GA: Short for “Go Ahead” for the lazy.
Grafenwoehr: Also known as Graf, the largest training area in Western Germany, and one of the few that soldiers could practice NBC protection by using tear gas. Everyone hated Graf. When it wasn’t frozen, it was buried in mud. The only worse place than Graf was Wildflicken, and nobody wanted to go there.
Green Goose: A chain of bars, usually known for being rough. Usually taken over by US servicemembers. You’d live here if you could. Often full of German women willing to fuck in the alley behind the bar or in the bathroom.
Growler: Five Ton cargo truck, listed as 2/19–34. It smells like Satan’s asshole after bad Taco Bell when it’s running, the torque is out if you try to drive it uphill in Drive it just makes a ‘hurr’ noise and rolls backwards, and it growls like a constipated beast. Still, it runs, and it’s yours. It’s a Korean War vet, so you better respect it, dammit!
GRU: Probably some tongue twisting Russian name nobody cares about but them. Soviet military secret police or some crap. You don’t really care, when the time comes, you’ll kill them too. VX doesn’t care how high speed you are, baby.
Gypsy Wagon: Unofficial nickname of CUC-V 2/19–15 AKA “Your truck”. It’s beat to hell and runs like shit, but it’s never failed to start or get you there. The mechanics can’t figure out why it sounds like the timing is off, but you know that it hates being here just as much as you do. You’ve promised it if it stops cutting your hands and trying to smash/sever your fingers, you won’t take a sledgehammer to it again. Diplomacy works.
Hammerhead: What you are. Better than being called “Animal” or “Fuckwit” and it makes it easier if you imagine yourself as a hammerhead shark. Really it means you’re dumb as a bag of hammers with a head of solid bone. At least you aren’t an officer.
Hate: What powers your soul. What keeps you warm. The reason you refuse to die in this Godforsaken place. Combined with alcohol, it’s the reason you can keep going.
JP–8: Also known as Avgas or Aviation Fuel, JP–8 was typically helicopter fuel. You’ve got tons of it at Atlas, and use it to make home-made napalm to amuse yourself with.
Kill Team (Shop) AKA Planning and Strategic Operations: The group of officers, NCO’s, and enlisted who worked in the planning section of the company, whose job was to constantly update which units would be given what weapons and rotated to which FSTS sites. Called the “Kill Team Shop” or “Kill Team” due to the fact that they were responsible for determining nuclear and chemical strikes on all targets as designated by V Corps. Usually creepy as far as everyone else was concerned.
KGB: Another group of alphabet soup motherfuckers. They’re spies, assassins, and all that crap. They’ve got a file on you, but so what? They’re supposedly out to kill you. Get in line.
LBE: Load Bearing Equipment: Consisting of a wide nylon belt with a plastic or brass buckle, shoulder straps to act as suspenders, two ammunition pouches, a canteen pouch, a first aid pouch, and whatever else a soldier strapped onto it. Called “web gear” during the Vietnam Era or by civilians. Like most gear, it was made by the lowest bidder and designed by people who would never have to use it. It never fails that when you dive to the ground your ammo pouches get driven into your gut. Landing on your side is worse, since your canteen will somehow twist and cave in your kidney.
Line Slime: Short derogatory term for infantry, tankers, and other soldiers whose job puts them on the front line or in combat.
LT: Lieutenant, referring to the two lowest officer ranks, O–1 (Second Lieutenant) and O–2 (First Lieutenant). O–1’s were often considered the dumbest thing in the military, O–2’s were considered arrogant dicks.
Meep: A semi-affectionate name you use for the 1.5 KW generator. Everyone else thought you were nuts for it. Sprayed on the cowling of Generator–3–2.
METL: Mission Essential Task List: The unit’s objectives, in peace and war time. War time METL was often kept from the lower ranks during the Cold War due to the bleak nature of the predictions. Basically, it said they were all going to die. Usually horribly. Be all you can be apparently meant: casualty.
MI: Military Intelligence, usually considered an oxymoron. 2/19th worked closely with Military Intelligence, including having several members of the MI MOS assigned to the “Kill Team Shop” in order to stay current on intelligence on Warsaw Pact activities. Usually considered smartasses. They usually implode after a month or two, so you don’t really bother learning their names. Hey, maybe another one will be carried out barking like a dog.
