Helo: SEAL talk for helicopter.
Herky Bird: C-130 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, 4x4, 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, a man 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.
IBS: Inflatable Boat Small. 12x6 feet. Carry 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.
IV Pack: Intravenous fluid that you can drink if out of water.
JNA: Yugoslav National Army.
JP-4: Normal military jet fuel.
JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command.
JSOCCOMCENT: Joint Special Operations Command Center in the Pentagon.
KA-BAR: SEAL’s combat 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.
LT: Short for lieutenant in SEAL talk.
Liaison: Close connection, cooperating person from one unit or service to another. Military liaison.
Laser Pistoclass="underline" The SIW pinpoint of ruby light emitted for aiming. Usually 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 and Shoot: SEAL talk for getting into action on a mission.
LZ: Landing Zone.
M-16: Automatic U.S. rifle. 5.56-round. Magazine 20 or 30, rate of fire 700 to 950 rds/mn. Can attach M203 40mm grenade launcher under barrel.
M-18 Claymore: Antipersonnel mine. A slab of C-4 with 200 small ball bearings. Set off electrically or by trip wire. Can be positioned and aimed. Sprays out a cloud of balls. Kill zone, 50 meters.
M-203: A 40mm grenade launcher fitted under an M-16 or the M-15. Can fire a variety of grenade types up to twelve hundred feet.
M-3 Submachine Gun: World War II grease gun,45 caliber. Cheap. Introduced in 1942.
M-60E3: Lightweight handheld machine gun. Not used now by the SEALs.
M-86: Pursuit deterrent munitions. Various types of mines, grenades, trip wire explosives, and other devices in antipersonnel use.
M1-8: Russian chopper.
M1A1 M-14: Match rifle upgraded for SEAL snipers.
M60 Machine Gun: Can use 100-round ammo box snapped onto the gun’s receiver. Not used much now by SEALs.
M61(j): Machine pistol, Yugoslavian make.
M61A1: The usual 20mm cannon used on many American fighter planes.
M662: 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. Weighs 4 pounds loaded. 9.5 inches long, with silencer 16.5 inches long.
Mark II Knife: Navy-issue combat knife.
Mark VIII SDV: Swimmer delivery vehicle. A bus, SEAL talk. Twenty-one feet long, beam and draft 4-feet, 6 knots for 6 hours.
Master-at-Arms: Military police on board a ship.
MAVRIC Lance: A nuclear alert for stolen nukes or radioactive goods.
MC-13 °Combat Talon: A specially equipped Hercules for covert missions in enemy or unfriendly territory.
McMillan M88: Bolt-action sniper rifle .50 caliber. 53 inches long. Bipod, fixed five- or ten-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 BlackHawk: Navy chopper. Forward infrared system for low level night flight. Radar for terra follow avoidance. Crew of 3, take 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 plane, 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 signals from SATCOM and other radio transmitters. Used by SEALs.
Miniguns: In choppers. Can fire 2,000 rounds per minute. Gatling gun type.
Mitrajez M80: Machine gun from Yugoslavia.
M15: British domestic intelligence agency.
Mocha: Food energy bar SEALs carry in vest pockets.
Mossburg: Pump-action, pistol-grip, 5-round magazine, SEALs use it for close-in work.
Motorola Radio: Personal radio, short range, lip mike, earpiece, 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 locator device. Sends up antenna for pickup on positioning satellites. Works underwater or above. Gives location within 10 feet.
Mujahideen: A soldier of Allah in Muslim nations.