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Welcome to
Chet Cunningham's
"Wonderful World of Books"

Since his first novel was published in 1968 Chet Cunningham has written and had published nearly 300 works of fiction and 15 non fiction books. He is equally adept on horseback, in the techno-thriller arena, or recounting military history. His output includes 125 westerns and 50 men's action/adventure novels.

SEAL TALK: MILITARY GLOSSARY

A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z

-A-

Aalvin:
Small U.S. two-man submarine.

Admin:
Short for administration.

Aegis:
Advanced Naval air defense radar system.

AH-1W Super Cobra:
Has M179 undernose turret with 20mm Gatling gun.

AK-47:
7.63-round Russian Kalashnikov automatic rifle. Most widely used assault rifle in the world.

AK-74:
New, improved version of the Kalashnikov. Fires the 5.45mm round. Has 30-round magazine. Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute. Many slight variations made for many different nations.

AN/PRC-ll7D:
Radio, also called SATCOM. Works with Milstar satellite in 22,300 mile equatorial orbit for instant world-wide radio, voice, or video communications. Size: l5 inches high, 3 inches wide, 3 inches deep. Weighs l5 pounds. Microphone and voice output. Has encrypter, capable of burst transmissions of less than a second.

AN/PUS-7 also NVGs:
Night Vision Goggles. Weigh l.5 pounds.

ANVIS-6:
Night Vision Goggles on air crewmen’s helmets.

APC:
Armored Personnel Carrier

ASROC:
Nuclear-tipped antisubmarine rocket torpedoes launched by Navy ships.

Assault Vest:
Combat vest with full loadouts of ammo, gear.

ASW:
Anti-Submarine Warfare.

Attack Board:
Molded plastic with two handgrips with bubble compass on it. Also depth gauge and Cyalume chemical lights with twist knob to regulate amount of light. Used for underwater guidance on long swim.

Aurora:
Air Force recon plane. Can circle at 90,000 feet. Can’t be seen or heard from ground. Used for thermal imaging.

AWACS:
Airborne Warning And Control System. Radar units in high flying aircraft to scan for planes at any altitude out 200 miles. Controls air-to-air engagements with enemy forces. Planes have a mass of communication and electronic equipment.

-B-

Balaclavas:
Headgear worn by some SEALs.

Bent Spear:
Less serious nuclear violation of safety.

BKA, Bundeskriminant:
Germany’s federal investigation unit.

Black Talon:
Lethal hollow-point ammunition made by Winchester. Outlawed some places.

Blivet:
A collapsible fuel container. SEALs sometimes use it.

BLU-43B:
Antipersonnel mine used by SEALs.

BLU-96:
A fuel-air explosive bomb. It disperses a fuel oil into the air, then explodes the cloud. Many times more powerful than conventional bombs because it doesn’t carry its own chemical oxidizers.

BMP-1:
Soviet armored fighting vehicle (AFV), low, boxy, crew of three and 8 combat troops. Has tracks and a 73mm cannon. Also an AT-3 Sagger antitank missile and coaxial machine gun.

Body Armor:
Far too heavy for SEAL use in the water.

Bogey:
Pilots’ word for an unidentified aircraft.

Boghammar Boat:
Long, narrow, low dagger boat; high-speed patrol craft. Swedish make. Iran had 40 of them in l993.

Boomer:
A nuclear-powered missile submarine.

Bought It:
A man has been killed. Also “bought the farm.”

Bow Cat:
The bow catapult on a carrier to launch jets.

Broken Arrow:
Any accident with nuclear weapons or nuclear material lost, shot down, crashed, stolen, hijacked.

Browning 9mm High Power:
A Belgium 9mm pistol, l3 rounds in magazine. First made l935.

Buddy Line:
6 feet long, ties 2 SEALs together in the water for control, or help if needed.

BUD/S:
Coronado, California, nickname for SEAL training facility for six months course.

