GLOSSARY OF COMMON MILITARY TERMS

GLOSSARY OF COMMON MILITARY TERMS

ADDRESSEE— The activity or individual to whom a

message is to be delivered.

ADJUST— A command to the spotter or observer to

initiate an adjustment on a designated target.

ADJUSTMENT— Process used to obtain correct line,

range, and connect height of burst (if time fuzes are

used) in engaging a target by observed fire.

ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN OR ORDER— A combat

plan or order relating to the operation plan or order

for a tactical operation, that is issued as its paragraph

4. It sets forth information and instructions

governing the logistical and administrative support

of the operation.

ADVANCE— The forward movement of a unit toward

the enemy.

ADVANCE BY BOUNDS— An advance controlled by

the assignment of successive objectives, usually

from one terrain feature to the next.

ADVANCE GUARDS— A security element that

precedes and protects the main body of a force,

whatever its formation, and covers its deployment

for action if enemy contact is made.

ADVANCE PARTY— A security element organic to the

advance guard that precedes and protects the

support.

ALIGNMENT— The formation in a straight line of

several elements.

ALTERNATE POSITION— The position designated to

serve as the primary position under certain

conditions.

AMPLIFIER— A device that increases signal power.

ANGLE OF ELEVATION— The vertical angle between

the line from the muzzle of a weapon to the target

and the axis of the bore when the weapon is laid for

range.

ANNEX— A document appended to and forming a part

of a complete plan, order, or other document.

ANTENNA— An electrical conductor, or system of con-

ductors, used to transmit or receive radio waves.

ANTIGUERRILLA OPERATIONS— Operations

conducted by conventional forces against guerrilla

forces in rear areas at the same time the

conventional force is engaged in conventional

combat operations in the forward areas.

APERTURE SIGHT— A lensless sight by which the

target is viewed through a hole, or aperture (as

contrasted with an open sight having only a V-cut

notch).

APPROACH MARCH— The advance toward the

enemy from the point where the zone of hostile

artillery or other distant fire is entered.

AREA DEFENSE— A form of defense oriented toward

the retention of specific terrain; area defense relies

mainly on deployed forces that fire to stop and

repulse the attacker.

AREA OF CONCENTRATION— A limited area on

which a volume of fire is placed within a limited time.

ASSAULT— The final step of the attack phase; the rush

to close combat with the enemy and to drive him out

in hand-to-hand combat with the extensive use of

bayonets and hand grenades.

ASSAULT POSITION— A position located between

the line of departure and the object.

ASSEMBLY— Two or more parts fastened together and

not usually disassembled except for replacement.

ASSEMBLY AREA— The area where a command

assembles preparatory to making a move.

ATTACHED— A unit is attached to another when

command, operational, and administrative control

of the attached unit passes from its parent unit to

the commander of the unit to which attachment is

made.

ATTACK— A phase of offensive combat; offensive

action directed against the enemy with the intent to

kill, capture, or drive him from his position.

ATTACK POSITION— The most forward covered and

concealed position in rear of the line of departure

occupied by assault units for the minimum amount

of time necessary to coordinate final details and

preparations for the attack.

AUTOMATIC— The self-powered action of a weapon,

using recoil, gas, or blowback operation, that

produces a rapid and continuous burst of shots while

the trigger is depressed.

AXIS OF THE BORE— An imaginary centerline of the

bore of a gun.

AZIMUTH— A direction in a horizontal plane.

BARRAGE— Final protective fires of indirect fire

weapons.

BARREL— A metal tube used to direct the bulletin its

line of flight.

BASE (BASE UNIT)— The element or unit in a tactical

operation around which a movement or maneuver

is planned and performed.

BASE OF FIRE— One or more units that give sup-

porting fire to an attacking unit and serve as the base

around which attack operations are carried out.

BATTALION FORWARD DEFENSE AREA—

Portion of a battle area defended by front-line

companies; it extends to the limit of the rearward

extension of lateral boundaries of the front-line

companies.

BATTERY— The position of a weapon when cocked and

its recoiling parts are forwarded.

BATTLE AREA— The area in which the forward forces

and their reserves are located; it is described by

coordinating points, flank boundaries, and

sometimes a rear boundary.

BATTLE POSITION— The position on which the main

effort of defense is, or is to be made.

