The Wrong Side of Honor

by Marshall Ginevan

  BNDD: Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Now named the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

  BOQ: Bachelor Officer Quarters.

  CAP: Combat Air Patrol.

  CB: Cluster bomb. A cam-shell bomb that opens after it is dropped from the aircraft and releases hundreds of little bomblets.

  CBPO: Consolidated Base Personnel Office.

  Dash-K: Russian built .51 caliber machine gun.

  DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency. Military intelligence agency that is larger in number and budget than the CIA.

  FAC: Forward Air Control. Aircraft that mark targets and control bombing by faster bombing aircraft.

  Frag: An order authorizing an aircraft bombing mission.

  Fragging: Slang term meaning to deliberately attack friendly forces.

  F-4: Phantom fight-bomber aircraft.

  GUARD: Military emergency radio frequency 243.0.

  LAW’s Rocket: Light Anti-Tank Weapon. Shoulder fired rocket used on lightly armored and other vehicles.

  LOX: Liquid Oxygen.

  MAC-10: Submachine gun.

  MIG-CAP: Combat Air Patrol flown by fighters over a bombing mission to protect other aircraft from attack by enemy fighters.

  NKP: Nakom Phamom. Thai military base located along the Thai-Laotian border used by American Special Air Operations.

  VNA: North Vietnamese Army.

  Op: Operation.

  OSI: Office of Special Investigation. Air Force criminal investigators who do not wear military uniforms.

  O-2: Military version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster, used for Forward Air Control.

  PACAF: Pacific Air Force. Major air command covering all Air Force bases in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

  PCS: Permanent Change of Station.

  Projects Office: CIA field office.

  QRT: Quick Reaction Team. A six-man team of Security Policemen in an armored personnel carrier used for rapid response to attacks or other incidents needing automatic weapons for base defense.

  RIF: Reduction In Force. List of officers discharged from military because their jobs are eliminated after the war.

  RTB: Return to base.

  R-Factor: Reliability factor. The lower the number, i.e. R-1, the higher the reliability of the intelligence information. R-5 is very low.

  R & R: Rest and Relaxation. A vacation break from combat.

  SP: Security Police.

  TAC: Tactical.

  TDY: Temporary Duty.

  VC: Viet Cong.

  Wizzo: F-4 weapons systems officer, rides in the back seat.