Bull Pup:
Still in testing; new soldier’s rifle. SEALs have a dozen of them for regular use. Army gets them in 2005. Has a 5.56 kinetic round, 30-shot clip. Also 20mm high explosive round and 5-shot magazine. Twenties can be fused for proximity airbursts with use of video camera, laser range finder and laser targeting. Fuses by number of turns the round needs to reach laser spot. Max range: 1200 yards. Twenty-mm round can also detonate on contact, and has delay fuse. It has a six power scope and no bolt action. The weapon weighs 14 pounds. SEALs love it. Can in effect “shoot around corners” with the airburst feature.

BUPERS:
BUreau of PERSonnel.

-C-

C-2A Greyhound:
2-engine turboprop cargo plane that lands on carriers. Also called COD, Carrier Onboard Delivery. Two pilots and engineer. Rear fuselage loading ramp. Cruise speed 300 mph, range l,000 miles. Will hold 39 combat troops. Lands on CVN carriers at sea.

C-4:
Plastic explosive. A claylike explosive that can be molded and shaped. It will burn. Fairly stable.

C-6 Plastique:
Plastic explosive. Developed from C-4 and C-5 Is often used in bombs with radio detonator or digital timer.

C-9 Nightingale:
Douglas DC-9 fitted as a medical evacuation transport plane.

C-130 Hercules:
Air Force transport plane for long hauls. 4 Engines.

C-l4l Starlifter:
Airlift transport for cargo, paratroops, evac for long distances. Top speed 566 mph. Range with payload 2935 miles. Ceiling 4l,600 feet.

Caltrops:
Small four pointed spikes used to flatten tires. Used in the Crusades to disable horses.

Camel Back:
Used with drinking tube for 70 ounces of water attached to vest.

Cammies:
Working camouflaged wear for SEALs. Two different patterns and colors. Jungle and desert.

Cannon Fodder:
Old term for soldiers in line of fire destined to die in the grand scheme of warfare.

Capped:
Killed, shot, or otherwise snuffed.

CAR-15:
The Colt M-4Al. Sliding-stock carbine with grenade launcher under barrel. Knight sound suppressor. Can have AN/PAQ-4 laser aiming light under the carrying handle. .223 round. 20 or 30-round magazine. Rate of fire: 700 to 1,000 rounds per minute.

Cascade Radiation:
U-235 triggers secondary radiation in other dense materials.

Cast Off:
Leave a dock, port, land. Get lost. Navy: long, then short signal of horn, whistle, or light.

Castle Keep:
The main tower in any castle.

Caving Ladder:
Roll-up ladder that can be let down to climb.

CH-46E:
Sea Knight chopper. Twin rotors, transport. Can carry 25 combat troops. Has a crew of 3. Cruise speed l54 mph. Range 420 miles.

CH-53D Sea Stallion:
Big Chopper. Not used much anymore.

Chaff:
A small cloud of thin pieces of metal, such as tinsel, that can be picked up by enemy radar and that can attract a radar- guided missile away from the plane to hit the chaff.

Charlie-Mike:
Code words for continue the mission.

Chief to Chief:
Bad conduct by EM handled by chiefs so no record shows or is passed up the chain of command.

Chocolate Mountains:
Land training center for SEALs near these mountains in the California desert.

Christians In Action:
SEAL talk for not always friendly CIA.

CIA:
Central Intelligence Agency.

CIC:
Combat Information Center. The place on a ship where communications and control areas are situated to open and control combat fire.

CINC:
Commander IN Chief.

CINCLANT:
Navy Commander IN Chief, atLANTtic.

CINCPAC:
Commander-IN-Chief, PACific.

Class of 1978:
Not a single man finished BUD/S training in this class. All time record.

Claymore:
An antipersonnel mine carried by SEALs on many of their missions.

Cluster Bombs:
A canister bomb that explodes and spreads small bomblets over a great area. Used against parked aircraft, massed troops and unarmored vehicles.

CNO:
Chief of Naval Operations.

CO-2 Poisoning:
During deep dives. Abort dive at once and surface.

COD:
Carrier On Board Delivery plane.

Cold Pack Rations:
Food carried by SEALs to use if needed.

Combat Harness:
American Body Armor nylon mesh special operations vest. 6 2-magazine pouches for drum fed belts, other pouches for other weapons, waterproof pouch for Motorola.