BEACHHEAD— A designated area on a hostile shore or

territory which, when seized and held, ensures the

continuous landing of troops and material, and

provides maneuvering space for subsequent

projected operations into enemy territory; the

physical objective of an amphibious or airborne

operation.

BEATEN ZONE— The area on the ground or target on

which the shots forming the cone of dispersion

strike.

BLADE— The front sight; usually a small piece of metal

used in conjunction with the rear sight for sighting

the target.

BLOWBACK— The energy produced in a weapon by

expanding gases and powder; it forces the cartridge

case rearward out of the chamber.

BOLT— A mechanical device for blocking the breech

and holding the cartridge in the chamber during

firing to prevent rearward escape of gases.

BORESIGHTING— A process by which the axis of a

gun bore and the line of a gunsight are made parallel

or are made to converge on a point.

BOUNDARIES— The battalion and company defense

areas that are limited because of terrain features and

avenues of approach.

Company boundaries immediately forward of the

FEBA assign responsibility for an avenue of approach

to a company, preferably the company most threatened

by the avenue. Boundaries between companies extend

forward of the FEBA, but stop short of the combat

outpost line (COPL). They extend to the rear far enough

to provide sufficient area for the companies to organize

their defense in depth.

Establishing rear boundaries may become

necessary during fluid operations when infilltration and

guerrilla activities are possible. Rear boundaries help

the company coordinate and control its maneuvers and

fires.

BREECH— The rear end of the barrel.

BREECHBLOCK or BREECH MECHANISM— The

metal block used to seal the rear end of the bore

against the force of the charge; in small arms, the

breech mechanism is the bolt.

BRIDGEHEAD— An area of ground taken and held in

enemy territory.

BULLET— The projectile of a small-arms cartridge that

is discharged from a weapon toward a target.

BURST OF FIRE— A number of shots fired

automatically with a single squeeze of the trigger.

BURSTING CHARGE— The force of an explosive that

breaks the casing of a projectile to produce a

demolition, fragmentation, or chemical action.

CADENCE— A rhythmic rate of march at uniform step.

CALIBER— The diameter of the bore measured from

land to land; usually expressed in decimal fractions

of an inch.

CAM— An inclined surface that imparts a desired motion

to a sliding piece. (This is a generalized small-arms

definition.)

CANNIBALIZATION— The act of taking apart or parts

from an unserviceable piece of equipment to make

another piece of equipment serviceable.

CARTRIDGE— A small-arms round ready for firing; its

components are the cartridge case, primer,

propellant, and bullet.

CARTRIDGE CASE— A metal case that houses the

primer and propellant and holds the bullet.

CHAMBER— The enlarged part of the bore at the breech

that holds the cartridge.

CHAMBERING— The process of placing a round into

the chamber of a weapon after it has been fed into

the weapon.

CHANNEL— An electrical path over which trans-

missions can be made from one station (unit) to

another.

CHARGE— A part of the fire command that established

the amount of propellant to be used with a shell.

CHECKPOINT— An easily identifiable point on the

terrain that is used in controlling movement or

reporting locations of friendly units.

CIRCUIT— A communications link between two or

more points.

CIVIC ACTION— The use of military forces on projects

that contribute to the economic development of the

local population. The projects concern education,

training, public works, agriculture, transportation,

communications, health, sanitation, and others.

CLANDESTINE (SECRET) OPERATION—

Intelligence, counterintelligence, and other similar

activities sponsored or conducted by governmental

departments or agencies using secretor illicit means

against another nation.

CLIP— A device that holds cartridges so they can be

loaded into a weapon.

CLOSE AIR SUPPORT— Air operations against the

enemy executed at very close range to friendly front

lines.

CLOSE COMBAT— Hand-to-hand fighting with

weapons, such as bayonets, hand grenades, service

rifles, or pistols.

COCKING— The phase of operation that pertains to the

locking of the hammer or firing assembly, slide

assembly, or bolt group in a fixed (or held) position

under spring tension and with all parts in position.

Depressing the trigger allows the firing pin to strike

the primer.

COLUMN— A formation in which the elements are

placed one behind the other; a section or platoon is

in column when its squads are in column and

abreast.

COMBAT ORDER— An order issued by a commander

for a combat operation specifying time and date of

execution.

COMBAT OUTPOST— A security element for a

battalion defensive position located approximately

1,000 to 2,500 yards forward of the main line of

resistance; its primary purpose is to engage the

enemy.

