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