CONUS:
The Continental United States.

Corfams:
Dress shoes for SEALs.

Covert Action Staff:
A CIA group that handles all covert action by the SEALs.

CQB:
Close Quarters Battle house. Training facility near Nyland in the desert training area. Also called the Kill House.

CQB:
Close Quarters Battle. A fight that’s up close, hand-to- hand, whites of his eyes, blood all over you.

CRRC Bundle:
Roll it off plane, sub, or boat. The assault boat for 8 seals. Also called the IBS, Inflatable Boat Small.

Cutting Charge:
Lead-sheathed explosive. Triangular strip of high-velocity explosive sheathed in metal. Point of the triangle focuses a shaped-charge effect. Cuts a pencil line wide hole to slice a steel girder in half.

CVN:
A U.S. aircraft carrier with nuclear power. Largest that we have in fleet.

CYA:
Cover Your Ass, protect yourself from friendlies or officers above you and JAG people.

-D-

Damfino:
Damned if I know. SEAL talk.

DDS:
Dry Dock Shelter. A clamshell unit on subs to deliver SEALs and SDVs to a mission.

DEFCON:
DEFense CONdition. How serious is the threat?

Delta Forces:
Army special forces, much like SEALs.

Desert Cammies:
Three-color, desert tan and pale green with streaks of pink. For use on land.

DIA:
Defense Intelligence Agency.

Dilos class patrol boat:
Greek, 29 feet long, 75 tons displacement.

Dirty Shirt Mess:
Officers can eat there in flying suits on board a carrier.

DNS:
Doppler Navigation System.

Draegr LAR V:
Rebreather that SEALs use. No bubbles.

DREC:
Digitally Reconnoiterable Electronic Component. Top- secret computer chip from NSA that lets it decipher any U.S. military electronic code.

-E-

E-2C Hawkeye:
Navy, carrier-based, Airborne Early Warning craft for long-range early warning and threat assessment and fighter direction. Has a 24-foot saucer-like rotodome over the wing. Crew 5, max speed 326 knots, ceiling 30,800 feet, radius 175 nautical miles with 4 hours on station.

E-3A Skywarrior:
Old electronic intelligence craft. Replaced by the newer ES-3A.

E-4B NEACP:
Called Kneecap. National Emergency Airborne Command Post. A greatly modified Boeing 747 used as a communications base for the President of the United States and other high-ranking officials in an emergency and in wartime.

E & E:
Seal Talk for escape and evasion.

EA-6B Prowler:
Navy plane with electronic countermeasures. Crew of 4, max speed 566 knots, ceiling 4l,200 feet, range with max load 955 nautical miles.

EAR:
Enhanced Acoustic Rifle. Fires not bullets, but a high- impact blast of sound that puts the target down and unconscious for up to six hours. Leaves him with almost no aftereffects. Used as a non-lethal weapon. The sound blast will bounce around inside a building, vehicle, or ship and knock out anyone who is within range. Ten shots before the weapon must be electrically charged. Range: About 200 yards.

Easy:
The only easy day was yesterday. SEAL talk.

ELINT:
Electronic INTelligence. Often from satellite in orbit, picture taker or other electronic communications.

EOD:
Navy experts in nuclear material and radioactivity who do Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Equatorial Satellite Pointing Guide:
To aim antenna for radio to pick up satellite signals.

ES-3A:
Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) intercept craft. The platform for the battle group Passive Horizon Extension System. Stays up for long patrol periods, has comprehensive set of sensors, lands and takes off from a carrier. Has 63 antennas.

ETA:
Estimated Time of Arrival.

Executive Order 12333:
By President Reagan authorizing Special Warfare units such as the SEALs.

Exfil:
Exfiltrate, to get out of an area.

-F-

F/A-18 Hornet:
Carrier based interceptor that can change from air-to-air, to air-to-ground attack mode while in flight.

Fitrep:
Fitness Report.

Flashbang Grenade:
Non-lethal grenade that gives off a series of piercing explosive sounds and a series of brilliant strobe-type lights to disable an enemy.