COMBAT PATROL— A patrol whose primary mission

is to engage actively in combat with the enemy and

whose secondary mission is to gain information

about the enemy and the terrain.

COMBAT PLAN— A plan issued for a combat operation

that may be effective immediately for planning

purposes or for specified preparatory action. It is not

put into execution until directed by the commander

in a separate order of execution or until certain

specified conditions are determined to exist. When

its execution is directed, a combat plan becomes, in

effect, a combat order.

COMMAND POST (CP)— The location of a unit’s

headquarters from which the commander and the

staff operate.

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER— An agency that is

responsible for the receipt, transmission, and

delivery of messages.

COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK— A system

consisting of a number of designated stations

connected with one another by any means

of communications.

COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY— The protection

by all measures to deny unauthorized persons

information of value that might be derived from a

study or receipt of communications.

COMPANY FORWARD DEFENSE AREA— Portion

of a battle area defended by front-line platoons; it

extends laterally to the company boundaries,

forward to the FEBA, and rearward to the

supplementary positions required by the front-line

platoons.

CONCEALMENT— The protection from observation

Only.

CONNECTING ELEMENT— A file or group of

personnel whose mission is to maintain contact

between elements of a command.

CONSOLIDATION— A phase of offensive combat

consisting of the hasty assumption of the defense

and reorganization on the seized objective.

COOK OFF— A cook off is a functioning of any or all

of the explosive components of a cartridge or shell

caused by a weapon that has become very hot from

continuous firing.

CORRIDOR— A strip of land forming a passageway

between two opposing forces; in battle, no man’s

land.

COUNTERATTACK— An attack by a part or all of a

defending force against an enemy attacking force.

The specific purpose of the attack is to regain

ground lost or to cut off or destroy enemy advance

units. The general objective of the attack is to deny

friendly territory to the enemy.

COUNTERRECOIL— The return of a breech

mechanism to battery position after it has reached

recoil limit. In small-arms weapons, it is usually

accomplished by the release of compressed springs.

COUNTERSLOPE— Aposition located on the forward

slope of the next elevation to the rear of the main

line of resistance.

COVER— Any object that gives protection from enemy

fire.

COVERT OPERATIONS— Operations that are so

planned and executed as to conceal the identity of

the sponsor.

CRITICAL TERRAIN— Terrain-the possession of

which is vital to the accomplishment of the mission.

CRYSTAL— A natural substance, such as quartz or

tourmaline, that is used to control the frequency of

radio transmitters.

CYCLIC RATE OF FIRE— The theoretical number of

rounds a weapon can fire in 1 minute, disregarding

the limits of overheating and the capacity of the

magazine.

CYLINDER— The chamber in which the piston moves

in gas-operated weapons.

DANGER SPACE— The area between the muzzle of a

direct fire weapon and the point of impact of its

projectile (not to exceed the height of an average

standing man).

DATE-TIME GROUP (DTG)— The date and time that

identifies when a message is prepared for

transmission. The DTG is expressed in six digits

followed by a zone suffix-the first pair of digits

denotes the date, the second pair the hours, and the

third pair the minutes.

D-DAY— The day on which an operation commences or

is to commence.

DEAD SPACE— The area within the maximum range of

a weapon that cannot be covered by fire from a

particular position because of intervening obstacles

or because of the nature of the ground.

DEBARKATION— The unloading of troops, equip-

ment, or supplies from a ship or aircraft.

DEFENSIVE POSITION— A portion of a defense area

physically occupied by troops and weapons.

DEFILADE— A position protected from hostile ground

observation and fire by a mask.

DEFILE— A narrow place or space, such as a mountain

pass, a ford, or a bridge, that restricts the advance

of a force on a wide front or its movement to the

sides.

DEFLECTIONS— The setting on the scale of a gunsight

to place the line of fire in the direction desired; the

horizontal clockwise angle between the axis of the

bore and the line of sighting.

DELAYING ACTION— A form of defensive action

used to slow up the enemy’s advance (without

becoming decisively engaged) to gain time.

DEPLOYMENT— An extension of width or depth of a

unit or both; how a unit is organized for combat.

DEPTH— The distance from front to rear of an element,

formation, or position.

DIRECT FIRE— Fire delivered by a weapon sighted

directly at the target.

DIRECT SUPPORT— The support given directly to a

specific force in response to its request for

assistance.

