Executive Officer: The second in command of a unit. In a company, the executive officer, or XO, is a first lieutenant; in a battalion, he is a major. Traditionally the XO is responsible for handling the administrative and logistical matters in the unit.
45: Short for the caliber .45 M 1911 A 1 pistol, the standard side arm for the U.S. Army. This weapon has been in the Army's inventory since 1911.
Field Phone: Simple telephones that are powered either by sound TA-ls or D-cell batteries TA-312s and connected by two-strand wire called WD-1.
Fighting positions: The location or position from which a soldier or fighting vehicle fights.
This position is usually improved to provide protection to the soldier or vehicle and camouflaged to hide the position until the soldier or vehicle fires.
First Sergeant: The senior NCO in a company, normally a master sergeant or E-8. In combat, the First Sergeant assists the executive officer in handling the administrative and logistical needs of the company.
FIST: Short for fire-support team. This team is headed by an artillery lieutenant and coordinates all requests for artillery and mortar fires as well as close air support. The FIST team consists of four to six men and travels in an M-113, normally within arm's reach of the company commander.
FSOFSE: Fire-support officer and fire-support element. The fire-support officer is responsible for coordinating all indirect fires, i.e. artillery, mortar, and close air support, for the battalion or brigade to which he is attached. The fire-support element is located at the battalion or brigade command post.
Gasthaus: A small German neighborhood restaurant and pub that may also include a hotel.
GB: A chemical agent.
Gun Manteclass="underline" The armor that protects a tank's main gun and its cradle.
Halon Gas: A gas used to extinguish fires in the M-l and Bradley vehicles. Automatic fire sensors detect fires and release the halon gas within milliseconds of activation.
HEAT: Short for high explosive antitank, a round that depends on a shaped charge explosion to penetrate an armored vehicle's armor. Because the round contains high explosive, it has a secondary role as an antimaterial round.
Hind: Nickname of the Soviet MI-24D attack helicopter.
Improved TOW Vehicle or ITV: A modified M-l13 armored personnel carrier that has an antitank guided missile launcher mounted on a small rotating turret. TOW stands for tubelaunched, optically-tracked, wire-guided antitank guided missile. The TOW is currently the heaviest antitank guided missile in the U.S. Army's inventory capable of hitting a tank-sized target out to a range of 3700 meters with a 90 hit probability.
Intercom: Short for intercommunications system. The intercom links all tracked vehicle crewmen together and allows the crew to talk amongst themselves.
LAW: Short for light antitank weapon. The current U.S. Army LAW contains a 66mm antitank rocket that has an effective range of 300 meters. The LAW comes in a collapsible tube that is discarded when the rocket has been fired.
LBE: Short for load-bearing equipment. This is the web gear worn by soldiers that includes suspenders and a web belt to which equipment is attached, such as ammo pouches, the soldier's first-aid pouch, canteen, grenades, bayonet, pistol holster, etc. LBE is designed, in theory, to evenly distribute the weight of this equipment on the soldier's body.
LOGREP: Short for logistics report. Submitted to higher headquarters to inform them of the current status of ammunition, fuel, maintenance, and supply of a unit.
LP: Listening post. A listening post is an outpost that is used during periods of limited visibility to provide security and early warning to the unit that it is covering. As its name implies, the LP relies on hearing the approaching enemy.
M-class="underline" This is the current main battle tank of the U.S. Army. It has a crew of four, mounts a 105mm main gun, an M2 caliber .50 machine gun, and an M240
7.62mm machine gun. The 63-ton tank is powered by a 1500 horsepower turbine engine and is capable of 45 mphs. The fire-control system incorporates a laser range finder, a solid-state computer, a thermal imaging sight, and other electronics that allow the main gun to fire while on the move with a high degree of accuracy, day or night.
M-3: The scout version of the Bradley fighting vehicle. See Bradley for a description.
M60: A 7.62mm machine gun that is the mainstay of the U.S. Army's infantry squad. It has an effective range of 900 meters.
M-113: Until recently, the M-l13 was the primary armored personnel carrier. Weighing 13 tons, it has a crew of two, driver and commander, and the capacity to carry an entire infantry squad. The M-113 is normally armed with a caliber .50 M2 machine gun located at the commander's position. Because infantry cannot fight while mounted, the M-113 is being replaced by the M-2 Bradley fighting vehicle. The M-113 still remains a mainstay in the U.S.
Army, performing support roles on or near the front.
M-577: A specially configured personnel carrier used as a command and control vehicle at battalion and brigade level.
Mech: Short for mechanized or, in the case in this book, mechanized infantry.
MI-241: A Soviet attack helicopter similar to the U.S. Army AH 1. The MI-241, named Hind, is heavily armed with an automatic cannon and antitank guided missiles and is well armored.
Mine Roller: An attachment to a tank that clears a path through a mine field for an attacking armored force. The rollers are nothing more than large metal wheels that are pushed ahead of the tank and set off mines as they run over them.
MOPP Leveclass="underline" Short for mission-oriented protective posture. MOPP levels prescribe how prepared individuals are to be to meet a chemical attack. In MOPP level I, soldiers simply carry or have their protective gear available. In MOPP level II, soldiers will don the chemical protective suit and carry their protective masks, gloves and boots. MOPP level III requires the soldier to wear the chemical protective suit, gloves, and boots. MOPP level IV, the highest level, requires the soldier to wear all his protective clothing and his protective mask.
MIZE: Short for Meal, Ready to Eat. MREs have replaced the age-old C-rations as the standard combat ration in the U.S. Army.. MREs are a combination of dehydrated and ready-to-eat foods that come in plastic pouches.
MTU: A Soviet tank-mounted bridge that can be laid under fire across obstacles such as antitank ditches or small streams.
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Founded in 1949, it is a military alliance whose expressed purpose is to prevent Soviet expansion in Europe. Today, NATO consists of Norway, Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Federal Republic of Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Canada, and the United States. France is still a member but does not actively participate in NATO maneuvers or exercises.
NBC-1 Report: An initial, chemical attack report.
NCO: Short for noncommissioned officer or sergeant. NCO ranks are: E-5 or buck sergeant, three stripes; E-6 or staff sergeant, three stripes and one rocker or lower stripe; E-7 or sergeant first class, three stripes and two rockers; E-8 or master sergeant, three stripes and three rockers; and E-9 or sergeant major, three stripes, three rockers with a star between the stripes and rockers.
Night Vision Goggles: Night vision devices that amplify available light and provide the user with a visible image.
OH-58: Designation of the U.S. Army's current scout or observation helicopter.
OP: Short for outpost or observation post. An outpost is placed well forward of a unit's main position and is intended to provide security and early warning for the unit. An OP can be manned by two or more dismounted personnel or armored vehicles.
Panzer: German for armor.
Panzer Grenadier: The German term for mechanized infantry.
Platoon Sergeant: The senior noncommissioned officer in a platoon, normally an E-7. The platoon sergeant is the second in command of the platoon and performs the same duties that the executive officer does at company or battalion level.