Flotation Bag:
To hold equipment, ammo, and gear on a wet operation.

Fort Fumble:
SEALs’ name for the Pentagon.

Forty-mm Rifle Grenade:
The M576 multipurpose round, contains 20 large lead balls. SEALs use on Colt M-4A1.

Four Striper:
A Navy captain.

Fox Three:
In air warfare, a code phrase showing that a Navy F-14 has launched a Phoenix air to air missile.

FUBAR:
SEAL talk. Fucked Up Beyond All Repair.

Full Helmet Masks:
For high-altitude jumps. Oxygen in mask.

-G-

G-3:
German-made assault rifle.

Gloves:
SEALs wear sage-green, fire-resistant Nomex flight gloves.

GMT:
Greenwich Mean Time. Where it’s all measured from.

GPS:
Global Positioning System A program with satellites around Earth to pinpoint precisely aircraft, ships, vehicles, and ground troops. Position information is to a plus or minus ten feet. Also can give speed of a plane or ship to one quarter of a mile per hour.

GPSL:
A radio antenna with floating wire that pops to the surface. Antenna picks up positioning from the closest 4 global positioning satellites and gives an exact position within l0 feet.

Green Tape:
Green sticky ordnance tape that has a hundred uses for a SEAL.

GSG-9:
Flashbang grenade developed by Germans. A cardboard tube filled with 6 separate charges and strobe like flashes timed to burst in rapid succession. Blinding and giving concussion to enemy, leaving targets stunned, easy to kill or capture. Usually non-lethal.

GSG9:
Grenzschutzgruppe Nine. Germany’s best special warfare unit, counterterrorist group.

Gulfstream II (VCII):
Large executive jet used by services for transport of small groups quickly. Crew 3 and l8 passengers. Cruises at 581 mph. Maximum range 4,275 miles.

-H-

H & K 21A1:
Machine gun with 7.62 NATO round. Replaces the older more fragile M-60 E3. Fires 900 rounds per minute. Range l,l00 meters. All types of NATO rounds: ball, incendiary, tracer.

H & K G 11:
Automatic rifle, new type. 4.7mm caseless ammunition. 50 round magazine. The bullet is in a sleeve of solid propellant with a special thin plastic coating around it. Fires 600 rounds per minute. Single-shot, three-round burst or fully automatic.

H & K MP-5SD:
9mm submachine gun with integral silenced barrel, single shot, three shot, or fully automatic. Rate 800 rds/min.

H & K P9S:
Heckler & Koch’s 9mm Parabellum double action semiauto pistol with 9-round magazine.

H & K PSG1:
7.62 NATO round. High precision, bolt action, sniping rifle. 5 to 20-round magazine. Roller lock delayed blowback breech system. Fully adjustable stock. 6 x 42 telescopic sights. Sound suppressor.

HAHO:
High Altitude jump, High Opening. From 30,000 feet, open chute for glide up to l5 miles to ground. Up to 75 minutes in glide. To enter enemy territory or enemy position unheard.

Half-Track:
Military vehicle with tracked rear drive and wheels in front, usually armed and armored.

HALO:
High Altitude jump, Low Opening. From 30,000 feet. Free fall in 2 minutes to 2,000 feet and open chute. Little forward movement. Get to ground quickly, silently.

Hamburgers:
Often called sliders on a Navy carrier.

Handie-Talkie:
Small, handheld personal radio. Short range.

HELO:
SEAL talk for helicopter.

Herky Bird:
C-l30 Hercules transport. Most-flown military transport in the world. For cargo or passengers, paratroops, aerial refueling, search and rescue, communications, and as a gunship. Has flown from a Navy carrier deck without use of catapult. Four turboprop engines, max speed 325 knots, range at max payload 2,356 miles.

Hezbollah:
Lebanese Shiite Moslem militia. Party of God.

HMMWU:
The Humvee, U.S. light utility truck. Replaced the honored Jeep. Multipurpose wheeled vehicle, 4 x 4, automatic transmission, power steering. Engine: Detroit Diesel 150-hp diesel V-8 air-cooled. Top speed 65 mph. Range 300 miles.

Hotels:
SEAL talk for hostages.

Humint:
Human Intelligence. Acquired on the ground by a person as vs. satellite or photo recon.

Hydra-Shock:
Lethal hollow-point ammunition made by Federal Cartridge Company. Outlawed in some areas.

Hypothermia:
Danger to SEALs. A drop in body temperature that can be fatal.

-I-

IBS:
Inflatable Boat Small. 12 x 6 feet. Carries 8 men and l,000 pounds of weapons and gear. Hard to sink. Quiet motor. Used for silent beach, bay, lake landings.

IR Beacon:
Infrared beacon. For silent nighttime signaling.

IR Goggles:
“Sees” heat instead of light.

Islamic Jihad:
Arab holy war.

Isothermal layer:
A colder layer of ocean water that deflects sonar rays. Submarines can hide below it, but then are also blind to what’s going on above them since their sonar will not penetrate the layer.

IV Pack:
Intravenous fluid that you can drink if out of water.

-J-

JAG:
Judge Advocate General. The Navy’s legal investigating arm that is independent of any Navy command.

JNA:
Yugoslav National Army.

JP-4:
Normal military jet fuel.

JSOC:
Joint Special Operations Command.

JSOCCOMCENT:
Joint Special Operations Command Center in the Pentagon.

-K-

KA-BAR:
SEALs’ combat, fighting knife.

KATN:
Kick Ass and Take Names. SEAL talk, get the mission in gear.

KH-11:
Spy satellite, takes pictures of ground, IR photos, etc.

KIA:
Killed In Action.

KISS:
Keep It Simple, Stupid. SEAL talk for streamlined operations.

Klick:
A kilometer of distance. Often used as a mile. From Vietnam era, but still widely used in military.

Krytrons:
Complicated, intricate timers used in making nuclear explosive detonators.

KV-57:
Encoder for messages, scrambles.

-L-

LT:
Short for lieutenant in SEAL talk.

Liaison:
Close connection, cooperating person from one unit or service to another. Military liaison.

Laser Pistol:
The SIW pinpoint of ruby light emitted on any pistol for aiming. Usually a silenced weapon.

Left Behind:
In 30 years SEALs have seldom left behind a dead comrade, never a wounded one. Never been taken prisoner.

Let’s Get the Hell Out of Dodge:
SEAL talk for leaving a place, bugging out, hauling ass.

Light Sticks:
Chemical units that make light after twisting to release chemicals that phosphoresce.

Loot & Shoot:
SEAL talk for getting into action on a mission.

LZ:
Landing Zone.

-M-

M1-8:
Russian chopper.

M1A1 M-14:
Match rifle upgraded for SEAL snipers.

M-3:
Submachine Gun: WWII grease gun. .45 caliber. Cheap. Introduced in l942.

M-16:
Automatic U.S. rifle. 5.56 round. Magazine 20 or 30. Rate of fire 700 to 950 rds/min. Can attach M203 40mm grenade launcher under barrel.

M-18 Claymore:
Antipersonnel mine. A slab of C-4 with 200 small ball bearings inside. Set off electrically or by trip wire. Can be positioned and aimed. Sprays out a cloud of the deadly balls. Kill zone is up to 50 meters.

M-60 Machine Gun:
Can use l00-round ammo box snapped onto the gun’s receiver. Not used now by SEALs.

M-60 E3:
Lightweight handheld machine gun. Not used now by SEALs.

M-6lAl:
the usual 20mm cannon used on many American fighter planes.

M61(j):
Machine pistol of Yugoslav make.

M-86:
Pursuit Deterrent Munitions. Various types of mines, grenades, trip-wire explosive and other devices for antipersonnel use.

M-203:
A 40mm grenade launcher fitted under an M-l6 or the M-4A1 Commando. Can fire a variety of grenade types up to 200 yards.

M-662:
A red flare for signaling.

MagSafe:
Lethal ammunition that fragments in human body and does not exit. Favored by some police units to cut down on second kill from regular ammunition exiting a body.