DISPERSION— The spreading of troops and material

over a wide area to avoid offering the enemy a

concentrated target; a scattered pattern of hits of

bombs dropped under identical conditions or of

shots fired from the same gun with the same firing

data.

DISPLACEMENT— The movement of supporting

weapons or elements from one position to another.

DISTANCE— Space between elements in the direction

of depth. Between individuals, it is the space

between your chest and the person to your front.

DOUBLE ACTION— An action of depressing the

trigger, as in revolvers, that cocks the hammer and

then releases it to fire the weapon. Both occur on

one pull of the hammer.

DOUBLE TIME— Cadence at 180 steps (36 inches in

length) per minute.

DUMP— An area used for the temporary storage and

disbursing of military supplies.

ECHELON— A subdivision of a headquarters, such as

forward echelon or rear echelon; a separate level of

command; a fraction of a command in the direction

of depth to which a principal combat mission is

assigned, such as attack echelon, support echelon,

or reserve echelon; a formation in which the

elements are placed one behind another, extending

beyond and unmasking one another wholly or in

part.

EJECTION— The process of expelling the empty

cartridge case from a weapon through the use of an

ejector.

EJECTOR— The part that expels the empty cartridge

case from the receiver of a weapon; it maybe fixed,

spring-loaded, or movable.

ELEMENT— An individual squad, section, platoon,

company, or another unit that is part of a larger unit.

EMBARKATION— The loading of troops, equipment,

or supplies into a ship or aircraft.

EMPLACEMENT— A prepared position from which a

weapon executes its fire mission.

ENFILADE FIRE— Fire delivered so the long axis of

the beaten zone coincides with the long axis of the

target.

ENVELOPMENT— An attack made on one or both of

the enemy’s flanks or rear; usually accompanied by

an attack on his front.

EROSION— The wearing away of the inner surface of a

gun barrel as a result of mechanical wear and the

chemical action of powder gases.

EVACUATION— The process of moving casualties

from a battlefield and subsequently of moving them

along the chain of evacuation, as necessary; the

clearance of personnel or material or both from a

given locality.

EVASION AND ESCAPE (E&E)— The procedures and

operations whereby military personnel and other

selected individuals are enabled to emerge from an

enemy-held or hostile area to areas under friendly

control.

EXPLOITATION— The last phase of offensive combat

that follows the reorganization of the attacking unit

on the objective. In this phase of combat, the

attacking unit may be directed to continue the

attack, to pursue the enemy, or to mop up.

EXTRACTION— The phase of operation that deals with

the removal of the empty cartridge case from the

chamber of an extracting device before ejection.

EXTRACTOR— The part that withdraws the empty

cartridge case from the chamber of a weapon.

FEBA (FORWARD EDGE OF THE BATTLE

AREA)— An imaginary line joining the forward

edges of the most advanced defensive positions of

the battle area.

FEEDING— The mechanical positioning of an

individual round for subsequent insertion into the

chamber of a weapon during the cycle or operation.

FIELD FORTIFICATION— Entrenchments, emplace-

ments, and obstacles constructed in the field to

increase the natural defensive strength of the terrain.

FIELD OF FIRE— The area that a weapon or group of

weapons covers effectively with fire.

FIELD STRIPPING— Removal of the groups from a

weapon; does not include disassembly of groups.

FILE— A single column of men or vehicles, one behind

the other.

FINAL PROTECTIVE FIRES— The “all-out” fires of

the defending unit fired as the enemy approaches

close to the front-line positions.

FINAL PROTECTIVE LINE— A line along which

interlocking bands of grazing fire are placed to stop

enemy assaults. The line is placed at a pre-

determined distance from all available weapons

fixed in direction and elevation that are capable of

delivery under conditions of visibility.

FIRE AND MANEUVER— The close coordination of

the movement of a unit with its own fire or the fire

of supporting weapons. This coordination enables a

portion of the unit to move forward, while the

remaining portion covers the forward movement by

fire.

FIRE CONTROL— All operations connected with the

preparation and application of fire to a target.

FIRE DIRECTION CENTER— The element of a

command post, consisting of gunnery and

communication personnel and equipment, by means

of which the commander exercises fire direction and

fire control.

FIRE MISSION— A target assigned to a unit or

personnel manning a certain weapon or weapons

with instructions as to the time and method of firing

and placing fire on the target.

FIRE UNIT— A unit whose fire is under the immediate

and effective control of one leader.

