Military Terminology For Whoever Is Interested

Tutorials and guides for Plazma Burst and community features.

Military Terminology For Whoever Is Interested

Postby Phant0mB0nnie » 9 July 2020, 18:08

BEFORE YOU READ: I do NOT have any relations to the military. In other words, I'm just a civvie. Everything here is based on research I have done and my own knowledge. If you are an expert, then feel free to provide your input and report any mistakes. Otherwise, feel free to LEAVE FEEDBACK.


This post is for anyone wishing to make a military themed map, and is mainly for enhancing dialogue to make it authentic (or at least seem authentic). Once again, feel free to share your expertise so that this post can be improved! I may be adding on to this post as my knowledge increases. For more info, check out the Military Wiki:
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Main_Page


Military Time

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Military time uses the 24 hour clock. It's really simple. Time starts at 0000 hours, which is 12 am. At 0100 hours it is 1 am, and so on. At 1200 hours, it is noon, and then 1 pm is 1300 hours. It continues onwards until 2359 hours, which is 11:59 pm, then restarts at 0000 hours a minute later. Minutes are counted the same way; 60 minutes an hour, from 0-59.
Examples:
1400 hours: 2 pm.
2315 hours: 11:15 pm.
0740 hours: 7:40 am.
To easily translate times from 1300 hours onwards in the 24 hour clock to that of a 12 hour clock, simply take the time, in military time, and subtract it by 1200.
For example: 1312 - 1200 = 0112, or 1:12. So the time on a 12 hour clock would be 1:12 pm. in the afternoon.


NATO Phonetic Alphabet

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The NATO Phonetic alphabet is an alphabet used for radio messaging. At a basic level, instead of just saying plain letters through radio transmissions, replace said letters with the respective words:

A - Alpha.
B - Bravo.
C - Charlie.
D - Delta.
E - Echo.
F- Foxtrot.
G - Golf.
H - Hotel.
I - India.
J - Juliet.
K - Kilo.
L - Lima.
M - Mike.
N - November.
O - Oscar.
P - Papa.
Q - Quebec.
R - Romeo.
S - Sierra.
T - Tango.
U - Uniform.
V - Victor.
W - Whiskey.
X - X-ray.
Y - Yankee.
Z - Zulu.
For the most part, numbers are pronounced the same way, but keep in mind that the number 9 is pronounced as "niner" instead.

So with this knowledge in mind, the letter "B" would instead be stated as "Bravo," the letter "H" stated as "Hotel", etc. Keep in mind that before the formation of NATO (which was created in 1949), different phonetic alphabets were used, and not all factions and organizations use it.
That's about it for this one section, but knowledge of the phonetic alphabet may be needed to understand some of the later items shown in this post.


Callsigns

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A callsign (or call sign) is a unique designation given to a military unit to distinguish it on the comms. Basically, it consists of a nickname, generally followed by one or more numbers. Numbers are added to indicate smaller units within a larger unit.

Examples:
Bravo -- Unit Bravo.
Bravo 7 -- Unit 7 within unit Bravo.
Bravo 7-1 |--| Referring to sub-unit number 1 within the unit of Bravo 7. Typically these kind of callsigns refer to a smaller unit, like a fireteam, or maybe even an individual soldier (needs verification).

Remember that callsigns are sometimes but NOT always named after terms in the NATO phonetic alphabet. They can be named literally anything, like:

Goldigger 1-1.
Macho 5.
Milk Carton 9-9.
Garbage Man. (Also the callsign of the Huey that picked up my Rangers in MnBR.)

Be creative with your callsigns!

The ACTUAL:
When the leader of a unit is on the radio, he/she will say the unit's callsign followed by the word "actual" to indicate that the leader of the unit that is speaking. If the person speaking is NOT the leader, then he will just say the callsign without the word "actual" attached to the end of it.
For example, if Sergeant Foley, the leader of the fireteam Hunter 2-1 is speaking, he will say "Hunter 2-1 actual" instead of just "Hunter 2-1."


Additional Terminology
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Here's some miscellaneous military terms, phrases, and slang, arranged in no particular order, that you may want to use, complete with definitions and examples.
This list is incomplete. Expect new stuff to appear here.