Make a Peek:
A quick look, usually out of the water, to check your position or tactical situation.

Mark 23 Mod O:
Special operations offensive handgun system. Double action, 12-round magazine. Ambidextrous safety and mag release catches. Knight screw-on suppressor. Snap-on laser for sighting. .45-caliber. Weights 4 pounds loaded. 9.5 inches long; with silencer l6.5 inches long.

Mark II Knife:
Navy issue combat knife.

Mark VIII SDV:
Swimmer Delivery Vehicle. A bus, SEAL talk. 21 feet long, beam and draft 4-feet, 6 knots for 6 hours.

Master-At-Arms:
Military police officer on board a ship.

MAVRIC Lance:
A nuclear alert for stolen nukes or radioactive goods.

MC-130 Combat Talon:
A specially equipped Hercules for covert missions in enemy or unfriendly territory.

McMillan M87R:
Bolt-action sniper rifle. .50-caliber. 53 inches long. Bipod, 5 or 10-round magazine. Bulbous muzzle brake on end of barrel. Deadly up to a mile. All types .50 caliber ammo.

MGS:
Modified Grooming Standards. So SEALs don’t all look like military to enable them to do undercover work in mufti.

MH-53J:
Chopper, updated CH053 from Nam days. 200 mph, called the PAVE Low III.

MH-60K Black Hawk:
Navy chopper. Forward infrared system for low-level night flight. Radar for terra follow/avoidance. Crew of 3, takes 12 troops. Top speed 225 mph. Ceiling 4,000 feet. Range radius 230 miles. Arms two 12.7mm machine guns.

MIDEASTFOR:
Middle East Force.

MiG:
Russian-built fighter, many versions, used in many nations around the world.

Mike Boat:
Liberty boat off a large ship.

Mike-Mike:
Short for mm, millimeter, as 9 mike-mike.

Milstar:
Communications satellite for pickup and bouncing from SATCOM and other radio transmitters. Used by SEALs.

Minigun:
In choppers. Can fire 2,000 rounds per minute. Gatling guns type.

Mitrajez M80:
Machine gun from Yugoslavia.

MI-5:
British domestic intelligence agency.

MI-6:
British foreign intelligence and espionage.

Mocha:
Food energy bar SEALs carry in vest pockets.

Mossberg:
Pump-action, pistol-grip, 5-round magazine, SEALs use it for close-in work.

Motorola Radio:
Personal radio, short range, lip mike, ear piece, belt pack.

MRE:
Meals Ready to Eat. Field rations used by most of U.S. armed forces and the SEALs as well. Long lasting.

MSPF:
Maritime Special Purpose Force.

Mugger:
MUGR, Miniature Underwater Global Recorder locator device. Sends up antenna for pickup on positioning satellites. Works underwater or above. Gives location within l0 feet.

Mujahideen:
A soldier of Allah in Muslim nations.

-N-

NAVAIR:
NAVy AIR command.

NAVSPECWARGRUP-ONE:
Naval Special Warfare Group One is based in San Diego. SEAL Team, Seven, is based here.

NAVSPECWARGRUP-TWO:
Naval Special Warfare Group Two is based at Little Creek, VA.

NCIS:
Naval Criminal Investigative Service. A civilian operation not reporting to any Navy authority to make it more responsible and responsive. Replaces the old NIS, Naval Investigation Service, that did report to the closest admiral.

NEST:
Nuclear Energy Search Team. Non-military unit that reports at once to any spill, problem, or Broken Arrow to determine the extent of the radiation problem.

NEWBIE:
A new man, officer, or commander of an established military unit.

NKSF:
North Korean Special Forces.

NLA:
Iranian National Liberation Army. About 4,500 men in South Iraq, helped by Iraq for possible use against Iran.

Nomex:
The type of material used for flight suits and hoods.

NPIC:
National Photographic Interpretation Center in D.C.

NRO:
National Reconnaissance Office. Its job is to run and coordinate satellite development and operations for the intelligence community.

NSA:
National Security Agency.

