PUNCHING OUT: Ejecting from an aircraft.
PURPLE SHIRTS:
PXO: Prospective executive officer. The officer ordered into a command as the relief for the current XO. In most squadrons, the XO eventually “fleets up” to become the commanding officer of the squadron, an excellent system that maintains continuity within an operational command — and a system the surface Navy does not use.
RACK: A bed. A rack-monster is a sailor who sports pillow burns and spends entirely too much time asleep while his or her shipmates are working.
RED SHIRTS:
RHIP: Rank hath its privileges.
RIO: Radar intercept officer.
RTB: Return to base.
S-3: Command and control aircraft sold to the Navy as an anti-submarine aircraft. Good at that, too. Within the last several years, redesignated as “sea control” aircraft, with individual squadrons referred to as torpedo-bombers. Ah, the search for a mission goes on. But still a damned fine aircraft.
SAM: Surface-to-air missile, e.g., the standard missile fired by most cruisers. Also indicates a land-based site.
SAR: Sea-air rescue.
SCIF: Specially compartmented information. On board a carrier, used to designate the highly classified compartment immediately next to TFCC.
SEAWOLF: Newest version of Navy fast-attack submarine.
SERE: Survival, Evasion, Rescue, Escape; required school in pipeline for aviators.
SHIRTS: Color-coded Nomex pullovers used by flight deck and aviation personnel for rapid identification of a sailor’s job. Green: maintenance technicians. Brown: plane captains. White: safety and medical. Red: ordnance. Purple: Fuel. Yellow: flight deck supervisors and handlers.
SHOE: A black shoe, slang for a surface sailor or officer. In the modern era, hard to say since the day that brown shoes were authorized for wear by black shoes. No one knows why this happened. Wing envy is the best guess.
SIDEWINDER: Anti-air missile carried by U.S. fighters.
SIERRA: A subsurface contact.
SONOBUOYS: acoustic listening devices dropped in the water by ASW or USW aircraft.
SPARROW: Anti-air missile carried by U.S. fighters.
SPETZNAZ: The Russian version of SEALS, although the term encompasses a number of different specialties.
SPOOKS: Slang for intelligence officers and enlisted sailors working in highly classified areas.
SUBLANT: Administrative command of all Atlantic submarine forces. On the West Coast, SUBPAC.
SWEET: When used in reference to a sonobuoy, indicates that the buoy is functioning properly, although not necessarily holding any contacts.
TACCO: Tactical control officer: the NFO in an S-3.
TACTICAL CIRCUIT: A term used in these books that encompasses a wide range of actual circuits used on board a carrier. There are a variety of C&R circuits (coordination and reporting), and occasionally for simplicity sake and to avoid classified material, I just use the world tactical.
TANKED, TANKER: Navy aircraft have the ability to refuel from a tanker, either Air Force or Navy, while airborne. One of the most terrifying routine evolutions a pilot performs.
TFCC: Tactical flag command center. A compartment in flag spaces from which the CVBG admiral controls the battle. Located immediately forward of the carrier’s CDC.
TOMBSTONE: Nickname given to Vice Admiral Matthew Magruder.
TOP GUN: Advanced fighter training command.
UNDERSEA WARFARE COMMANDER: In a CVBG, normally the DESRON embarked on the carrier. Formerly called the ASW commander.
VDL: Video downlink. Transmission of targeting data from an aircraft to a submarine with OTH capabilities.
VF-95: Fighter squadron assigned to Airwing 14, normally embarked on USS
VICTOR: Aging Russian fast attack submarines, still a potent threat.
VS-29: S-3 squadron assigned to Airwing 14, embarked on USS
VX-1: Test pilot squadron that develops envelopes after Pax River evaluates aerodynamic characteristics of new aircraft.
WHITE SHIRT:
WILCO: Short for “will comply.” Used only by the aviator in command of the mission.
WINCHESTER: In aviation, it means out of weapons. A Winchester aircraft must normally RTB.
XO: Executive officer, the second in command.
YELLOW SHIRT:
