DC—direct current (electrical power with constant polarity)
DCA—defensive counterair
DEAD—destruction of enemy air defenses
dirtball—dirt road
doolie—first year cadet at the AF Academy
EABS—expeditionary air base squadron
ECM—electronic countermeasures
EFS—expeditionary fighter squadron
ELS—expeditionary logistic squadron
EO—electro-optical
EOG—expeditionary operations group
ESS—expeditionary support squadron
EUCOM—US European Command
EW—electronic warfare
FAC—forward air controller
fence—the demarcation line between friendly and enemy territory
FG—fighter group
FL—flight level; thousands of feet when using a standard altimeter setting of 29.92 (FL 300 is 30,000 MSL with 29.92 set)
FLEX—force level execution targeting cell (located within the CAOC)
FM—type of radio that uses frequency modulation; used by A-10 pilots primarily for interformation communication
FOV—field of view
fox mike—military phonetic alphabet expression for FM and commonly used to refer to the FM radio
frag—(1) the “fragmented order” which tasked unit aircraft, weapons, targets, and TOTs; (2) a lethal piece of warhead case that is explosively projected from the point of detonation to its impact point
FS—fighter squadron
FW—fighter wing
GAU-8—A-10’s internal 30 mm cannon (Avenger)
GPS—Global Positioning System
Guard—a common emergency frequency that all pilots monitor
hard deck—the lowest altitude for operations allowed by the ROE
hardball—paved road
HARM—high-speed antiradiation missile (AGM-88)
heads-down—when the pilot concentrates on things inside the aircraft or looking outside through the binoculars, and is unable to clear the airspace for threats or other aircraft
hitting the tanker—aircrew jargon for rejoining on, connecting to, and taking fuel from a tanker
Hog—one of several A-10 nicknames; also Warthog and Hawg
HUD—head-up-display
IADS—integrated air defense system
ICAOC—interim combined air operations center (ICAOC-5 was located at Vicenza, Italy, and often referred to as the CAOC)
ID—to identify
IFF—identification, friend or foe; a system that uses a transponder response to an interrogating radar that indicates the host aircraft to be a friend (if code is set correctly) or foe (if not set correctly)
IIR—imaging infrared
INS—inertial navigation system
IP—initial point
IR—infrared
ISOPREP—isolated personnel report, which documents unique information on an aircrew to allow for positive ID during a SAR
ISR—intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
JAOC—joint air operations center
JSTARS—joint surveillance, target attack radar system (E-8)
KEZ—Kosovo engagement zone, which included Kosovo and southeast Serbia
KLA—Kosovo Liberation Army (English) or Ushtria Clirimtare e Kosoves ([UCK] Albanian)
LANTRIN—low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night
LASTE—low altitude safety and target enhancement system used in the A-10
lead—the term for leader, as in two-ship flight lead
LGB—laser-guided bomb
LOC—lines of communication
MANPADS—man portable air defense systems, which include heat-seeking, shoulder-fired missiles
Maverick—AGM-65D is a large antiarmor imaginginfrared (IIR) guided missile with a 125 lb shaped charge warhead
MC—mission commander
MET—mission essential task list, which is a commander’s list of priority tasks, which help define their war-fighting requirements
MPC—mission planning cell
MR—mission ready, capable of flying assigned combat missions
MRE—meals ready to eat
MSL—altitude above mean sea level
MUP—Serb Interior Ministry police
NAEW—NATO airborne early warning aircraft, which used the call sign “Magic”
NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NBA—brevity term for the half of Kosovo east of 22 degrees east longitude
NCA—national command authorities, generally the president or secretary of defense
NFL—brevity term for the half of Kosovo west of 22 degrees east longitude
NM—nautical miles
NVG—night vision goggles
OAF—Operation Allied Force
OPCON—operational control
ORI—operational readiness inspection
OSC—on-scene commander for SAR operations outlaw brevity term for an aircraft that meets the enemy point of origin criteria
Pave Penny—a laser-spot recognition system that displays in the A-10 cockpit where a laser, from an external source, is designating
PERSCO—Personnel Accountability Team
pipper—center point of a gun/bomb sight
PLS—Personnel Locator System is the standard combat search-and-rescue system for the US military and NATO
POL—petroleum, oil, and lubricants
POW—prisoner of war
RAF—Royal Air Force
revets—brevity term for revetments
