My Men are My Heroes (40 page)

FOC
—Forward Operations Center

FTX
—Field Training Exercise that provides an opportunity for a unit to practice away from the home station

 

GBU-43/B
—Massive ordnance air blast bomb (MOAB); a 21,000-pound GPS-guided bomb nicknamed the “Mother of All Bombs”

GPS
—Global positioning satellite

Gung ho
—Ready, fired up, enthusiastic

 

Hatch
—Door

Head
—Bathroom

HESCO
—Name of the manufacturer that was adopted as the generic name for a prefabricated, multicellular defense system made of galvanized steel mesh and lined with nonwoven polypropylene bags filled with sand

HML
—Marine Light Helicopter Squadron; the H means helicopter, the M means Marine, the L means light

HMM
—Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron; the first H means helicopter, the first M means Marine, the second M means medium. Three numbers following these letters usually identify the original parent Marine Aircraft Group and the sequence in which the squadron was first commissioned

HMMWV
—High mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle that replaced the Jeep; pronounced and often spelled “Humvee”

Hump
—Field march

 

IED
—Improvised explosive device

Ilazarov frame
—An external medical stabilizing device made from eight series of circular rings and pins that go around and into the leg

ITBn
—Infantry Training Battalion

 

Javelin
—A man-portable, fire-and-forget antitank missile employed by dismounted Marine infantry to defeat current- and future-threat armored combat vehicles

 

KIA
—Killed in action

 

Ladder well
—Stairway

LAV
—Light armored vehicle

Leave
—Vacation time

LPD
—Landing platform dock; a Navy amphibious ship capable of supporting and operating a small number of helicopters for an extended period of time

LPH
—Landing platform helicopter; a Navy amphibious ship capable of supporting and operating a squadron of helicopters for an extended period of time, as well as transporting and off-loading a battalion of Marines

LST
—Landing ship, tank

LZ
—Landing zone; an unimproved site where helicopters land in the performance of their assigned missions

 

M1A1 Abrams
—60-ton U.S. main battle tank

M2A1 and M3A1
—Bradley fighting vehicle systems (BFVS); tracked armored personnel carriers that replaced the M-113

M2
—Browning .50 caliber beltfed heavy machine gun

M9
—Beretta 9mm pistol; designated sidearm of U.S. military that replaced the M1911 .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol

M16A2
—5.56mm basic Marine weapon

M40A1
—7.62mm Remington sniper rifle used by USMC snipers in Iraq

M60
—Belt-fed automatic weapon

M-113
—Vietnam-era tracked armored personnel carrier

M203
—40mm grenade launcher that mounts on an M-16 assault rifle

M240G
—Medium machine gun; a belt-fed automatic weapon that replaced the M60

MAG
—Marine Air Group

MARDIV
—Marine Division

Mark-19
—U.S.-made 40mm automatic grenade launcher

MAW
—Marine Air Wing

MCRD
—Marine Corps Recruit Depot

MEB
—Marine Expeditionary Brigade

MEF
—Marine Expeditionary Force

MEU
—Marine Expeditionary Unit; group of Marines organized for a float that is designated a Special Operations Capable Marine Expeditionary Unit

MIA
—Missing in action

MOPP
—Mission-oriented protective posture suits designed to protect against gas, biological, and chemical agents

MOS
—Military Occupational Specialty; a combination of numbers and letters that identifies a Marine Corps member's specific military skill. Infantry MOS designators include:

0311 Rifleman

0331 Machinegunner

0341 Mortarman

0351 Assaultman

0352 Antitank Guided Missileman

MOUT
—Military Operations on Urban Terrain warfare training

MP
—Military Police

NCO
—Noncommissioned Officer

NCOIC
—Noncommissioned Officer in Charge

NH
—Naval Hospital

NHCP
—Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

NRMC
—Naval Regional Medical Center

 

OEF
—Operation Enduring Freedom combat operation in Afghanistan

OIC
—Officer in Charge

OIF
—Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations in Iraq

OJT
—On-the-job training

OOD
—Officer of the day

Op Tempo
—Operational Tempo; how frequently a unit deploys or goes to the field

Ops
—Short for operations

 

PCS
—Permanent change of station; moving to another base

PFT
—Physical fitness test

PKC
—7.62mm belt-fed, Russian-designed light machine gun favored by insurgents

PL
—Phase Line; an imaginary line on a map used to designate a geographical place

Psyops
—Psychological operations

PT
—Physical training

PX
—Post exchange (same as MCX)

QRF
—Quick Reaction Force

 

Rack
—Bed

Rappel
—To descend by rope

RCT
—Regimental Combat Team

Recon
—Reconnaissance

Recruit
—An individual attending boot camp

ROE
—Rules of Engagement

Round
—Bullet or shell

RPG
—Rocket-propelled grenade

 

S-1
—Administrative Section of a unit

S-2
—Intelligence Section of a unit

S-3
—Operations and Training Section of a unit

S-4
—Logistics and Supply Section of a unit

SAW
—Squad automatic weapon; a 5.56mm light automatic weapon that is both belt- and magazinefed capable

Scuttlebutt
—Rumor, gossip

Secure
—Lock up, close, take care of, or finish for the day

Semper Fi
—Short for “Semper Fidelis,” which is Latin for “Always Faithful”

Sick bay
—Hospital, clinic, or office of medical personnel

Sick call
—Assigned time for ill Marines to go to sick bay, usually first thing in the morning

Skivvies
—Underwear

SMAW
—Shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon

SMAWNE
—Shoulder-saunched multipurpose assault weapon—novel explosive

SNCO
—Staff Noncommissioned Officer

SOC
—Special-operations-capable group of Marines assigned to a Marine Expeditionary Unit

SOI
—School of Infantry

SOP
—Standard operating procedure

Sound off
—Shout very loudly

Squad bay
—Large room where many Marines live

Squared away
—Prepared, taken care of, or sharp looking

Squid
—Navy person; also called a “swabbie”

SRB
—Service Record Book

SSN
—Social Security number

SVBIED
—Suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device

 

The word
—Confirmed information

TOW
—M-220 tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile

 

UA
—Unauthorized absence

UAV
—Unmanned aerial vehicle

UH-1E/N
—The “Huey”; the standard Marine helicopter able to operate from shipboard

Unsat
—Unsatisfactory

UXO
—Unexploded ordnance

 

VA
—Slang for Department of Veterans Affairs, formerly Veterans Administration

VBIED
—Vehicle-borne improvised explosive Devise

VMA
—Marine Corps designation for aviation attack squadron

VMF
—Marine Corps designation for aviation fighter squadron

 

Warrant Officer
—A person who holds a warrant in a warrant officer grade

WESTPAC
—Western Pacific tour, such as Okinawa

WIA
—Wounded in action

WM
—Woman Marine

WO
—Warrant Officer

 

XO
– –Executive Officer; 2d in command of a unit