Close air support

Definition

Air-to-ground combat support against enemy forces near friendly troops. The reason ground soldiers love pilots who can actually hit what they're aiming at.

Example Usage

We called in close air support and the enemy position was neutralized within minutes.

Origin

Military aviation operations, WWII era

Fun Fact

CAS requires extraordinary coordination to avoid friendly fire incidents.

Source: Military aviation and ground operations

Related Terms

Beginner

admin

Short for administrative, referring to non-combat activities like paperwork, supply, or routine operations—basically everything soldiers hate but militaries can't function without. It's the broccoli of military life.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Intermediate

fortress

A heavily fortified stronghold designed to withstand prolonged attacks, essentially a castle on steroids. These massive defensive structures represent the pinnacle of military architecture, combining walls, towers, and strategic positioning. If a fort is a secure house, a fortress is a secure mansion with a moat and very unfriendly neighbors.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Advanced

red cell

A group that simulates enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures to test security measures and identify vulnerabilities. Essentially, these are the people paid to think like terrorists and break into your base.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Advanced

exfiltrate

The spy-thriller term for sneaking something or someone out of a hostile area without detection—whether it's troops escaping enemy territory or hackers stealing your company's data. It's infiltration's evil twin, the exit strategy when you've gotten what you came for. Cybersecurity teams lose sleep over data exfiltration while action heroes make it look easy.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Intermediate

Charlie Mike

Military phonetic for 'CM,' which stands for 'Continue Mission.' When you're taking casualties but the mission must proceed—cheerfully abbreviated into phonetic form.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Beginner

POW

Prisoner of War—a combatant captured by the enemy. Theoretically protected under international law (Geneva Conventions), though historical compliance varies considerably.

🎖️ Military / Defense

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