Definition

A person injured or killed by accident or violence—the human cost of disaster. In military terminology, it's the grim accounting of who didn't make it home.

Example Usage

The hospital's emergency room prepared for incoming casualties from the multi-vehicle accident.

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Related Terms

Beginner

grid square

A designated area on a military map defined by coordinate lines, typically 1,000 meters by 1,000 meters. Also a legendary fictitious item that new soldiers are sent to retrieve, alongside chem-light batteries and keys to the drop zone.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

Tactical

Relating to actions carefully planned to gain a specific military advantage. In military use, it means precise and strategic. In civilian use, it means someone put MOLLE webbing on a perfectly normal object and tripled the price. Tactical flashlight, tactical pen, tactical yoga pants — nothing is safe.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Beginner

nut to butt

Standing or moving in extremely close formation, literally close enough that one person's crotch is near the person in front's rear. Used in cramped spaces or when maintaining contact in darkness.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

TDY

Temporary Duty — a short-term assignment away from your permanent duty station. It is the military's version of a business trip, except your per diem barely covers a gas station sandwich and nobody asks if you enjoyed the Marriott. The 'temporary' part is often a generous interpretation.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Intermediate

break contact

A tactical maneuver to disengage from the enemy and get the hell out of there in an organized manner, as opposed to running away in panic. It's retreating with style and covering fire.

🎖️ Military / Defense
Advanced

SIGINT

Signals Intelligence—the military's polite term for eavesdropping on enemy communications and intercepted transmissions. It's essentially high-tech spying where you intercept, decode, and analyze radio signals, emails, and other electronic chatter to figure out what your adversaries are planning. Turns out the NSA didn't invent mass surveillance; they just perfected it.

🎖️ Military / Defense

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