KGB: Russian organization of security, espionage, and intelligence left over from the old Soviet Union
KIA: Killed In Action
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid--or more politely, Keep It Simple, Sweetheart
LBE: Load-Bearing Equipment
Light Sticks: Flexible plastic tubes that illuminate
Limpet Mine: An explosive mine attached to the hulls of vessels
Locked Heels: When a serviceman is getting a severe vocal reprimand, it is said he is having his 'heels locked'--i. E., standing at attention while someone is bellowing in his face.
LSO: Landing Signal Officer
LSSC: Light SEAL Support Craft
LZ: Landing Zone
M-18 Claymore Mine: A mine fired electrically with a blasting cap
M-60 E3: A compact model of the M-60 machine gun
M-67: An antipersonnel grenade M-203: A single-shot 40-millimeter grenade launcher
MATC: A fast river support craft
MC: Medical Corps
MCPO: Master Chief Petty Officer
Medevac: Medical Evacuation
MI-5: United Kingdom Intelligence and Security Agency
Mk 138 Satchel Charge: Canvas container filled with explosive
MLR: Main line of Resistance
Mossad: Israeli Intelligence Agency (ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim--Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks)
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat
MSSC: Medium SEAL Support Craft
Murphy's Law: An assumption that if something can go wrong, it most certainly will
N2: Intelligence Staff
N3: Operations Staff
NAS: Naval Air Station
NAVSPECWAR: Naval Special Warfare
NCO: Noncommissioned Officers--i. E., corporals and sergeants
NCP: Navy College Program
NFL: National Football League
NROTC: Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
NVB: Night-Vision Binoculars
NVG: Night-Vision Goggles
NVS: Night-Vision Sight
OA: Operational Area
OCONUS: Outside the Continental United States
OCS: Officer Candidate School OER: Officer's Efficiency Report OP: Observation Post
OPLAN: Operations Plan; this is the preliminary form of an OPORD
OPORD: Operations Order; this is the directive derived from the OPLAN of how an operation is to be carried out; it's pretty much etched in stone
ORP: Objective Rally Point--a location chosen before or after reaching the objective; here a patrol can send out recon on the objective, make final preparations, reestablish the chain of command, and perform other activities necessary either before or right after action
PBL: Patrol Boat, Light
PC: Patrol Coastal vessel
PDQ: Pretty Damn Quick
PIA: Pakistan International Airlines
PLF: Parachute Landing Fall
PM: Preventive Maintenance
PMC: Private Military Company; these are businesses that supply bodyguards, security personnel, and mercenary civilian fighting men to persons or organizations wanting to hire them
PO: Petty Officer (e. G., PO1C is Petty Officer First Class)
POV: Privately Owned Vehicle
PPPP: Piss-Poor Prior Planning
PT: Physical Training
Puhtee: An Afghan rolled stocking cap that can be worn in many ways
RHIP: Rank Has Its Privileges
RIB: Rigid Inflatable Boat
RIO: Radar Intercept Officer
RON: Remain OverNight; generally refers to patrols
RPG: Rocket-Propelled Grenade RPM: Revolutions Per Minute R and R: Rest and Relaxation, Rest and
Recuperation, and a few other things used by the troops to describe short liberties or furloughs to kick back and enjoy themselves
RRP: Reentry Rally Point; a site outside the range of friendly lines, to pause and prepare for reentry
RTO: Radio Telephone Operator
Run-flat tires: Solid-rubber inserts that allow a vehicle to run even when its tires have been punctured
SAS: Special Air Services--an extremely deadly and super-efficient special operations unit of the British Army
SAW: Squad Automatic Weapon--M249 5.56-millimeter magazine-or clip-fed machine gun
SCPO: Senior Chief Petty Officer
SCUBA: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SDV: SEAL Delivery Vehicle
SERE: Survival, Escape, Resistance, and Evasion
SF: Special Forces
SFOB: Special Forces Operational Base
Shahid: Arabic word for martyr (plural is shahiden)
Shiites: A branch of Islam; in serious conflict with the Sunnis
SITREP: Situation Report
SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
Snap-to: The act of quickly and sharply assuming the position of attention with chin up, shoulders back, thumbs along the seams of the trousers, and heels locked, with toes at a forty-five-degree angle
SOCOM: Special Operations Command
SOF: Special Operations Force
SOI: Signal Operating Instructions
SOLS: Special Operations Liaison Staff
Somoni: Currency of Tajikistan: 2.79=$1.00
SOP: Standard Operating Procedures
SPA: Self-Propelled Artillery
Special Boat Squadrons: Units that participate in SEAL missions
SPECOPS: Special Operations
SPECWARCOM: Special Warfare Command
Stand-to: Being on watch or at a fighting position
Sunnis: A branch of Islam; in serious conflict with the Shiites
Superstructure: The part of a ship above the main deck
T-10 parachute: Basic static-line-activated personnel parachute of the U. S. Armed Forces; primarily designed for mass tactical parachute jumps
