James Rawles - Liberators

M1 Garand:The U.S. Army’s primary battle rifle of World War II and the Korean conflict. It is semiautomatic, chambered in .30-06, and uses a top-loading, eight-round en bloc clip that ejects after the last round is fired. This rifle is commonly called the Garand (after the surname of its inventor, John Garand). Not to be confused with the U.S. M1 Carbine, another semiauto of the same era, which shoots a far less powerful pistol-class cartridge.

M1A:The civilian (semiauto only) version of the U.S. Army M14 7.62mm NATO rifle.

M1911:The Model 1911 Colt semiauto pistol (and clones thereof), usually chambered in .45 ACP.

M2 Carbine:The selective-fire (fully automatic) version of the U.S. Army semiauto carbine issued during World War II and the Korean conflict.

M4:The U.S. Army–issue 5.56mm NATO selective-fire carbine. (A shorter version of the M16, with a 14.5-inch barrel and collapsing stock.) Earlier issue M16 carbine variants had designations such as XM177E2 and CAR-15. Civilian semiauto-only variants often have these same designations, or are called “M4geries.”

M4gery:A civilian semiauto-only version of an M4 Carbine, with a sixteen-inch barrel instead of a 14.5-inch barrel.

M9:The U.S. Army–issue version of the Beretta M92 semiauto 9mm pistol.

M14:The U.S. Army–issue 7.62mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. These rifles are still issued in small numbers, primarily to designated marksmen. The civilian semiauto-only equivalent of the M14 is called the M1A.

M16:The U.S. Army–issue 5.56mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. The current standard variant is the M16A2, which has improved sight and three-shot burst control. See also M4.

M60:The obsolete U.S. Army–issue 7.62mm NATO belt-fed light machine gun that utilized some design elements of the German MG-42.

M240:The U.S. military variant of the 7.62mm NATO FN-MAG light machine gun. See also FN-MAG.

M249:The U.S. military variant of the 5.56mm NATO FN Minimi light machine gun.

MAG: See FN-MAG.

MAG-58: See FN-MAG.

Maglite:A popular American brand of sturdy flashlights with a machined aluminum casing.

MAPEX:Map Exercise.

MC:Master of Ceremonies.

MCRU:Mobile Control and Reporting Unit.

MG3:A German belt-fed light machine gun, chambered in 7.62mm NATO.

MG4:A German belt-fed light machine gun, chambered in 5.56mm NATO.

MI:Military Intelligence. See also CI, HUMINT, and SIGINT.

Mini-14:A 5.56mm NATO semiauto carbine made by Ruger.

Minimi: See M249.

MOIS:Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Iranian spy agency. See also VEVAK.

MOLLE:Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.

Molotov cocktail:A hand-thrown firebomb made from a glass container filled with gasoline or thickened gasoline (napalm).

MOS:Military Occupational Specialty.

MP:Military Police.

MRAP:Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (vehicle).

MRE:Meal Ready to Eat. See also IMP and CR1M.

MRI:Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

MSS:Depending on context, Ministry of State Security or Modular Sleep System.

MTBE:Methyl tert-butyl ether. An oxygenating additive for gasoline.

MultiCam: See OCP.

MURS:Multi Use Radio Service. A VHF two-way radio service that does not require a license. See also FRS and GMRS.

MVPA:Military Vehicle Preservation Association.

MWR:Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.

NAB:Naval Amphibious Base.

Napalm:Thickened gasoline, used in some flame weapons.

NATO:North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

NBC:Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical.

NCO:Noncommissioned Officer.

NFA:The National Firearms Act of 1934. The law that first imposed a two-hundred-dollar transfer tax on machine guns, suppressors (commonly called silencers), and short-barreled rifles and shotguns.

NiCd:Nickel cadmium (rechargeable battery).

NiMH:Nickel Metal Hydride (rechargeable battery) improvement of NiCd.

NIMTC:Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center.

NIPRnet:Nonclassified Internet Protocol Router Network. This network replaced MILNET. It is now known as the Unclassified but Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network, but still commonly called “Nipper Net.”

NIST:National Institute of Standards and Technology.

NLR: Nous sommes la résistance . (Translated: “We are the resistance.”)

NOC:Nonofficial cover. (Clandestine agent.)

Nondiscussion Area:A clearly defined area within a SCIF where classified discussions are not authorized due to inadequate sound attenuation. See also Secure Working Area.

Norinco:The China North Industries Corporation. A weapons and military vehicle maker.

NRO:National Reconnaissance Office.

NSA:National Security Agency.

NSA-Net:The National Security Agency’s secure intranet. Commonly called “the high side.”

NSA-W:NSA Washington.

NSTS:National Secure Telephone System.

NSWC:Naval Special Warfare Center.

NWO:New World Order.

OB:Order of Battle.

OCONUS:Outside the Continental United States.

OCP:Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, commonly called by its civilian trade name, MultiCam.

One-Time Pad:A manual one-time cryptosystem produced in pad form.

OP:Observation Post. See also LP/OP.

Open Storage:The storage of SCI material within an accredited SCIF in any configuration other than within GSA-approved security containers. Open storage is approved while the facility is unoccupied by authorized personnel. See also Closed Storage.

OPORD:Operations Order.

OPSEC:Operational Security. The systematic and proven process by which potential adversaries can be denied information about capabilities and intentions by identifying, controlling, and protecting generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities. The process involves five steps: identification of critical information, analysis of threats, analysis of vulnerabilities, assessment of risks, and application of appropriate countermeasures.

OSINT:Open Source Intelligence. Gathering intelligence from public, unclassified sources, such as periodicals. OSINT sources are unclassified, but once analyzed, they become classified, usually at low level.

P90:A bullpup 5.7x28 caliber personal defense weapon, manufactured by FN.

PAL:Possession and Acquisition License. (For firearms, in Canada.)

Paracord:A contraction for Parachute cord.

PCS:Permanent Change of Station.

PDD:Presidential Decision Document.