NSC:
National Security Council. Meets in Situation Room, support facility in the Executive Office Building in D.C. Main security group in the nation.

NSVHURAWN:
Iranian Marines.

NUCFLASH:
An alert for any nuclear problem.

NVG One Eye:
Litton single-eyepiece Night Vision Goggles. Prevents NVG blindness in both eyes if a flare goes off. Scope shows green tinted field at night.

NVGs:
Night Vision Goggles. One eye or two. Give good night vision in the dark with a greenish view.

-O-

OAS:
Obstacle Avoidance Sonar. Used on many low flying attack aircraft.

OIC:
Officer In Charge.

Oil Tanker:
One is: 885 feet long, l40 feet beam, l2l,000 tons, l3 cargo tanks that hold 35.8 million gallons of fuel, oil or gas. 24 in the crew. This is a regular sized tanker. Not a supertanker.

OOD:
Officer Of the Deck.

Orion P-3:
Navy’s long-range patrol and antisub aircraft. Some adapted to ELINT roles. Crew of l0. Max speed loaded 473 mph. Ceiling 28,300 feet. Arms: internal weapons bay and l0 external weapons stations for a mix of torpedoes, mines, rockets, and bombs.

-P-

Passive Sonar:
Listening for engine noise of a ship or sub. It doesn’t give away the hunter’s presence as an active sonar would.

PBR:
Patrol Boat River. U.S. has many shapes, sizes, and with various armament.

PAVE LOW III:
A Navy chopper.

PC-170:
Patrol Coastal-class l70-foot SEAL delivery vehicle. Powered by 4 3,350 hp diesel engines, beam of 25 feet and draft of 7.8 feet. Top speed 35 knots, range 2,000 nautical miles. Fixed swimmer platform on stern. Crew of 4 officers and 24 EM. Carries 8 SEALs.

Plank Owners:
Original men in the start up of a new military unit.

Polycarbonate material:
Bullet-proof glass.

PRF:
People’s Revolutionary Front. Fictional group in Nucflash, a SEAL Team Seven book.

Prowl & Growl:
SEAL talk for moving into a combat mission.

-Q-

Quitting Bell:
In BUD/S training. Ring it and you quit the SEAL unit. Helmets of men who quit the class are lined up below the bell in Coronado. (Recently they have stopped ringing the bell. Dropouts simply place their helmet below the bell and go.)

-R-

RAF:
Red Army Faction. A once powerful German terrorist group not so active now.

Remington 200:
Sniper Rifle. Not used by SEALs now.

Remington 700:
Sniper rifle with Starlight Scope. Can extend night vision to 400 meters.

RIB:
Rigid Inflatable Boat. 3 sizes, one l0 meters, 40 knots.

Ring Knocker:
An Annapolis graduate with the ring.

RIO:
Radar Intercept Officer. The officer who sits in the backseat of an F-14 Tomcat off a carrier. The job: find enemy targets in the air and on the sea.

Roger That:
A yes, an affirmative, a go answer to a command or statement.

RPG:
Rocket Propelled Grenade. Quick and easy, shoulder- fired. Favorite weapon of terrorists, insurgents.

-S-

SAS:
British Special Air Service. Commandos. Special warfare men. Best that Britain has. Work with SEALs.

SATCOM:
Satellite-based communications system for instant contact with anyone anywhere in the world. SEALs rely on it.

SAW:
Squad’s Automatic Weapon. Usually a machine gun or automatic rifle.

SBS:
Special Boat Squadron. On-site Navy unit that transports SEALs to many of their missions. Located across the street from the SEALs’ Coronado, California, headquarters.

SD3:
Sound suppression system on the H & K MP5 weapon.

SDV:
Swimmer Delivery Vehicle. SEALs use a variety of them.

Seahawk SH-60:
Navy chopper for ASW and SAR. Top speed l80 knots, ceiling l3,800 feet, range 503 miles, arms: 2 Mark 46 torpedoes.

SEAL Headgear:
Boonie hat, wool balaclava, green scarf, watch cap, or a bandanna roll.

Second In Command:
Also 2IC for short in SEAL talk.

SERE:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training.