Be advised: Stated when providing information to a unit.
Ex: "Pepper Spray 5-4, this is Fudge Sundae, be advised you have 20+ foot-mobiles [which are foot soldiers] advancing on your position."

Contact: This is stated when the presence of one or more individuals in the area is discovered. Contact is usually made visually, with one side spotting the individual and reporting it, but other methods of making contact exist, like radar contact, where individuals are spotted on a radar screen but not necessarily seen directly. Contact can also be used as a noun to refer to said individual. Contacts are sometimes hostile, but not always, as they may be friendly or a non-combatant (a civilian). Whether or not to engage the contact is decided when the individual gets identified.
Ex: "Contact! Top floor balcony."
OR
"Contact on the roof!"

Negative: Instead of saying "no", say "negative."
EX: "Negative [duh]."

Non-combatant: An individual who does not participate in combat. Also referred to as civilians, or civvies for short.
EX: "Keep an eye out for non-combatants. We don't want to hurt any civilians."

Covering/Suppressing fire: The two terms are generally used interchangeably, although they do have very subtle differences. The essence of it involves spraying as many bullets in the general direction of the enemy to keep them behind cover for fear of getting shot. As the enemy is pinned down and unable to retaliate, they give the other side valuable time to perform a task, such as moving to flank the enemy, or retrieving a wounded soldier in the middle of the battlefield.
EX: "Lay down suppressing fire so that I can move up!"

LZ: Short for Landing Zone. This is a place where aircraft, especially helicopters, land and take off from. Troops are also brought to and from the LZ. Landing zones are often pre-determined, sometimes with secondary LZs available for use if the main or primary LZ is lost. As a last resort, an improvised LZ may be used, generally to pick up troops. Landing zones need to be wide open spaces allowing for aircraft to land, unload or receive their cargo if necessary, and take off without trouble, and are (ideally) easy to find with landmarks.
EX: "Get to the LZ, and I'll come pick you up."

AO: Stands for Area of Operations. This is the location where a mission will take place and be executed by one or more units. Generally, units will be informed of other units operating in the AO (if any) to avoid blue on blue incidents (friendly fire). AOs are predetermined before the mission, and units try their best to familiarize themselves with their area and operate within their assigned AO. If they wander outside of the AO, then they have wandered into unfamiliar territory, and risk getting lost and becoming MIA (Missing in Action).
EX: "Your objective is to insert and eliminate 18 enemies inside of your AO."

KIA, WIA, and MIA: Stands for "Killed in Action", "Wounded in Action", and "Missing in Action" respectively.
A soldier who is killed in action died in the line of duty. Usually, it is because an enemy killed him.
A soldier who is wounded in action is injured in the line of duty, and tends to recover from their wounds. Soldiers WIA or KIA are eligible for the Purple Heart Medal.
A soldier who is missing in action is, well, missing. His fate remains unknown, meaning that it has not been determined whether he is dead or alive. After some time, the MIA may be presumed dead.
EX: Do you really want one?

Insertion: The moving of troops into an area. Insertion is the noun. The verb is insert.
EX: "We have reinforcements inserting into the area."

Extraction/Exfiltration: In military terms, these two are generally interchangeable. They are acronyms of the word Insertion. As a verb, it is extract and exfiltrate, or exfil for short. It means to move troops out of an area.
EX: "Once you have completed your objective, extract at the main LZ."

MEDEVAC: Short for "Medical Evacuation". The emergency evacuation of wounded from a combat area whilst providing medical care during the ride. Not to be confused with CASEVAC.
EX: "We have a man down! Requesting immediate MEDEVAC!"

CASEVAC: Stands for "Casualty Evacuation". Very similar to MEDEVAC, but it is performed by a non-standard vehicle instead of a dedicated vehicle.
EX: "Locate our missing convoy and call in CASEVAC for any wounded."

CAS: Short for "Close Air Support". This type of air support is named as such because it is expected to be delivered in close proximity to friendly units.
EX: "We are pinned down, requesting immediate CAS!"