Mogas: The military name for unleaded. Because everything in the Army needs its own name. Also good for making napalm or burning “FUCK YOU” into the 1K Zone.
MOS: Military Occupational Specialty, basically the job a soldier was assigned. Each MOS performed different functions, although all MOS’s were trained in basic combat. Yours is full of psychopaths that managed to survive, is always understrength, and nobody believes it’s a real MOS.
MRE: Meal Ready to Eat/Meals Rejected by Ethopians. A brown plastic envelope containing a meal, crackers, a desert, and candy. Provides enough calories, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to allow a soldier to survive on one a day. Usually considered unpalatable due to the bad taste and poor selection. Everyone fought over the ham slices, and nobody but you likes the dehydrated beef or pork patty. Because you are a freak.
Motorpool: The area where the vehicles were kept, usually in neat rows by vehicle type and by number. The motorpool also contains mechanic’s bays where minor work can be done on vehicles. Most minor work was done by those assigned to the vehicles, while more complicated jobs were performed by motorpool staff. 2/19th was denied the use of higher level repair facilities, usually referred to as “Third Shop”, so mechanics were tasked with all repairs of vehicles, including a complete engine, transmission, or power train rebuild. If you’re not at Atlas, you’re here fixing your vehicles, smoking cigarettes, or sleeping under your truck.
MP: Military Police, usually known as those assholes busting up the best fights and/or parties, or those cool guys who give you a ride when you’re stumbling home drunk.
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a multi-national organization charged with the collective defense of member states. You don’t really care.
NBC: Nuclear/Biological/Chemical. Weapons of mass destruction. These are what you live for, but pray you don’t use. People protest them, but they seem pretty harmless in the bunker. Oh, wait, they’ll kill you if they get the chance. Oh well, so will everything else. You aren’t leaving here alive anyway.
NCO: Non-Commission Officer: Ranks E–5 and above, considered upper enlisted rather than actual officers. He’s convinced the enlisted are lazy and stupid. The enlisted are convinced that the NCO is stupid and lazy. Both are right, but for different reasons.
NCOIC: Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge. He’s usually a dick. Oh, wait, at Atlas, it’s you.
Nihilistic: A realist. You aren’t going to live to get out of here.
NVG’s: Night Vision Goggles, usually monocular, with everything behind shown as green. NVG–7’s, offering stereoscopic vision, had been issued to some units by 1985, but not many. Early runs gave people headaches, and in some cases, seizures. A common prank was to flash a camera in front of early versions and laugh as the wearer screamed in pain. Then you kick them in the balls and run off. Why? Because they’d do it you.
Orderly Room: Where the clerks who managed the paperwork, as well as the CO and 1SG office, were located. The place most fantasized about being lit on fire.
PAC Clerk: AKA Orderly Room Clerk, AKA That Jackass Who Lost Your Paperwork. Soldiers responsible for the entire unit’s paperwork, from leave requests to morning reports to unit strength, and everything in between. Orderly Room staffs were often undermanned, but often contained at least one mean spirited individual who deliberately slowed or lost paperwork, giving all PAC Clerks a bad name. The only thing commonly thought to be more lazy and stupid than a PAC Clerk
was a tanker.
Paranoia: No such thing. They’re really out to get you. Ivan is listening. The KGB are watching. Your phone is tapped. Your mail is read. LT Simms was gunned down with two in the chest and one in the head and his keycards stolen but over $500 left behind. SSG Bates was found with his throat slit in his car on his way to his site and his keys, keycards, and little green notebook missing. You’re next.
PCS: Permanent Change of Station, reassignment to another unit or post. Considered a myth by most of 2/19th.
PFC: Private First Class, E–3. Usually convinced he’s better than everyone else below him and a suckup toward everyone above him in hopes of getting that E–4 rank. Being thrown down a flight of stairs might make him into a real soldier. Or kill him. You don’t really care.
Piker: Usually referring to someone who thinks he’s God’s gift to whatever, but isn’t. Nobody is sure who came up with it, but it’s a 2/19th reference. Most pikers are privates, but some spectacular ones have been officers. You found out that throwing them down the stairs a few times usually straightens them out.