Shipped for Six:
Enlisted for six more years in the Navy.

Shit City:
Coronado SEALs’ name for Norfolk.

Show Colors:
In combat put U.S. flag or other identification on back for easy identification by friendly air or ground units.

Sierra Charlie:
SEAL talk for everything on schedule.

Simunition:
Canadian product for training that uses paint balls instead of lead for bullets.

Sixteen-Man Platoon:
Basic SEAL combat force. Up from l4 men a few years ago.

Sked:
SEAL talk for schedule.

Sonobuoy:
Small underwater device that detects sounds and transmits them by radio to plane or ship.

Space Blanket:
Green foil blanket to keep troops warm. Vacuum packed and folded to a cigarette sized package.

Sprayers and Prayers:
Not the SEAL way. These men spray bullets all over the place hoping for hits. SEALs do more aimed firing for sure kills.

SS-19:
Russian ICBM missile.

STABO:
Use harness and lines under chopper to get down to the ground.

STAR:
Surface To Air Recovery operation.

Starflash Round:
Shotgun round that shoots out sparkling fireballs that ricochet wildly around a room, confusing and terrifying the occupants. Non-lethal.

STASI:
Old-time East German secret police.

Stick:
British terminology: 2, 4-man SAS teams. 8 men.

Stokes:
A kind of Navy stretcher. Open coffin shaped of wire mesh and white canvas for emergency patient transport.

STOL:
Short Takeoff and Landing. Aircraft with high-lift wings and vectored-thrust engines to produce extremely short takeoffs and landings.

Sub Gun:
Submachine gun, often the suppressed H & K MP5.

Suits:
Civilians, usually government officials wearing suits.

Sweat:
The more SEALs sweat in peacetime, the less they bleed in war.

Sykes-Fairbairn:
A commando fighting knife.

Syrette:
Small syringe for field administration often filled with morphine. Can be self-administered.

-T-

Tango:
SEAL talk for a terrorist.

TDY:
Temporary duty assigned outside of normal job designation.

Terr:
Another term for terrorist. Shorthand SEAL talk.

Tetrahedral Reflectors:
Show up on multi-mode radar like tiny suns.

Thermal Imager:
Device to detect warmth, as a human body, at night or through light cover.

Thermal Tape:
ID for night vision goggle user to see. Use on friendlies.

TNAZ:
Trinittroaze Tidine. Explosive to replace C-4. 15% stronger than C-4 and 20% lighter.

TO&E:
Table showing organization and equipment of a military unit.

Top SEAL Tribute:
“You sweet motherfucker, don’t you never die!”

Trailing Array:
A group of antennas for sonar pickup trailed out of a submarine.

Train:
For contact in smoke, no light, fog, etc. Men directly behind each other. Right hand on weapon, left hand on shoulder of man ahead. Squeeze shoulder to signal.

Trident:
SEALs’ emblem. An eagle with talons clutching a Revolutionary War pistol, and Neptune’s trident superimposed on the Navy’s traditional anchor.

TRW:
A camera’s digital record that is sent by SATCOM.

TT33:
Tokarev, a Russian Pistol.

-U-

UAZ:
A Soviet 1-ton truck.

UBA Mark XV:
Underwater life support with computer to regulate the rebreather’s gas mixture.

UGS:
Unmanned Ground Sensors. Can be used to explode booby traps and claymore mines.

UNODIR:
Unless otherwise directed. The unit will start the operation unless they are told not to.

-V-

VBSS:
Orders to “visit, board, search, and seize.”

-W-

Wadi:
A gully or ravine, usually in a desert.

White Shirt:
Man responsible for safety on carrier deck as he leads around civilians and personnel unfamiliar with the flight deck.

WIA:
Wounded In Action.

-X-

-Y-

-Z-

Zodiac:
Also called an IBS, Inflatable Boat Small. 15 by 6 feet, weighs 265 pounds. The “rubber duck” can carry 8 fully equipped SEALs. Can do l8 knots with a range of 65 nautical miles.

Zulu:
Means Greenwich Mean Time, GMT. Used in all formal military communications.

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