FIRING MECHANISM— The parts of a weapon that

move together to cause the cartridge primer to be

struck when the trigger is depressed.

FIRING POSITIONS— Defensive positions from

which fire missions are carried out; they are

designated primary, alternate, or supplemental

FIXED FIRE— Fire delivered on a point target.

FLANK— The right or left extremity of a unit; the

element on the extreme right or left of the line; a

direction at right angles to the direction a unit is

facing.

FLANK GUARD— A security detachment that protects

the flank of a body of troops on the march.

FLANKING FIRE— Fire delivered at right angles to the

enemy flank.

FLAT TRAJECTORY— A trajectory having little or no

curvature.

FORMATION— Arrangement of the elements of a unit

in line, in column, or in any other prescribed

manner.

FORWARD DEFENSE AREA— Portion of a battle area

defended by front-line companies or platoons.

FORWARD SLOPE— The slope of elevated terrain in

the direction of the enemy.

FREQUENCY— The band on which a unit is to operate

its radio communications.

FRONT— The line of contact of two opposing forces; the

length of space of an element or formation measured

from one flank to the other; the direction of the

enemy.

FRONTAL FIRE— Fire delivered perpendicular to the

enemy (across his front).

FUZE— A device for setting off an explosive charge; a

command or request to indicate the type of fuze

action desired, such as delay, quick or time for the

60-mm mortar.

GAS OPERATED— The small-arms principle by which

gas pressure from a fired cartridge activates the

operating parts of a weapon using a piston and

cylinder arrangement.

GAS PORT— A small hole drilled in the barrel to allow

the expanding gases to strike the piston in the

cylinder of a gas-operated weapon; sometimes

called a vent.

GENERAL SUPPORT— The support given to a force

as a whole and not to any particular subdivision

thereof.

GRAZING FIRE— Fire in which the trajectory does not

rise higher than the height of a man standing.

GRENADE SUMP— A circular hole large enough to

accept the largest known enemy grenade; it slopes

downward under the fire step in the fighting hole.

Hand grenades thrown into the fighting hole are

exploded in this sump; their fragmentation is

restricted to the unoccupied end of the fighting hole.

GROOVES— The depressed areas between the lands

(raised surfaces) in the bore; the cutaway portion of

the rifling into which the jacket or rotating band of

a bullet fits to impart rotation to the bulletin its line

of flight.

GROUND ZERO— The point on the ground or directly

above at which a nuclear weapon has exploded.

GROUP— Two or more parts or assemblies that either

function together in a gun or are so closely related

to one another that they should be considered as a

unit.

GUERRILLAS— Combatants that are members of an

organized and recognized military force whose

activities normally are directed to harassing,

delaying, or disrupting opposing forces; they

normally wear civilian clothes.

GUIDE— The individual (base) upon which a formation,

or an element thereof, regulates its march.

HAMMER— A lever that is swung around by spring

pressure to strike the firing pin of a weapon.

HANGFIRE— A delay in the functioning of a propelling

charge explosive train at the time of firing. In most

cases the delay, though unpredictable, ranges from

a split second to several minutes.

HEAD— The leading element of a column.

HEADSPACE— In small-arms weapons, the distance

between the face of the bolt and the base of the

cartridge when it is fully chambered and the bolt is

locked.

H-HOUR— The hour an attack is to be launched, an

assault wave is to land, or a movement is to begin.

INDIRECT FIRE— Fire delivered at a target that cannot

be seen from the gun position.

INFILTRATE— To pass troops in relatively small

numbers through an opening in the enemy’s position

or his field of fire or through territory occupied by

other troops or organizations.

INITIAL POINT— A place at which various

subdivisions of a command are required to arrive at

the proper time to join a marching column.

INSURGENCY— Subversive political activity, civil

rebellion, revolt, or insurrection designed to weaken

and overthrow a duly constituted authority by its

own people.

INSURRECTION— A rising up against an established

authority by its own people.

INTERFERENCE— Natural or man-made radiation of

electrical energy that causes difficulty in reception

of radio signals.

INTERVAL— The lateral space between elements on the

same line.

JAMMING— Deliberate interference intended to

prevent reception of radio signals in a specific

frequency band.

KEY TERRAIN— Land, the possession of which could

prove decisive in combat.

LANDS— The spiral raised surface in the bore of a

weapon.

LEAF SIGHT— A type of metallic sight in which the

aperture is raised to operating position by being

swung upward on a hinged leaf.

