Descriptionary

gun an armored, tracked vehicle that provides engi­neer support to other combat elements; equipped with a heavy-duty boom and winch, dozer blade, 165mm demolition gun, and a machine gun.

contact mine a mine detonated by physical contact.

continuous illumination fire a type of fire in which illuminating projectiles are fired at specified time inter­vals to provide lighting over a specified area or target.

counterguerrilla warfare operations conducted against guerrillas.

countermining tactics and techniques used to detect, avoid, and/or neutralize enemy mines.

culture any feature of terrain that has been con­structed by humans, including roads, buildings, canals, and all names and legends on a map.

danger close in artillery support, information in a call for fire to indicate that friendly forces are within 600 meters of the target.

D-day the unnamed day on which a particular oper­ation is to commence.

debriefing instructions not to give away or discuss classified information. Also the interviewing of one returning from a mission in order to gather intelli­gence data on other vital information.

decontamination station a facility equipped to clean personnel of chemical, biological, or radioactive contaminants.

decoy any phony object, installation, or person intended to deceive the enemy.

DEFCON defense readiness conditions; a sys­tem of progressive alert postures for use between the joint chiefs of staff and the commanders of the armed services.

defilade to shield from enemy fire or observation by using natural or artificial obstacles.

defoliant operation the use of defoliating agents on trees, shrubs, and any foliage to make a clearing for military operations.

demilitarized zone a defined area where military installations or military forces are prohibited.

demolition belt an area sown with explosive charges, mines, and other obstacles to deny use of the land to enemy operations and as a protection to friendly troops.

demolition tool kit the tools, materials, and acces­sories of a nonexplosive nature necessary for prepar­ing demolition charges.

deployment the extension or widening of the front of a military unit to battle formation. Also, the relo­cation of forces to desired areas of operations.

detachment a part of a unit separated from its main organization for duty elsewhere.

division a tactical unit larger than a regiment or brigade but smaller than a corps.

Dragon a portable antitank weapon consisting of a small missile and launcher.

dump a temporary storage area, usually out in the open, for bombs, ammunition, equipment, and suchlike.

Duster a self-propelled, twin 40mm antiaircraft weapon for use against low-flying aircraft. Also known as M-42.

echelon any subdivision of a tactical unit.

enfilade sweeping gunfire across the length of a line of troops.

envelopment surrounding the enemy.

Excalibur a 155mm artillery shell with its own guidance system to increase accuracy.

ARMY, GROUND FORCES, AND GENERAL MILITARY TERMS 351

FCS Future Combat Systems. A developing system of weapons, including robots and combat vehicles,that can communicate with each other over a wireless network.

flamethrower a weapon that shoots incendiary gas. Nicknamed zippo.

flash blindness temporary or permanent loss of vision caused by intense flash from an explosion.

flash suppressor a device attached to the muzzle of a weapon to diminish its flash upon firing.

Fritz nickname for the Kevlar helmet worn by the army and marines. The helmets resemble those worn by the Germans in World War II.

glad bag derogatory slang for a body bag.

grunt slang for an infantryman.

guerrilla a member of an independent raiding band.

gun carriage a mobile or fixed support for a gun.

howitzer a high-trajectory cannon with a barrel longer than a mortar.

hum-vee modern equivalent of the jeep.

IED improvised explosive devices; homemade, remote-control bombs built by enemy guerrilla fight­ers, commonly employed by Iraqi resistance.

igloo space in an earth-sheltered structure, an area designed for the storage of ammunition and explosives.

klick kilometer.

KP kitchen police; mess hall duty.

laser rangefinder a device that uses a laser to deter­mine the distance to an object.

litter a basket or frame utilized for the transport of the injured.

logistics the science of carrying out the movement and maintenance of troops.

mark a call for fire on a specific location to indicate targets.