Oscar Mike to the glossary. Copy that.
Operational Security — the art of not telling anyone anything about anything ever. The military invented information hoarding before tech companies made it cool with NDAs. If you're explaining OPSEC to someone, you might already be violating it.
NATO phonetic alphabet for 'O.M.,' meaning 'On the Move.' It is the tactical way of saying 'we're heading out' without sounding like you're leaving brunch. Makes every commute sound like a covert operation.
Decision-making cycle standing for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—the faster you complete this loop than your enemy, the more you win. Fighter pilot Colonel John Boyd's gift to military strategists who needed a fancy acronym to describe "think fast and do stuff."
The pace and intensity of military operations, often abbreviated as OPTEMPO. How fast you're burning through both resources and personnel's sanity.
Personnel or equipment permanently assigned to a military unit, as opposed to attached or supporting elements. Like the difference between your own kids and someone else's you're babysitting.
Shorthand for operations—whether military missions, business processes, or that person moderating your IRC channel. It's the ultimate multipurpose abbreviation beloved by everyone who wants to sound tactical while saving two syllables. From Navy SEALs planning black ops to DevOps engineers deploying code, everyone's running "ops" these days.
Military weapons, ammunition, and related equipment—basically anything designed to explode, propel, or otherwise ruin someone's day. Not to be confused with 'ordinance' (a local law), though both can blow up in your face if mishandled.
Operational tempo—the pace and intensity of military operations and activities. High op tempo means constant missions with little downtime, inevitably leading to exhausted personnel.
Opposing Force—the designated enemy in training exercises, or actual adversary forces in planning. The people whose job is to make your day difficult, whether for practice or real.
Protection from indirect fire, shrapnel, and aerial observation, typically achieved through reinforced roofing or natural terrain. Because sometimes the sky really is falling, and it's carrying ordnance.