Anyone deep into firearm culture or shooting as a hobby has probably come across several military tactical terms flung around by those already in the know.
Want to figure out what your buddies at the range are talking about without giving up the fact that you’re clueless? No worries – here’s a quick rundown of some key military language you can brush up on before next time.
Military Language and Jargon to Learn
A
ACU: Army Combat Uniform
ALS: Automatic Locking System
AOR: Area of Responsibility. This is essentially the area assigned to a military unit for patrol or an operation.
Artillery: a massive firearm/engine that discharges huge, explosive projectiles
Artillery battery: a collection or group of artillery
B
BDU: Battle Dress Uniform
BOLO: Be on the lookout; it’s used by law enforcement to tell their officers to check for specific vehicles or individuals related to a nearby or recent crime
C
Cal: short for caliber i.e. 50 cal, which means .50 caliber
Camo: an abbreviation for camouflage
Camelback: this is a water bladder carried on the back with a flexible drinking tube that can reach your mouth
CF: Carbon Fiber
CP: Check Point
Cuffs: a shortened version of “handcuffs”
D
DFAC: Dining Facility, which is also sometimes called a mess hall
Detail: a group of military service members sent for a particular task/operation. Sometimes used interchangeably with a squad
Downrange: the area of a shooting range where the targets are set up
Dustoff: evacuation of personnel from a combat zone, usually to receive medical treatment
E
E&E: Escape and Evasion
EDC: Every Day Carry, or everyday supplies you carry around
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
EP: Extraction Point, a place picked for extraction of troops and personnel from a combat zone
F
Fathom: the unit of measurement used to determine the depth from sea level to seafloor
File: a single line/column of soldiers, i.e. single-file line
FOB: Forward Operating Base
G
Goat Trail: an unpaved or dirt road
Grunt: slang term for an infantryman
Guerilla tactics: sometimes mispronounced as “gorilla” tactics, it describes a hit-and-run strategy to harass an enemy force without fully engaging face-to-face
I
IED: Improvised Explosive Device
INTSUM: Intelligence Summary
Incendiary: a weapon that causes damage through fire or extreme heat; think napalm or flamethrowers
Interdiction: an attack with the express intent to disrupt or stall an enemy force
IWB: Inside the Waistband, usually used when referring to concealed carry weapons
L
LE/LEO: Law Enforcement or Law Enforcement Officer, respectively
Leave: a term for vacation time away from duty i.e. “on leave”
LED: Light-Emitting Diode
M
Mag: abbreviation for a firearm magazine
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat or military rations
Mike Mike: a type of millimeter used to determine the metric caliber of ammunition
Munitions: term for weapons/explosives
N
NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer/Sergeant
NGO: Non-Government Organization like the Red Cross
O
O’ Dark Thirty: any time that’s too early in the morning (before sunrise)
Overwatch: an act when a smaller unit supports another, normally bigger unit
P
PDU: Patrol Dress Uniform
POO Site: Point of Origin Site
PDS: Personal Security Detail
Q
Quarters: a term for the standard morning assembly of all hands on deck were in a unit
R
Rampart: the first and foremost defensive wall of the fort or defensive position
ROE: Rules of Engagement
RPG: Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RLS: Rapid Light System, usually a focused beam of light on a weapon
Rout: a total victory or disorderly withdrawal of troops from a combat zone
S
S-1: military code referring to personnel
S-2: military code referring to intelligence
S-3: military code referring to operations
S-4: military code referring to logistics and supply
Siege: a military blockade of a fortification, city, or another enemy territory, preventing resupply or reinforcements
T
Taps: military slang for “lights out”. Accompanied on base by the famous “Taps” song
TDU: Tactical Dress Uniform
TOC: Tactical Operations Center
Terp: military slang for an interpreter of another language
U
UXO: Unexploded Explosive Ordnance that could still be dangerous
X
XO: Executive Officer, or second-in-command of a unit or battalion
Z
Zulu Time: another term for Greenwich Mean Time
Was that fun or what? Do you have other military language or jargon you'd like to share with us? Please write it down in the comments section!
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