GLOSSARY

abaya (Arabic)—a large dress that leaves only the hands, feet, and face exposed

abu (Arabic)—father of, typical start of Al Qaeda nom de guerre

ACOG—advanced combat optical gunsight, popular among soldiers

Agha Sahib (Pashto, from the Arabic)—honorific for a military commander

albuyah nasiffah (Arabic)—literally, explosive container. Common expression for IED.

Allahu Akbar (Arabic)—God is great, the typical war cry of mujahideen

ANAL—ammonium nitrate and aluminum, a type of HME

ANCOP—Afghan National Civil Order of Police, an elite “surge” police unit, compared to regular Afghan National Police

ANFO—ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, a type of HME

ansar (Arabic)—helper, slang for foreign fighters in Kosovo in the late 1990s

AO—area of operations

ASP—ammunition supply point, a bunker or other storage area for ordnance

baba (Pashto)—casual honorific for a grandfatherly old man

BAT—biometric automated toolset, a camera and laptop system to enroll people in a biometrics database

BFM—basic fighter maneuvers

bingo—pilot slang for the minimum fuel necessary to land safely

Bone—slang for B-1 bomber

BUFF—big ugly fat fucker, slang for B-52s

CAG—Combat Applications Group, the official name for the Army’s Delta Force

Caiman—a type of MRAP

casevac—casualty evacuation. In common usage, the transportation of patients via vehicles on the ground.

CEXC—Combined Explosives Exploitation Cell, the central crime lab in Baghdad and Bagram, where all IED evidence went

CIDNE—Combined Information Data Network Exchange, pronounced “Sydney.” The main database for IED post blast reports.

CJSOTF—Combined Joint Special Operation Task Force, pronounced “See-Ja-So-Tiff.” Multinational, and included members of all branches of the US military.

COIN—counterinsurgency

COP—combat outpost

CT—counterterrorism

DEVGRU—Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the official name for SEAL Team 6

dhabihah (Arabic)—in Islamic law, the approved process for slaughtering animals

DShK—large 12.7mm Soviet machine gun, the counterpart to the American .50 cal machine gun

Eagle—slang for F-15C fighter jets

emir (Arabic)—commander

EOD—explosive ordnance disposal

FN-SCAR—a new advanced rifle

FOB—forward operating base

fobbit—slang and derisive term for a soldier that never leaves the base, the subject of David Abrams’s novel of the same name

golden hour—in the field of emergency medicine, the idea that a patient’s chance of survival drastically increases if they enter surgery in less than sixty minutes

H&K 416—a rifle popular with special ops

habibi (Arabic)—someone you like, used between sweethearts or adults to children

helicoptera (Pashto)—helicopter

HESCO—large expandable containers made of fabric and wire mesh. When filled with dirt, they form effective barriers against bullets and detonations. HESCO is the name of the British company that produces the barriers.

HIIDES—handheld interagency identity detection equipment, a device that collects and matches iris scans, fingerprints, and photos. The precursor to the SEEK.

HME—home-made explosives

Hornet—slang for Navy F-18 fighter jets

ICOM—a type of radio often used by insurgents

Identity Operations—the US military’s process for determining and confirming who people are

IED—improvised explosive device

ifranjiah (Arabic)—a board game, also known as tables, and similar to backgammon

imam (Arabic)—a worship leader in a mosque

Inshallah (Arabic)—literally, if Allah wills it. A very common phrase.

ISR—intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, often (but certainly not always) from a UAV

J2—the intelligence section of a joint military unit, comprising members of multiple branches of the military

JDAM—joint direct attack munition, a smart bomb

JERRV—joint EOD rapid response vehicle, pronounced “jerve”

JIEDDO—Joint IED Defeat Organization, pronounced “Jie-dough” or “Ji-E-dough”

JOC—joint operations center

JPEL—joint priority effects list, the consolidated list of targets

JSOC—Joint Special Operations Command

JTAC—joint terminal air controller, the airman or soldier on the ground responsible for calling in air strikes

KAF—Kandahar Air Field

kariz (Pashto)—underground canal and irrigation system, and a great place to hide IEDs

katibat (Arabic)—brigade, mujahideen term for an independent company of soldiers under a single commander

kuffar (Arabic)—infidels

laarey (Pashto)—truck, from the British

lala (Pashto)—older brother

LZ—landing zone

M4—the standard US combat rifle

M9—the standard 9mm pistol

malem (Arabic)—teacher

MC-12—a type of spy aircraft based upon the civilian Beechcraft King Air

medevac—medical evacuation. In common usage, the transportation of patients via aircraft, usually helicopters.