PLDC: Primary Leadership Development Course. A several weeks course designed to train enlisted to be NCO’s. In order to be promoted to E–5, all E–4’s had to attend PLDC. Due to limited slots, PLDC was a highly coveted training course, and could delay an E–4’s promotion to E–5 for up to a year unless the unit promoted the soldier due to “mission essential status”.
Pogey Bait: Basically snacks, candy, porn mags, stuff like that. You don’t need it in the field, but it sure makes life nicer. You usually stash some in your go-kit or in your ruck, or behind the seat of the Gypsy Wagon, or in the Growler’s driver side toolbox, or out at Atlas, or in Bomber’s ruck. You like peach rings best. Everyone does it, it’s one of your few joys in life.
POS: Piece of Shit. Basically, all of the equipment in the Army, and 2/19th in particular. Not only is it made by the lowest bidder, who cut every corner they could, 2/19th got the crap nobody else wanted, which means your rifle was a rifle that nobody else wanted. And people wonder why you feel like your own equipment is out to kill you. It also applies to people, like that goddamn orderly room clerk who keeps losing your leave request.
PV2: Private Second Class, Private, E–2. A little more pay, still expendable. Still, now he’s basically worth learning his name. Maybe.
PVT: Private, E–1. Nobody wants to be this guy. AKA Expendable. You really don’t care that much. He might have a name, but so do other people’s pet rocks.
QASI: Quality Assurance, Site Inspection: The group of officers and upper NCO’s who inspected ammunition sites to make sure everything was in compliance, compute net explosive weight to ensure that the bunkers were not a safety hazard, and inspected outgoing ammunition shipments to ensure that the ammunition was being shipped safely. Everyone hates these guys.
QRF: Quick Reaction Force: A small team whose job is to wait in case of any hostile aggression toward the unit. Usually only used during war-time or during exercises, 2/19th was required to have a peacetime QRF in order to protect the company in case of an early strike against the unit by the Soviet Union. Usually found smoking cigarettes, pumping iron, and sleeping while everyone else is working. Everyone hates these guys, and secretly wants to be them. They secretly hate this job and will often “accidentally” fail their next weapon qualification.
Rear-D: Rear detachment. The small group of soldiers left behind at the company area while the majority of the unit is deployed. Supposedly used in 2/19th during the winter to supposedly ensure that the vehicles and barracks were undamaged by the extreme weather. By the second year, looked at as a death sentence by the members of 2/19th.
Red Card: A red plastic rectangle about four inches wide, eight inches long, and a ½ inch thick. It has a groove down the middle so you can snap it in half and open it to get at the paper card inside. These usually hold nuclear arming codes, the code to the War Fighter Tunnels, and probably who shot JFK. A secure item that you’re supposed to keep track of but threw in the back of your desk drawer. You’ll be dead before you can open it
REFORGER: REturn of FORces to GERmany. The largest field exercise held yearly to simulate NATO holding off the Soviet Union long enough for reinforcements from the US and other nations to come to the rescue. Looked at as a pain in the ass by the enlisted, the NCO’s, the officers, and everyone else who wasn’t a politician or General.
REMF: Rear Echelon Mother Fucker, referring to someone with a desk job or a job that keeps them well away from the front. REMF’s often look down on those who have non-clerical jobs or field duty and in return are despised by line-slime.
ROTC: Reserve Officer’s Training Course. A program through which college students could pay for their education through agreeing to enter the military as an officer. Usually viewed as being completely unaware of how the military actually works when they first leave ROTC and enter a unit. The term “Rot-See” is usually derogatory. Not even other ROTC like these guys.
S–2: Unit Security, usually in charge of secure documents, Military Intelligence briefings, and unit secure items. This guy and his minions can ruin your life by triggering another round of security clearance sweeps, another background check, suspending your clearance, or ordering an early psych-eval. Usually staffed by hellspawn in human form, sociopaths, and sadists. They don’t see people when they look at you, they see body count. You’re looking for a chance to shoot them before you get killed. Both of you will be killed by the Russians before you can off the other one.
Sergeant of the Guard: The NCOIC of the guard force, if any, that the unit has out. He sits in the tent with the radio, drinking coffee, while everyone else freezes their ass off.