Danger Close: Said when fire support is expected to be or has been delivered at an extremely short distance to friendlies. Danger close fire can easily turn into friendly fire, so the utmost care and precision is required to make sure it is done right. Danger close support is often called in as a last resort, for obvious safety reasons.
EX: "Requesting immediate gunship support, danger close!"

Call For Fire: Said when requesting a strike. When it comes to artillery, a target is identified, and methods of engagement (like what ammunition to use) are listed. Coordinates are sent if needed, and the guns fire one shot. The observer calling the strike will call for any adjustments needed for the fire to be on point. Once satisfied, he will call in...

Fire For Effect: A phrase for artillery. Once the observer is satisfied with the accuracy the artillery guns, he will say this phrase to the artillery, and they will unleash a full barrage on the target. "Good effect." is a phrase generally said when satisfied that the target has been destroyed.
EX (VERIFICATION NEEDED): "This is Gas Blaster, requesting call for fire..."
Some precise adjustments later: "Okay, fire for effect."

Tango: Slang for the word target. Used when referring to an enemy.Target begins with a t and the letter t in the NATO phonetic alphabet is Tango, so there you go.
EX: "Tango in the building, take him out!"

Charlie: This is an archaic term used by NATO troops during the Cold War for calling out enemies (similar to the word Tango). It is C for Communist.
EX: "Spotting five Charlies up ahead. Let's take them down."

Drop: To kill or neutralize.
EX: "Enemy spotted."
"Okay, drop him, silently."

Engage: To openly attack. Said after enemies have been identified.
EX: "All callsigns, you are clear to engage any and all hostiles you encounter."

Open Up: To open fire.
EX: "We're being engaged, open up!"

Cook Off: When ammo goes off prematurely due to high heat conditions. This can be dangerous, as the ammo begins launching shards of hot metal all over the place.
EX: "As we escaped the burning vehicle, the ammo left inside of it began to cook off."

Oscar Mike: Slang for "On the move."
EX: "We are oscar mike to our objective."

Charlie Mike: Slang for "Continue the mission."
EX: "What's the plan?
Charlie mike."

Extreme/Maximum Prejudice (needs verification): To destroy something completely and utterly (preferably without killing any civvies).
EX: "Attack with extreme prejudice."

SAM: Stands for "Surface to Air Missile." It is a type of anti-air weaponry.
EX: "We can't send any air support until that SAM site is destroyed."

AAA: Stands for "Anti-Air Artillery." Shoots at aircraft. Said as "Triple-A."
EX: "Our aircraft are taking heavy losses from an AAA battery."

Lase: To mark with a laser from a special laser pointer. The laser can be used to identify the desired target and/or to guide a missile to the target.
EX: "Lase targets for the missiles."

Arty: Slang for "artillery".
EX: "Requesting immediate arty strike!"

AGM: Short for "Air To Ground Missile". AGMs include the AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, and the AGM-114 Hellfire, among others.
EX: "We have a predator with AGMs on standby."

JDAM: Stands for "Joint Direct Attack Munition." Basically a modification given to bombs to convert them from mindlessly falling rocks to precision guided munitions that can hit specific targets. Often times, JDAM is used to refer to the bomb as a whole.
EX: "Releasing JDAM. Bombs away."

UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Simply put, drones and stuff.
EX: "UAV is in the air."

Fox (NEEDS VERFICATION): Fancy air force stuff. Said by pilots when firing a weapon (usually air to air).
There are 4 foxes. Fox 1-3 is for air targets only:
Fox 1: Indicates semi-radar guided missile.
Fox 2: Indicates infrared guided missile.
Fox 3: Indicates active-radar guided missile.
Guns guns guns (formerly Fox 4): Indicates cannon fire on an aerial or ground target.

Did you get any of that? Probably not, so here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_(code_word)

Trophy System: A shotgun type turret that shoots explosive projectiles out of the air.
EX: "We are taking heavy RPG fire! Get the trophy system online!"

IFF: Stands for "Identify Friend or Foe." It's what it sounds like: a radar based system that the military uses to determine whether aircraft are friendly, hostile, or a non-combatant.
EX: "IFF is online. Keep on the lookout for hostile aircraft."
Me in my imagination:
Complete and utter annihilation through superior volume of fire.

Me IRL:
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Phant0mB0nnie
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