A-1 Sky Raider
Single engine
propeller driven aircraft also called Sandy or Spad
(origin)
Vietnam Era
A-4 Sky Hawk
Medium-sized,
subsonic, single-engine attack jet.
(origin)
Vietnam Era
A J Squared Away
1. Slang for
the perfect Marine.
2. The opposite
of
Joe Shit the Rag Man.
A/O
Area of
Operations.
Abaft
Directional term
meaning behind (aft) any given point on a ship.
ACE
Air Combat
Element.
ACE Medical
Battalion Aid
Station for USMC Aviation units in the field.
Acme Beer
World War II era
beer.
(background)
Made
in San Jose, CA. Sent to the South Pacific specifically for Marine units. It
came in both a green and a brown bottle but only the brown-bottled beer was fit
to drink. The green bottles contained a liquid that smelled like a skunk.
Actual
(Commtalk) Radio
call sign to speak with the commander of a unit.
(example)
If the unit call sign is "Brownbag", the unit
commander will be "Brownbag Actual".
AD
Active Duty.
Administrative
Discharge
1. A
non-punitive discharge prior to completion of an enlistment.
2. Type of
discharge that will not affect post-service benefits.
Admiral
The highest
Naval rank in peacetime.
(see
Fleet Admiral)
(background)
The
Admiral insignia has four silver stars in a row. Prior to the Civil War, Captain
was the highest Naval rank When placed in command of larger units, Admirals
were sometimes designated a Flag Officer, but that was a billet, not a rank. The
current admiral ranks (from junior to most senior) are: Rear Admiral (lower
half), one star; Rear Admiral (upper half), two stars; Vice Admiral, three
stars; Admiral, four stars and Fleet Admiral, five stars.
Admiral of the
Navy
A rank awarded
to Admiral Dewey by an act of Congress in March 1899 to place him above all
other admirals.
(see
Fleet Admiral).
Adrift
1. Floating
aimlessly, usually without a rudder or compass.
2. Missing in
action.
3. An
individual who sets himself apart.
AFRTS
1. American
Forces Radio and Television Service or Armed Forces Radio and Television System
2. Provider of
commercial-type radio and television programming to ships and overseas stations.
(pronounced
“A-farts.”)
AFSC
Air Force
Specialty Code. The Air Force equivalent of an
MOS.
Aft
Behind
(origin)
Naval term for the after section of the ship.
AFU
All Fucked Up.
Airdale
Anyone serving
in aviation.
Air Force
1. One of the
five uniformed military branches.
2. Air Force, a
unit consisting of multiple wings and given a numerical designation (e.g. 8th
Air Force). Used from World War II until the 1970s.
Airman
1. A Navy or
Air Force enlisted rank.
2. Generic term
for anyone in the Air Force.
(see
Seaman and
Airman First Class).
Air Start
Blow job.
Air Strike
(see
Close Air Support)
Air Wing
An aviation unit
equivalent to an infantry division.
AK-47
1.
Soviet-manufactured Kalashnikov semi-automatic/fully automatic combat assault
rifle, 7.62-mm
2. Basic weapon
of the Communist forces.
ALCON
Used in radio
traffic to denote all concerned.
Ali Baba
1. An enemy
combatant.
2. Looter or
bad guy.
(background)
"Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.”.
(origin)
Operation Iraqi Freedom
All Hands
Everyone.
Allotment
1. Automatic
withdrawal from a military member’s monthly pay.
2. Authorized
for payments to businesses, individuals or agencies.
Alpha
1. (Commtalk)
the letter “A”.
2. Marine green
uniform with
blouse and ribbons.
(synonym)
Sometimes spelled ALFA.
Alpha Mike
Foxtrot
1. “Adios,
Mother Fucker” or “Adios, My Friend”.
2. Goodbye.
Alpha Unit
Nickname for a
Marine's spouse. (see
Dependent Wife)
Alpha Whiskey
nickname for
toilet paper (Ass Wipe).