LEFT (RIGHT) FLANK— The extreme left (right)

element or edge of a body of troops in relation to the

enemy, regardless of the direction in which the body

of troops is facing.

LIMITING POINT— The point along a line of

resistance where the responsibility of one unit stops

and that of another begins. Limiting points are

placed on the boundaries between companies to

indicate specific localities on the ground where the

battalion command wishes the company

commanders to coordinate their defense.

LINE— A formation in which the elements are abreast,

except that a section or platoon is in line one behind

the other when its squads are in line.

LINE OF DEPARTURE— A line designated to

coordinate the departure of attack elements.

LISTENING POST— A one- or two-man post located

forward of the battle position for the purpose of

listening for enemy activity.

LOADING— The manual procedure of inserting a

magazine, clip, belt, or single round into a weapon

or its feeding mechanism and the subsequent action

for feeding, cambering, or cocking; the physical

placing of personnel, equipment, or supplies aboard

their carriers.

LOCAL SECURITY— A security element, independent

of any outpost, established by a commander to

protect his unit against surprise and to ensure its

readiness for action.

LOCKING LUGS— Metal projections on the bolt that

cam into recesses cut in the sides of the receiver to

lock a weapon before firing.

LOCKING RECESSES— Spaces cut in the side of the

receiver into which the locking lugs of the bolt are

rotated into locking position.

MACHINE GUN— An automatic, rapid-fire weapon

that is fired from a mount.

MAGAZINE— A device that stores and supplies

ammunition and feeds the ammunition by means of

its own spring and follower.

MAIN ATTACK— The part of an attack where the

commander concentrates the greater portion of

offensive power.

MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE— An imaginary line

along the forward edge of the battle position

designed to coordinate the fires of all units and

supporting weapons.

MALFUNCTION— The failure of a weapon to function

satisfactorily.

MARCH OUTPOST— A security echelon established

by a unit on a march during short halts.

MARK— Call for fire on a specified location to orient the

spotter or observer or to indicate targets.

MASK— A natural or artificial obstruction that gives

shelter form or interferes with observation or fire.

MAXIMUM ORDINATE— The highest point of

trajectory.

MEANS OF SIGNAL COMMUNICATION— The

means by which a message is conveyed from one

person or place to another.

MESSAGE— Any thought or idea expressed in brief

form or in plain or secret language; prepared in a

form suitable for transmission by any means of

communication.

MILITARY CREST— The highest point near the top of

a slope from which the entire valley below is

visible.

MISSION— The specific task or duty assigned to an

individual, weapon, or unit.

MOUNT— The stand on which a weapon is secured to

hold it in position for rapid fire. A mount is either

fixed (immovable) or flexible (movable). A flexible

mount permits the weapon to move in azimuth and

elevation.

MUZZLE— The front or forward end of the barrel; the

mouth of the barrel.

MUZZLE VELOCITY— The speed at which a bullet

travels when it leaves the muzzle of the barrel.

NAVAL LANDING PARTY— A force of naval

personnel organized from a ship’s complement for

the conduct of ground-force operations ashore.

OBJECTIVE— The physical object of the action taken

or the effect desired.

OBLIQUE FIRE— Fire delivered from a direction that

is diagonal to the long axis of the target; or fire

delivered on an enemy from a direction that is

between his front and flank.

OBSERVATION POST (OP)— A vantage point from

which enemy activity in front of the FEBA is

observed.

OBSTACLE— Any barrier-natural or artificial-that

stops or impedes the movement of a unit.

OPERATION PLAN OR ORDER— A combat plan or

order dealing with tactical operations and setting

forth the mission of the unit; it deals with the

commander’s decision, plan of action, and such

details as to the method of execution as will ensure

coordinated action by the whole command.

OPTICAL SIGHT— A sight having lenses as contrasted

with one having an aperture or open sight.

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ORGANIC— Assigned to and forming an essential part

of a military organization.

ORIGINATOR— The command by whose authority a

message is sent.

OUTGUARD— The principal security element of a

combat outpost.

OUTPOST— A stationary body of troops placed at some

distance from the main body while at a halt or in a

defensive position. These troops protect the main

body from surprise, observation, or annoyance by

enemy ground forces.

OUTPOST LINE OF RESISTANCE— A line passing

through the forward edge of the outpost positions

and designed to coordinate the fires of the elements

of the outpost and its supporting fires.