MICLIC—mine-clearing line charge

MIMID—a type of mine detector

mines (Pashto)—landmine, but used for any kind of IED

mIRC—Mardam-Bey Internet Relay Chat, a civilian Internet chat capability developed in 1995 but currently used by the US military to establish real-time secure chat rooms

MRAP—mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, distinguished by the V-hull that deflects blast from below

muezzin (Arabic)—a man who sings the Call to Prayer from a mosque’s minaret

mujahideen (Arabic)—those engaged in jihad. Singular is mujahid.

NAI—named area of interest

ODA—Operational Detachment Alpha, a Special Forces A-team trained to partner with indigenous forces

ODIN—Observe, Detect, Identify and Neutralize, a task force in Iraq and Afghanistan

OGA—other government agencies, sometimes a euphemism for the CIA, sometimes used when the speaker really doesn’t know the specific intelligence agency (NSA, DIA, etc.) in question

Paladin—the counter-IED task force for Afghanistan

patu (Pashto)—a wool blanket, often worn as a coat or slept in

PID—positive ID

PKM—a common 7.62mm machine gun developed by the Soviets in the 1960s and used around the world

PX—post exchange, the military’s department store

qalat (Pashto)—the standard multifamily housing unit in Afghanistan. Often made of mud. Originally from the Arabic, for castle.

queep—fighter pilot slang for paperwork and other bureaucratic trivialities

Raptor—slang for F-22 fighter jet

RG-31—a type of MRAP

ROZ—restricted operating zone. The airspace around the target of an operation, where all aircraft must check in for clearance by a JTAC or the air warden.

RPA—remotely piloted aircraft, the military’s preferred term for Predators and other similar airframes

RTB—return to base

salaam (Arabic)—peace, a typical greeting, shortened from the more traditional as-salaam-alaikum, meaning “peace unto you”

salat (Arabic)—the obligation to pray five times a day, and one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith

SAM—surface-to-air missile

SEEK—secure electronic enrollment kit, a device that acquires a variety of biometric data. The replacement for the HIIDES.

shaheed (Arabic)—a martyr

shalwar kameez (Pashto)—the traditional dress of south Asia, baggy shirt and pants

shura (Arabic)—a council or consultation

SIGINT—signals intelligence

SITREP—situation report

SIM—subscriber identity module, the card in the back of a cell phone that uniquely identifies the phone number and account

snake eater—slang for anyone in special operations

SOCOM—Special Operations Command

Strike Eagle—call sign for F-15E fighter-bombers

T-38—a supersonic aircraft used to train fighter pilots

takfir (Arabic)—the process of excommunication, by declaring another Muslim to be kafir, an apostate

TAI—tactical area of interest

talib (Arabic)—a student. The Taliban movement identify themselves first as students of the Koran.

TECHDIV—the Navy’s Technical EOD Division at Indian Head, Maryland

TEDAC—the FBI’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center

terp—slang for interpreter

TIC—troops in contact, a popular term for a firefight

TOC—tactical operations center

toshak (Pashto)—sleeping mattress, placed directly on the floor

TOT—time on target

Troy—the counter-IED task force for Iraq

UAV—unmanned aerial vehicle, an older term for an RPA or drone

ummah (Arabic)—the congregation of all Muslims

UPT—undergraduate pilot training

Viper—slang for F-16 fighter jets

VOIP—voice over Internet protocol, a way to make voice phone calls using an Internet connection