Shammer: Someone who comes up with all kinds excuses to get out of work. More than usual. You usually wait till you get these assholes out to Atlas and beat a work ethic into them.
Short: Referring to less than a year before PCS or ETS. Those with less than a hundred days were often referred to as “double digit midgets”. Considered a death sentence in wartime. Everyone hated them who wasn’t short. Almost certain death in 2/19th.
Shiner: A brand new 1st Lieutenant. Named so because they were constantly shining their brand new rank. Usually a sadist. He’s convinced you’re too stupid to pour piss out of a boot. You’re convinced he’s trying to murder you to get medals. Even the butterbars hate him.
SF: Short for Special Forces, AKA snake eaters. Used often as a catch-all to refer to Rangers, SEALs, Recon, and Air Force Commando. At first these guys seemed like assholes, now you like them and they like you. They understand, even if they think your job makes you a psychopath. Oh, you train them to survive on the nuclear battlefield. Hint: They won’t. You will.
SFC: Sergeant First Class, an E–7. He’s probably in charge of the platoon. He’s the one with the bright ideas that are probably going to get you killed. He either is eyeing a promotion or just wants to finish his time in the military. Either way, he doesn’t give a fuck about you. You just ignore him unless he’s, like, right in front of you.
SGT: Sergeant, an E–5. It might take them several months to adapt to their lobotomy after their promotion to E–5. He hates everyone above him and below him, and is blamed for the screw-ups of both sides. He’s probably a drunk. You look forward to being one too.
Snake: What the special forces dwonks call each other to sound cool. It doesn’t.
Snake Eater: Derogatory term for special operations soldiers, mainly because of the rumor that they eat snakes in training. You can’t teach these guys anything because their heads are a solid mass of bone. They want you to be one, but you just laugh at them. You’ll pass on the required lobotomy.
Softcap: A straight side, flat topped, curved bill hat with ear flaps that can be folded down in cold weather. Yours has been run over by trucks, jammed in back pockets, and slept in.
SOG: Special Operations Group AKA SOCOM (Special Operations COMmand). What the snake-eaters belong to. They think it
makes them special and all classified and shit. You know it’s nothing but a collection of bone headed idiots who are lucky they don’t put VX up their nose or lick nuclear rounds. Familiarity breeds contempt, and you’re very familiar with SOG and the uniformed chimps that make it up.
SOP: Standard Operating Procedure. Usually the most complicated and fucked up way of doing something. You usually ignore it and just get shit done.
Soviet Union: Russia and its satellite nations. Came into power after World War Two. You care about as much about them as you do about NATO and the DoD. After all, if they want to kill you, they better get in line.
Specialist: non-combat MOS rank. E4-E–7 were listed as Specialist-# or Spec-E, with E–8 being a Master Sergeant. E–4’s were often listed as SPC. Specialists who put in leadership positions were usually laterally promoted to the NCO rank of the same Enlisted Grade. Specialist hate NCO’s, and vice versa. If you should be a specialist but have been laterally promoted, everyone hates you. That’s OK, you hate them more.
Spetsnaz: Soviet Union snake eaters. Probably as dumb and gung-ho as your side’s are. These guys can supposedly walk through walls and all kinds of crap. You don’t care, they’ll die from VX just like everyone else. Choke on that, “snake.”
SSG: Staff Sergeant, an E–6. He’s realized that he’s somehow gotten trapped in his worst nightmare. If he tries to get away, he’ll be sent to Asshole, Alaska, if he stays, he’s a fucking dead man. He’s got wild eyes and one hand always near his weapon. You kind of like him.
Stateside: AKA The World. The United States of America. You hate everyone who lives there because you aren’t there.
TA–50: A soldier’s equipment. From his LBE to his helmet, to his flak vest, to his rucksack, TA–50 encompassed all of the soldier’s equipment outside of his rifle, uniform, and boots. Considered one of the most important things, usually to the point that the soldier was just considered something to carry the TA–50 and weapons into battle. All of it made by the lowest bidder, and stacked on to you by geniuses who figured out just how much soldiers can carry into battle. Note: None of them are in shape enough to walk down a flight of stairs without chest pains, so to compensate they load you up with enough gear to crush a horse.
Three Little Snowmen (Damned of the 2/19th) Page 38
