Robert Kaplan - Imperial Grunts

ECE:equestrian-canine extravaganza (dog-and-pony show).

echo:communications.

18 Delta:U.S. Army Special Forces medic.

18 Zulu:U.S. Special Forces team sergeant responsible for his group. Has the rank of “master sergeant.”

EUCOM:European Command.

exfil:exfiltration.

firebase:a secured site that is usually remote and isolated.

FMFM 6-5:Fleet-Marine Force Manual 6-5. Concentrates on squad-level operations. Also called “Grunt’s Bible.”

FOB:forward operating or operations base. In Special Operations, a base established in a friendly territory to extend command and control of communications, or to provide support for training and tactical operations.

foxtrot:intelligence.

freek:(radio) frequency.

ger: a Mongolian circular domed felt tent. Also called a yurt.

ghat:a shrub cultivated in Africa and the Middle East for its buds and leaves, which are chewed as a stimulant. Also spelled khat.

GMV:ground mobility vehicle.

GPS:global positioning system. Navigational system that uses satellite signals to fix the location of a radio receiver.

GWOT:Global War on Terrorism.

hajis: military slang for Afghans and Iraqis that may be used as an endearment or a pejorative, depending on the context.

HALO:high altitude, low opening. Ability to jump from a high altitude and not open a parachute until reaching a low altitude.

HESCO baskets:large wire-mesh baskets that are filled with sandbags to create barriers.

HIG:Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin. Party of Islam faction led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Humvee:U.S. Army all-purpose four-wheel-drive vehicle.

HVT:high-valve target.

ICDC:Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

ICOM:integrated communications; intra-squad radio.

I MEF:First Marine Expeditionary Force.

indigs: indigenous troops in a given country.

intel:intelligence information.

IO:information operations. Includes dropping leaflets, making signs, broadcasting.

iron major:a major or other middle-level officer, often the workhorse of the U.S. military.

ISAF:International Security Assistance Force. NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, responsible for security in Kabul.

jambiya: double-edged, heavy ornamental dagger with a curved blade carried by Yemeni men on their belts.

jeepney:in the Philippines, a jeep converted into a bus.

jihad:Islamic holy war.

jingle truck:see Bedford “jingle” truck.

JMC:joint military command.

JSOTF:Joint Special Operations Task Force.

JSTAFF:Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

JTF:joint task force.

Kalashnikov:see AK-47.

Kevlar:strong lightweight fiber used for protective apparel, including helmets. It is flexible and comfortable.

K- loader:truck that carries cargo to and from the cargo ramp of a plane or dock.

LVT: low-value target.

MAGTF: Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Self-sufficient, it has ground combat, aviation, support, and command components.

Makarov pistol: 9mm service sidearm of the Soviet Union during the Cold War that is compact and easy to use and maintain.

MEB:Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

MEDCAP: medical civic action program. Free medical care for local people in the area where it is set up.

medivac: to transport the wounded or sick for medical care, usually by helicopter.

MEF: Marine Expeditionary Force.

MEU:Marine Expeditionary Unit.

M-4:light, compact 5.56mm assault rifle used by some U.S. Army and Special Operations units. It can be operated in close quarters.

M1A1 Abrams:the main U.S. Army battle tank. Provides mobile firepower for armored divisions. Also used by Marines.

MOPP:mission-oriented protective posture. Flexible protection system against nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination.

MOUT:military operations in urban terrain.

MRE:meal ready to eat.

M-3 medical kit:three-fold carry kit.

M-16:U.S. Army 5.56mm assault rifle, lightweight and easy to use.

M-203:40mm grenade launcher used with M-16 series rifle.

M-249:“Minimi” compact 5.56mm machine gun used by the U.S. Army and Marines that is light enough to be carried by one man and can fire for long periods.

MVT:middle-value target.

NAVISTAR:Navigation Starting Point. Massive U.S. military fuel and maintenance facility at the Iraq-Kuwait border.

NCO:noncommissioned officer.

NGO:nongovernmental organization.

NOD:night optical device.

NORTHCOM:Northern Command.

ODA:Operational Detachment Alpha. See A-team.

ODB:Operational Detachment Bravo. See B-team.

OIF-I:Operation Iraqi Freedom-I. U.S. military invasion of Iraq in spring 2003, characterized by the use of conventional military force.

op:military operation.

OSS:Office of Strategic Services. U.S. intelligence agency from 1942 to 1945, forerunner of the CIA.

PACOM:Pacific Command.

Pak:Pakistani.

pakol: round, flat lamb’s-wool cap worn by tribal men of the Hindu Kush and in the Afghan-Pakistani border region.

Peltor:earphone that filters out gun sounds but not voices on the firing range.

PKM:general-purpose Russian 7.62mm machine gun.

POG:person other than a grunt—that is, an officer type at the regimental, division, and expeditionary force level. Sometimes spelled “pogue.”

POS:temporary support position in a combat zone.

Predator:small, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft operated by remote control that can be in the air up to twenty-four hours. It has been armed with laser-guided anti-tank missiles to assassinate targeted individuals.

PRT:provincial reconstruction team. Made up of different military units and government departments, it is responsible for nation-building-type activities.

psy-ops:psychological operations.

PUC:person under control; detainee in the War on Terrorism.

rack:U.S. Navy term for bunk.

RCT:regimental combat team.

REMF:rear-echelon motherfucker. A World War II acronym.

ROE:rules of engagement.

RPG:rocket-propelled grenade.

SASO:Marine acronym for stability and security operations—“winning hearts and minds” and “nation-building.”

SEAL:commando team of the U.S. Navy. (“SEAL” is an acronym for “sea, air, land.”)

SecDef:secretary of defense.