fire for effect

Definition

Artillery command indicating adjustment rounds have found their mark and it's time to unleash the full fury of available guns on target. Translation: 'We've aimed, now let's delete that grid square.'

Example Usage

Forward observer reports target acquired, spotting rounds on target—fire for effect, all batteries.

Origin

U.S. artillery fire mission terminology, standardized in the early 20th century

Fun Fact

Preceded by ranging shots to adjust aim, because artillery is really just expensive long-range guesswork until you get the math right.

Source: Field Artillery operations manuals

Related Terms

Beginner

Firebase

A temporary or semi-permanent military base designed primarily to provide artillery fire support to ground forces, typically positioned in hostile territory. Think of it as a fortified campsite whose main purpose is lobbing explosives at distant people.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Intermediate

pip

A single dot on a radar screen representing a target, aircraft, or contact—essentially reducing complex threats to simple blips. It's the military's way of making danger look like a video game.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Beginner

gunny

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.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Beginner

Klick

Military slang for one kilometer. Soldiers use it because saying 'kilometer' uses too many syllables and in combat, efficiency matters — even in vocabulary. It is the linguistic equivalent of taking a shortcut.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Advanced

black operations

Covert operations not attributable to the sponsoring organization or nation, typically involving intelligence agencies or special forces. What happens in the black stays in the classified files.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Intermediate

echelon

A stepped formation where units are arranged diagonally, like a staircase made of soldiers or vehicles. Also refers to levels of command, because the military loves using the same word for completely different things.

🎖️ Military / Defense

Translate This Term

See “fire for effect” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

wotv

What's on Television?...