Vietnam Vanguard
Appendix E. Glossary of Military Terms
ANPRC radio |
American Pack Radio Communications radio |
Aslt Pnr Platoon |
Assault Pioneer Platoon |
ATk Platoon |
Anti-Tank Platoon |
battle order |
A soldier’s full range of personal fighting equipment |
breaking harbour |
Moving out of a temporarily secured area |
cannabilisation point |
A US Army salvage unit’s location |
casevac |
Casualty evacuation |
contact |
A skirmish, joining with the enemy in battle. |
delousing |
Rendering safe a mine or booby trap |
Dustoff |
A casualty evacuation, the code word for casevac helicopters |
enfilade fire |
Gunfire directed from the side across a front |
fire for effect (FFE) |
Artillery fire applied after initial fire has been satisfactorily adjusted |
fire support base |
A secured location in which supporting artillery is temporarily based |
gun line |
An assemblage of artillery within a base |
harassing and interdiction (H&I) |
A type of artillery fire designed to aggravate more than destroy |
hutchie |
A soldier’s individual shelter from weather |
in country |
In Vietnam |
insertion |
Delivery of troops into an area by foot, vehicle or aircraft |
interdict |
To impede or intercept |
KIA |
Killed in action |
Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) |
An award for commendable service |
MIA |
Missing in action |
movement axis |
The centre line of movement of a body of troops, some of whom might be deployed some distace from the axis |
moving by fire and movement |
A tactical drill in which designated troops maintain covering fire, while others move forward to take up firing while the first group then moves forward to repeat the process |
on net |
Mutual understanding |
Orders Group |
A formal gathering at which orders are imparted by commanders |
Pentomic |
US Army scheme of organisation for Cold War nuclear scenarios |
Pentropic |
Australian Army short-lived scheme of organisation for tropical warfare scenarios |
pogo |
A non-combatant soldier |
punji stakes |
Sharp metal or wooden stakes used by the Viet Cong in mantraps |
re-entrant |
A gully between ridgelines |
rock sangar |
A protective embrasure constructed with rocks |
search and clear axis |
See: movement axis |
SLR |
Self-loading rifle |
sortie |
A single aircraft mission |
strafing |
Fire applied against ground targets by aircraft using cannon or machine guns |
tropical studded |
Fitted with brass studs for improved grip in wet tropical terrain (Second World War Australian Army boots) |
warn out |
Give prior notice to |
WIA |
Wounded in action |
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