numbers, so they are ubiquitous in much of Asia and the Third World. The best of the Kalashnikov variants are the Valmets, which were made in Finland, the Galils, which were made in Israel, and the R4s, which are made in South Africa.
AK-47: The early generation AK carbine with a milled receiver that shoots the intermediate 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. See also: AKM.
AK-74: The later generation AK carbine that shoots the 5.45 x 39mm cartridge.
AKM: “Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy,” the later generation 7.62 x 39 AK with a stamped receiver.
AM: Amplitude modulation.
AO: Area of operations.
AP: Armor-piercing.
APC: Armored personnel carrier.
AR: Automatic Rifle. This is the generic term for semiauto variants of the Armalite family of rifles designed by Eugene Stoner (AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, etc.).
AR-7: The .22 LR semiautomatic survival rifle designed by Eugene Stoner. It weighs just two pounds.
AR-10: The 7.62mm NATO predecessor of the M16 rifle, designed by Eugene Stoner. Early AR-10s (mainly Portuguese-, Sudanese-, and Cuban-contract, from the late 1950s and early 1960s) are not to be confused with the present-day semiauto-only AR-10 rifles that are more closely interchangeable with parts from the smaller caliber AR-15.
AR-15: The semiauto civilian variants of the U.S. Army M16 rifle.
ASAP: As soon as possible.
ATF: See BATFE.
AUG: See Steyr AUG.
AWOL: Absent without official leave.
B&E: Breaking and entering.
Ballistic wampum: Ammunition stored for barter purposes. (Term coined by Colonel Jeff Cooper.)
BATFE: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, a U.S. federal government taxing agency.
BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation.
BDU: Battle dress uniform. Also called “camouflage utilities” by the USMC. Most BDUs were made in the Woodland camouflage pattern.
Black rifle/black gun: Generic terms for a modern battle rifle—typically equipped with a black plastic stock and fore-end, giving these guns an “all black” appearance. Functionally, however, they are little different from earlier semiauto designs.
BLM: Bureau of Land Management, a U.S. federal government agency that administers public lands.
BLUF: Bottom line, up front.
BMG: Browning machinegun. Usually refers to .50 BMG, the U.S. military’s standard heavy machinegun cartridge since the early twentieth century. This cartridge is now often used for long-range precision countersniper rifles.
BNSF: Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad.
BOQ: Bachelor officers quarters.
BP: Blood pressure.
BTR-70: A Russian eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, designed in the 1960s.
BX: Base exchange.
C-4: Composition 4, a plastic explosive.
CAR-15: See M4.
CARC: Chemical agent resistant coating. The paint used on most U.S. military vehicles.
CAS: Close air support.
CAT: Combat application tourniquet.
CB: Citizens band radio. A VHF broadcasting band. There is no license required for operation in the United States. Some desirable CB transceivers are capable of SSB operation. Originally twenty- three channels, the citizens band was later expanded to forty channels during the golden age of CB in the 1970s.
CLP: Cleaner, lubricant, protectant. A mil-spec lubricant, sold under the trade name Break Free CLP.
CO: Commanding officer.
CO2: Carbon dioxide.
COD: Collect on delivery.
COMINT: Communications intelligence.
CONEX: Continental Express. The ubiquitous twenty-, thirty-, and forty-foot-long steel cargo containers used in multiple transportation modes.
CONUS: Continental United States.
COPS: Committee of Public Safety.
CP: Command post.
CPY: Ham radio shorthand for “Copy.”
CRKT: Columbia River Knife & Tool.
CU: Ham radio shorthand for “See you (later).”
CUCV: Commercial utility cargo vehicle. The 1980s-vintage U.S. Army versions of diesel Chevy Blazers and pickups, sold off as surplus in the early 2000s.
DE: Ham radio shorthand for “From.” This is used between call signs.
DF: Direction finding.
DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles.
DPM: Disruptive pattern material. A British military camouflage pattern, with colors similar to the U.S. Army’s defunct Woodland BDU pattern.
Drip or drip oil: The light oil or hydrocarbon liquids condensed in a natural gas piping system when the gas is cooled. Sometimes also called natural gasoline, condensation gasoline, or simply “drip.” A mixture of gasoline and drip oil can be burned in most gasoline engines without modification. Pure drip oil can be burned in some gasoline engines if the timing is retarded.
DRMO: Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office.
E&E: Escape and evasion.
ELINT: Electronic intelligence.
E-tool: Entrenching tool (a small military folding shovel).
F2: Force Two Associates.
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration.
FAL: See FN/FAL.
FAMAS:
FBO: Fixed base operator. Typically, a small private airport’s refueling facility.
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency, a U.S. federal government agency. The acronym is also jokingly defined as: “Foolishly Expecting Meaningful Aid.”
FFL: Federal firearms license.
FIST: Fire support team.
FLOPS: Flight operations.