AMF
(see Alpha
Mike Foxtrot).
Ammo
Ammunition.
Ammunition
Supply Point
The location,
usually just behind the Forward Edge of Battle Area where line units receive
their ammunition supply/replenishment. In the movies, an ASP is usually called
an "ammo dump."
Amtrac
Slang for
Amphibious Armored, Tracked, Personnel Carrier. (LVT/AAV).
Amtracker
An Assault
Amphibious Vehicle crewman.
Anchor Clanker
1. Naval slang
for a Boatswain's Mate.
2. Anyone in
the Navy.
Anchor Pool
An unofficial
betting pool, the winner is whomever come closest to the time logged by the
Officer of the Deck for dropping or weighing anchor.
ANGLICO
Air Naval
Gunfire Liaison Company.
(background)
Composed of 4-man "fire control teams". A fire control officer (FICTO - usually
a Lt, but due to their limited number in the reserves, may be led by a Captain
in the Reserves). Like a true team, the officer shares the load of radios (UHF,
VHF and HF), batteries and rifles - just like the Lance Corporal.
ANGLICO members
are usually parachute and SCUBA qualified. ANGLICO rarely works with Marine
Corps units. You will find ANGLICO teams attached to and supporting U.S. Army
(often to 82nd & 101st Airborne) and Foreign Forces, giving these forces the
capability to use U.S. Naval Gunfire and close air support from Navy and Marine
Aircraft. Used in the Vietnam era, and reduced from four to two companies in
1997 (both surviving companies were reserve units), and brought back for the
Afghanistan operations.
AN-M14
Incendiary
(Thermite) Hand Grenade.
(specs)
Weighs 32 oz, contains 26.5 oz of TH3 thermite
mixture. It is designed to start fires with its 40 seconds of 4,300oF.
AN-M8
HC Smoke Hand
Grenade.
(specs)
Weighs 25.5 oz, contains 19 oz of HC, which emits a dense smoke for up to 2.5
minutes, with a 2-second delay.
Ant Hill
An outpost with
major communications assets apparent from the large number of antennae in the
vicinity.
ARA
Aerial Rocket
Artillery. A Cobra AH-1G helicopter with four XM159C 19-rocket (2.75 inch) pods.
Arc Light
B-52 bombers
dropping their entire load of 2,000 lb bombs on suspected concentrations of
enemy troops.
(origin)
Vietnam
Arlington Ridge
Site of the
Marine Corps Memorial, a sculpture of Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in
World War II.
(background)
Location in Arlington, VA, north of the National Cemetery, overlooking the
Potomoc River and Washington DC.
Armed Services
Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. (see
Uniformed Services).
Arty
Artillery.
ARVN
Army of the
Republic of Vietnam.
ASAP
As Soon As
Possible.
ASP
Ammunition
Supply Point.
Assault Line
Marine attack
formation with troops advancing abreast.
Ass Hanging Out
An individual
who is not squared away or whose ignorance is showing.
Assholes to
Elbows
Troops or people
standing close together.
(synonym)
Asshole to Bellybutton, meaning close together.
Ass Pack
The little first
aid kit worn on web gear, and located in the middle of the lower back. Usually
contained two field pressure dressings, a tourniquet, and some iodine.
Sometimes, there was even geedunk in there.
ASVAB
Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Battery (skills test). Individuals must pass this test in
order to join the Armed Forces.
As You Were
Informal command
to continue what you were doing or to indicate a correction to a previous order
or comment.
Aviation Cadet
A student in
military flight training. In some instances they have come from other officer
procurement programs, while at other times they were stand-alone commissioning
and flight training programs. (see
Cadet.)
Aye
Yes. A Naval
expression.
Aye Aye
I understand
your order and will comply. A Naval expression.
Azimuth
Compass heading
toward an objective or target.
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