdiction Mission: A mission aimed at disrupting enemy supply lines, communications, or reinforcements.
Indirect Fire Weapon: A weapon that fires projectiles along a high-arcing path to hit targets not in a direct line of sight, such as mortars and artillery.
Joint Operations Planning: The collaborative process of planning military operations that involve multiple service branches to achieve a unified strategy.
Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS): An airborne battle management and command and control platform that tracks ground and air targets.
Kinetic Targeting: The use of direct physical force, such as conventional weapons, in military operations to neutralize a target.
Laser-Guided Bomb (LGB): A precision-guided munition that uses a laser to accurately strike a designated target with high accuracy.
Line of Contact: The line along which opposing forces are in direct contact with each other.
Low-Intensity Conflict (LIC): A conflict characterized by lower intensity and duration than conventional warfare, often involving irregular military forces.
Main Battle Tank (MBT): The primary armored fighting vehicle in modern armies, designed for front-line combat with strong firepower, mobility, and armor.
MIA (Missing In Action): Used to describe members of the armed forces who are missing during active military service and their whereabouts or condition is unknown.
Mobile Command Center (MCC): A vehicle or group of vehicles equipped to serve as a movable command post for military operations.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): A military alliance of European and North American countries established for mutual defense and security.
NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer): A military officer who has not earned a commission, such as a sergeant or corporal.
Night Operations: Military operations conducted under the cover of darkness, often requiring specialized night vision and navigation equipment.
Night Vision Device (NVD): An optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness.
OPSEC (Operational Security): The process of protecting little pieces of information that could be grouped together to give the bigger picture (intelligence) to an enemy.
Patriot Missile: A surface-to-air missile system used for defense against aircraft and ballistic missiles.
QRF (Quick Reaction Force): A military unit capable of rapid deployment in response to immediate threats.
Reconnaissance: Military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features.
SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land): Member of a highly trained and elite U.S. Navy special operations force.
Tactical: Relating to or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end.
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle): An aircraft piloted by remote control or onboard computers, commonly known as a drone.
VA (Veterans Affairs): A government-run military veteran benefit system.
Warhead: The explosive or toxic part of a missile, torpedo, or similar weapon.
XO (Executive Officer): The second-in-command in a military unit.
Yield (Nuclear Yield): The amount of energy released when a nuclear weapon is detonated, expressed in terms of the equivalent amount of TNT that would generate the same energy.
Zulu Time (Z Time): Military term for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time.
