|
In
an attempt to add realism to this novel, I have used the
actual terms used by the military. As this mishmash of
acronyms and terms can be confusing, I'm adding a glossary
here -- giving words/acronyms, pronunciation, and
meaning. I've also used many organizations from various
other countries and their militaries.
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|
AIRA
|
Air Attaché |
|
ALUSNA |
US Naval Attaché |
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ARMA
|
Army Attaché |
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AUC
|
Autodefensas Unidas de
Colombia (United Auto-Defense of Colombia); a
Colombian paramilitary organization |
|
COGATT
|
Coast Guard Attaché |
|
CT |
Counter Terrorism |
|
DAO |
Defense Attaché Office:
pronounced by saying the letters "D A O." |
|
DAS |
Defense Attaché System |
|
DATT |
Defense Attaché: the ranking
member (normally a full Colonel) of the DAO |
|
DIA |
Defense Intelligence Agency |
|
DIAC |
Defense Intelligence
Analysis Center |
|
Eldorado Canyon |
Code name for 1986 Raid on
Libya |
|
ELN |
Ejercito de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation
Army): Colombian guerrilla group |
|
FAO |
Foreign Area Officer.
Military career specialty involved with overseas service. |
|
FARC |
Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias Colombianas (Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia): pronounced as a word, FARK; Colombian guerrilla
group |
|
HARM |
High-Speed Anti-Radiation
Missile; pronounced as in the English word "harm"; an
airborne missile used to defeat anti-aircraft missile
sites. |
|
HMCS |
Her (or His) Majesty's
Canadian Ship |
|
JIATF-South |
Joint Interagency Task
Force -- South. The first four words are turned into an
acronym pronounced "Jyat-if" |
|
JOIC |
Joint Operations
Intelligence Center. An operational staff function at the
combatant command level to synthesize intelligence and
operations data from various government organizations. |
|
NIK |
Narcotics Identification
Kit |
|
NSA |
National Security Agency:
primary US electronic intelligence-gathering agency |
|
OPORD |
Operations Order:
military orders for carrying out a military operation
|
|
TACON |
Tactical Control: command
authority granted to subordinate unit |
|
TFR |
Terrain Following Radar:
used to guide aircraft over all kinds of terrain in all
types of weather, can be coupled directly to the
airplane's autopilot for "hands-off" flying |
|
UNITAS |
From Latin for "Unity," a
long-running, multi-national exercise primarily involving
naval units from the US, Europe and Latin America. |
|
UNREP |
Underway Replenishment.
Seaborne transfer of gas and other supplies. |
|
WSO |
Weapon Systems Officer,
always pronounced "Wizzo." In the F-111, sits in the
right seat -- in most other tandem-seat fighters, sits behind
the pilot |
|
Zodiac |
Rubber-hulled skiff with
outboard motor used by US Coast Guard. Also called a RIB,
for Rigid Inflatable Boat |
