Oscar Mike to the glossary. Copy that.
Wait, wrong list. But seriously, see 'ROE' above.
The alpha mast of a multi-masted sailing vessel; the tallest, most important pole that makes the ship actually sail instead of drift. It's basically the 'main character energy' of nautical architecture.
A tactical withdrawal from a position or conflict—sometimes strategic, sometimes panic-induced. In corporate culture, it's also that annual off-site where you pretend to bond with coworkers while listening to motivational speakers.
An even more minimalist cousin of the airfield—basically a runway and a prayer. One runway, zero-frills operations, and pilots who don't mind roughing it.
Military designation for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), formerly Greenwich Mean Time, allowing global forces to coordinate without time zone confusion. When it's 1400 Zulu, it's 1400 Zulu everywhere.
In military and security contexts, armed personnel or vehicles accompanying someone important to keep them safe from threats. In civilian use, it's expanded to mean any accompanying person or vehicle, though the internet has thoroughly corrupted the term. The protective detail that ensures VIPs arrive safely, whether they're diplomats, convoys, or high-value assets.
A remark that appears to be praise but contains an insult or criticism. The officer evaluation report specialty, where 'performs adequately' means 'please never promote this person.'
A training methodology progressing from basic skills to complex operations in stages. How the military teaches everything from marksmanship to not accidentally invading the wrong country.
Short for Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps, typically the senior enlisted advisor to a company commander. The person who actually runs things while officers figure out what they want.
Redistributing personnel, equipment, or supplies between units to ensure all elements meet operational requirements. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, but with more tactical justification.
A fancy military or legal term for stopping something before it reaches its destination, whether that's enemy supplies, contraband, or that shipment you really needed. It's the strategic act of interrupting, prohibiting, or destroying something in transit. The official word for 'we intercepted it' that makes blockades sound sophisticated.
Family members of a service member who died in military service, entitled to display a gold star and navigate a grief complicated by bureaucracy and ceremonial honors. The price no military paycheck can compensate.
Range safety command sequence preparing personnel to commence firing, ensuring everyone's pointed in approximately the same direction before lead starts flying. The polite precursor to controlled chaos.
Fancy word for 'all the stuff you need' or specialized equipment required for a particular activity or task. Military personnel love this word; civilians just call it 'gear' or 'junk.'
A covert location where operatives or fugitives establish a low-profile base of operations, complete with all the dramatic flair of a spy thriller but without the martinis. Think of it as a secret apartment that definitely isn't on any government records.
The military's formal term for when a service member ghosts their entire unit and decides civilian life is worth the court-martial. More serious than just going AWOL, desertion implies you're not planning to return, ever. It's the ultimate breach of military contract, often carrying penalties ranging from dishonorable discharge to actual prison time, depending on timing and circumstances.
A defensive position that can deliver fire in all directions, typically a fortified location with overlapping fields of fire. Named after the multi-barrel pistol, because sometimes you need to shoot everybody around you simultaneously.
Mission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support available, Time available, Civil considerations—the six factors commanders analyze during tactical planning. A mental checklist ensuring nothing critical gets forgotten.
Periodic Health Assessment—a mandatory annual health screening for service members. A bureaucratic checkbox that occasionally catches real medical issues but mostly confirms you're still breathing.
Pre-planned defensive fire designed to stop an enemy assault at the last possible moment, typically right at the defensive position's perimeter. The 'break glass in case of emergency' of fire plans.
The analytical process of assigning specific units to accomplish specific tasks within an operation. Matching capability to requirement, assuming you have enough of both.
Tactical Command Post—a mobile, austere forward headquarters focused on current operations rather than long-term planning. Command and control minus the PowerPoint presentations.
British military slang for reconnaissance, because apparently three syllables was just too exhausting for soldiers who spend their days carrying 80-pound packs. This abbreviated form lets you sound tactical while ordering someone to go check if the coast is clear. Pronounced 'rekky,' it's what special forces say instead of 'go look around and try not to get shot.'
Weapons fire along a flat or nearly flat trajectory where the shooter can see the target, as opposed to lobbing ordnance over hills like some medieval catapult operator. Point, shoot, hit—revolutionary.