OVERHEAD FIRE— Fire delivered over the heads of

friendly troops.

OVERLAY— A transparent or translucent medium upon

which special military information has been plotted

at the same scale of a map, photograph, or other

graphic.

PACE— The length of a full step in quick time; 30 inches.

PARTISAN— A devoted adherent to a cause generally

nationalistic in nature; the adherent mayor may not

be an armed combatant and is not normally a

member of an organized military force.

PASSAGE OF LINES— A rearrangement of units in

which the rear unit moves forward through the

already established line, while the replaced unit

remains in position or moves to the rear.

PATROL— A detachment sent out by a larger unit for the

purpose of gathering information or carrying out a

destructive, harassing, mop up, or security mission.

PA— A part of the feeding device on a machine gun

that permits feeding of the ammunition belt into the

weapon; it holds the belt securely so it does not

move in reverse direction.

PENETRATION— An attack that puts the main

attacking force through the enemy’s principal

defensive position.

PHASE LINE— A line used for control and coordination

of military operations; it is usually a terrain feature

extending across the zone of action.

PIECE— Any firearm.

PLUNGING FIRE— Fire that strikes the ground at a

sharp angle.

POINT— The security element that forms the leading

element of an advance guard or the rear element of

an advance guard or the rear element of the rear

guard.

POINT OF DEPARTURE— The point on the line of

departure at which an attacking force in column

crosses.

POINT OF DRESS— The point toward which all

elements of a unit establish their alignment.

POLITICAL WARFARE— Aggressive use of political

means to achieve national objectives.

POSITION— The location of a gun, unit, or individual

from which fire can be delivered upon a given

target.

POST— The prescribed limits of a sentry’s respon-

sibility.

PREARRANGED FIRE— Supporting fire for which

the fire data is prepared in advance. It is delivered

on a time schedule or on call from the support

troops.

PRINCIPAL DIRECTION OF FIRE (PDF)— A

specific direction within the sector of fire of a

flat-trajectory weapon, which is designated as its

primary fire mission. Within a rifle platoon,

automatic weapons are assigned a PDF. Units are

not assigned PDFs nor can a weapon be assigned

more than one PDF.

PROBABLE LINE OF DEPLOYMENT— The

location on the ground where the commander of a

force plans to complete final deployment before

moving out with squads as skirmishers.

PROPAGANDA— Any information, ideas, doctrines, or

special appeals spread to influence the opinions,

emotions, attitudes, or behavior of any specified

group to benefit the sponsor, either directly or

indirectly.

PROPELLING CHARGE— An explosive that throws

the projectile from a gun.

PROTECTIVE FIRE— Fire delivered by supporting

weapons and directed against the enemy for the

purpose of hindering his fire or movement against

friendly attacking units.

QUICK TIME— Cadence at 120 steps (12, 15, or 30

inches in length) per minute.

RADIO CHANNEL— A band of adjacent frequencies

having sufficient width to permit its use for radio

communications.

RAID— An operation, usually small scale, involving a

swift penetration of hostile territory to secure

information, confuse the enemy, or destroy his

installations. The operation ends with a planned

withdrawal upon completion of the assigned

mission.

RANK— A line of men or vehicles placed side by side;

officer’s grade or position.

REAR— The direction away from the enemy.

REAR AREA— The area in the rear of the combat and

forward areas.

REAR GUARD— The security element that follows and

protects the rear of a marching force.

REBELLION— Organized, armed, open resistance to

the authority or government in power.

RECONNAISSANCE PATROL— A patrol whose

mission is to gain information about the enemy and

the terrain.

REGISTRATION— The adjustment of fire to determine

firing corrections.

RELAY— A transmission forwarded through an

intermediate station.

RELEASE POINT— A point at which a higher

command releases control of a unit to its

commander.

RELIEF OF FRONT-LINE UNITS— A rearrangement

of units in which the rear unit moves forward to the

battle position and occupies the defensive positions

there; at the same time the forward unit in the battle

position relinquishes these positions and moves to

the rear.

REPEAT— A command or request to fire again the same

number of rounds with the same method of fire.

RESERVE— An element of the battalion or higher unit

held initially under the control of the commander as

a maneuvering element to influence future action.

RESERVE AREA— The area that extends from the rear

of the forward defense area to the rear of the battle

area. The RESERVE FORCE is located in the

reserve area.

RETIREMENT— An operation in which a force

withdraws without enemy pressure to avoid combat

under the existing situation.

