James Rawles - Expatriates

IBA: Interceptor Body Armor.

ID: Identification.

IED: Improvised Explosive Device.

IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

ILF: Islamic Liberation Front. One of several militant Islamist separatist groups in the Philippines. Also known as the MILF, or Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In Arabic, Jabhat Tahrir Mooroo al-Islamiyyah. See also ASG.

Indo: Slang for Indonesian.

ISAFP: Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Ithaca: Ithaca Gun Company. An American gun maker, best known for its shotguns.

JI: Jamaah Islamiyah (Islamic Congegration), Southeast Asian Islamic terrorist group.

Kapten : Indonesian for Captain.

KD: Kapal Diraja (Ship of His Highness, Royal Malaysian Navy).

Kel-Tec: Kel-Tec CNC, Inc. A firearms maker headquartered in Cocoa, Florida, that specializes in making polymer frame firearms.

Kevlar: The material used in most body armor and ballistic helmets. Kevlar is also the nickname for the standard U.S. Army helmet.

KIA: Killed in Action.

KJV: King James Version of the Bible.

Klick: Slang for kilometer.

Kopassus: Special Forces Command in Indonesian Army.

Korps Marinir: Indonesian Marine Corps.

KRI: Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia (Navy Vessel of the Republic of Indonesia).

L1A1: The British Army version of the FN FAL, made to inch measurements. See also SLR.

LAPAN: Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (Indonesia’s National Institute of Aeronautics and Space).

LAR-8: A variant of the AR-10, made by Rock River Arms (RRA), that accepts FN FAL or L1A1 magazines.

LAW: Light Anti-Tank Weapon.

LC-1: Load Carrying, Type 1. U.S. Army Load Bearing Equipment, circa 1970s to 1990s.

LCAC: Landing Craft Air Cushion.

LCH: Landing Craft, Heavy.

LCM: Landing Craft, Mechanized.

LCVP: Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel.

LCU: Landing Craft Utility.

LDS: The Latter-Day Saints, commonly called the Mormons. (Flawed doctrine, but great preparedness.)

LED: Light Emitting Diode.

Lee-Enfield: See SMLE.

Lenten Sate : Indonesian for first lieutenant.

LOB: Line of Bearing.

Loggy: Slang for logistician or the logistics role in military planning.

LP: Liquid Propane.

LP/OP: Listening Post/Observation Post.

LRRP: Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol.

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

M1 carbine: The U.S. Army semiauto carbine issued during WWII. Mainly issued to officers and second-echelon troops such as artillerymen, for self-defense. Uses . 30 U.S carbine, an intermediate (pistol class) .30-caliber cartridge. More than six million were manufactured. See also M2 carbine.

M1 Garand: The U.S. Army’s primary battle rifle of WWII and the Korean conflict. It is semiautomatic, chambered in .30-06, and uses a top-loading, 8-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). 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.

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

M2 Browning: The .50 Browning belt-fed heavy machine gun, in service with ninety-five nations.

M2 carbine: The selective fire (fully automatic) version of the U.S. Army semiauto carbine issued during WWII and the Korean conflict.

M4 carbine: The U.S. Army-issue 5.56 mm 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 16-inch barrel instead of a 14.5-inch barrel.

M9: The U.S. Army issue version of the Beretta 92 semiauto 9 mm pistol.

M14: The U.S. Army issue 7.62 mm 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 5.56 mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. The current standard variant is the M16A2 that has improved sight and three-shot burst control. See also M4.

M18A1: See Claymore mine.

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

M113: A tracked armored personnel carrier made by FMC Corporation, in the United States.

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

MANPADS: Man-Portable Air Defense Systems.

MARPAT: Marine Pattern. A highly effective digital camouflage pattern adopted by the United States Marine Corps that is predominantly green and brown.

MCRP: Marine Corps Reference Publication.

MCRU: Mobile Control and Reporting Unit.

MCWP: Marine Corps Warfighting Publication.

MD: Medical Doctor.

MHz: Megahertz.

MILF: See ILF.

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

MOLLE: Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.

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

MRAP: Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.

MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat. See also CR1M.

MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet.

MSS: Modular Sleep System.

MTU: Motoren- und Turbinen-Union , a German conglomerate.

MultiCam: See OCP.

MVR: Motor Vehicle Registry (Australia).

Nakas: Australian slang for testicles.

Napalm: Thickened gasoline, used in some flame weapons.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

NAVFORCEN: Naval Forces Central of the Philippine Navy.

NBC: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical weapons.

NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer.

NEPM: National Environment Protection Measure. See also EPA.

NiCd: Nickel Cadmium (rechargeable battery).

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

NRETAS: Australia’s Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts, and Sport.

NRO: National Reconnaissance Office (U.S.).