RETROGRADE MOVEMENT— Any movement of a

command to the rear, or away from the enemy,

whether forced by the enemy or voluntary, including

a withdrawal, retirement, or delaying action.

REVERSE SLOPE— Any slope that descends away

from the enemy.

REVOLT— A casting off of allegiance or a refusal to

submit to established authority.

REVOLUTION— A rebellion that succeeds in

overthrowing an old government and establishing a

new one.

RIGHT (LEFT) FLANK— The extreme right (left)

element or edge of a body of troops in relation to the

enemy, regardless of the direction in which the body

of troops is facing.

ROADBLOCK— A barrier or obstacle to block or limit

the movement of hostile vehicles along a road.

ROUTE MARCH— The advance in column on roads.

SCREEN FIRE— A curtain of smoke that protects a

force from enemy ground observation.

SEARCHING FIRE— Fire distributed in depth by

successive changes in elevation of a weapon.

SECTION— A military unit that is smaller than a platoon

and larger than a squad; the basic tactical unit in the

weapons platoon of the rifle company.

SECTOR— A clearly defined area that a given unit

protects or covers with fire.

SECTOR OF FIRE— A section of terrain designated by

boundaries that is assigned to a unit or to a weapon

to cover by fire.

SECURITY— Measures taken by a command to protect

itself from espionage, observation, sabotage,

annoyance, or surprise.

SECURITY AREA— The area forward of the FEBA

assigned to a battalion or company. A battalion’s

security area extends to whatever distance security

forces, uncontrolled by the battalion, are employed.

A company’s security area extends 400 to 500 yards

(maximum effective range of small-arms fire) to the

most forward extension of the company’s lateral

boundary.

SHOCK ACTION— Actual hand-to-hand combat

between opposing troops; an offensive movement

by fast-moving forces in which they tend to overrun

the enemy by the force of their own momentum.

SHORT— A spotting or an observation used by a spotter

or an observer to indicate that a burst fell SHORT

of the TARGET in relation to a line perpendicular

to the spotting line.

SITREP— A situation report.

SKETCH— A hasty, pictorial drawing showing only

desired map features and objects in relative

position; usually for a specific use.

SKIRMISHERS— A line of troops in extended order

during a tactical exercise or attack.

SNAP— In commands or signals, the quality that inspires

immediate response.

STATIC— Any electrical disturbance caused by

atmospheric conditions. Interferes with radio com-

munications.

STEP— The distance from heel to heel between the feet

of a marching man; normally 30 inches.

SUPPLEMENTARY POSITION— An extra position

other than the designated primary or alternate

position.

SUPPLY POINT— A point where supplies are issued

(for example, depot, railhead, truckhead, airhead, or

navigation-head).

SUPPORT— The action of a force that aids, protects,

complements, or sustains another force according

to a directive requiring such actions; a unit that helps

another unit in battle; the reserve of a rifle company

or platoon in the attack or defense; an element of a

command that assists, protects, or supplies other

forces in combat.

SUPPORTING FIRE— Fire delivered by weapons of

supporting units to assist or protect a unit in combat.

SUPPORTING WEAPONS— Weapons other than

those with which a rifle unit is normally equipped.

TERRAIN— An area of ground, considered as to its

extent and natural features, in relation to its use in a

particular operation.

TOPOGRAPHICAL CREST— The highest point on

elevated terrain.

TRAJECTORY— The path described by a projectile in

flight.

TRAVERSING FIRE— Fire distributed in width by

successive changes in direction of a weapon.

UNDERGROUND— A civilian organization that

supports the resistance movement through

covert (secret) actions. Such actions include

intelligence collection, subversion, sabotage,terror, assassination, and dissemination of formation with elements in echelon to the right and

propaganda in areas denied to the guerrilla left rear. Also called a V-formation.

force. WITHDRAWAL— A movement whereby a force dis-

UNIT— Any military force having a prescribed engages from an enemy force according to the will

organization. of the commander.

UNIT OF FIRE— A unit of measure for ammunition ZONE OF ACTION— Ageographical area within which

supply. It represents a specific number of rounds of a military unit is to act, and for which it is

ammunition per weapon. responsible.

WEDGE FORMATION— A tactical formation in the ZONE OF FIRE— An area into which a particular unit

form of a V with the point toward the enemy; a delivers, or is prepared to deliver, fire.