by Jack Terral
The two Russians rode slowly and warily into the village, their AKS-74 assault rifles slung across their backs to make it obvious they were no threat. Each was aware the locals were armed to the teeth and that disturbed Pashtuns had a disagreeable habit of shooting first and asking questions later-provided there was a survivor or two to converse with. The Russians brought their horses to a halt at the well, nodding to one of the men standing there.
"Staray me she!" Surov said in his working knowledge of Pashto. "Are any of your spinzhire around?" He used the Pashtun word for "graybeards," which was the way they referred to their elders.
The Pashtun man called out, and an old fellow named Mohambar appeared in the doorway of the nearest hut. He said nothing, but looked up at the Russian on the horse.
"I have been sent by Luka Yarkov to give you a message," Surov said. "He has been informed that this village made much money selling opium poppies to a fellow called Awalmir Yousafzai."
Old Mohambar nodded.
"Awalmir did not give Yarkov's share to him," Surov said. "It is a malya--a tax. It must be paid. Since you were paid money by Awalmir, you must pay a share to Luka Yarkov because he has enough fighting men to control everything that happens on the Steppes. Do you understand?"
Mohambar stared at him without expression or emotion.
"If you do not pay Luka Yarkov what is due him, he will be angry."
There was still no reaction from the elderly Pashtun.
With anyone but Pashtuns, this would have been the beginning of some sort of negotiations, protests, or a discussion. But Surov did not expect any verbal response to his announcement. It was enough that he had made it, and that these villagers would pass the word on to their brethren across the steppes.
The Russian turned his eyes from the old man and glanced around at the other villagers, who also did no more than gaze at him. He nodded, saying, "Khuday peaman--good-bye."
The two foreigners rode slowly from the village, their weapons still slung across their backs. The Pashtuns looked at each other, knowing this was the start of big troubles on the Pranistay Steppes.
.
APPENDIX
The letter composed by PO3C Chadwick Murchison to explain the loss of the desert patrol vehicle on Operation Rolling Thunder:
SEAL Detachment
USS Dan Daley
Persian Gulf
10 September
SUBJECT: Missing Desert Patrol Vehicle TO: Commanding Officer ATTN: S-4
Station Bravo, Bahrain The vehicle in question was lost in combat during Operation Rolling Thunder last May. This compunctious misadventure occurred as a result of an exigent oblation that occurred during a traumatic period of active campaigning against a miscreantful enemy force.
By the profligation of the DPV, I was able to gain salient amelioration both on the field of battle and in the logistical relucts of conducting a combat operation. The DPV may be gone, but its loss was outweighed by the outcome of the operation. I am sure I need not remind you that Operation Rolling Thunder was a mission accomplished. I therefore resepectfully request that the vehicle be classified as lost in the line of duty as a result of enemy action.
WILLIAM BRANNIGAN
Lieutenant, U. S. Navy
Commanding
.
.
GLOSSARY
2IC: Second-in-Command
Shop:Intelligence Section of the staff
Shop:Operations and Training Section of the staff
Shop:Logistics Section of the staff AA: Anti-aircraft
AAR: After-Action Report
ACV: Air Cushion Vehicle (hovercraft)
Afghan: Currency of Afghanistan: 43.83=$1.00
AFSOC: Air Force Special Operations Command
AGL: Above Ground Level AKA: Also Known As
Angel: A thousand feet above ground level; e. G., Angels Two is two thousand feet
AP: Armor-Piercing or Air Police
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier
ARG: Amphibious Ready Group
AS-50: .50-caliber semiautomatic sniper rifle with scope
ASAP: As Soon As Possible
ASL: Above Sea Level
Asset: An individual who has certain knowledge or experiences that make him helpful to an individual or units about to be deployed into operational areas
AT: Antitank
AT-4: Antiarmor rocket launchers
Attack Board (also Compass Board): A board with a compass, watch, and depth gauge used by subsurface swimmers
ATV: All-Terrain Vehicle
AWACS: Airborne Warning and Control System
AWOL: Away Without Official Leave--i. E., absent from one's unit without permission; AKA French leave
Bastion: Part of a fortification or fortified position that juts outwardly
BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation
BDU: Battle dress uniform
Blighty: British slang for their home nation
Boot: A rookie or recruit
Boot Camp: Navy or Marine Corps basic training
BOQ: Bachelor Officers' Quarters
Briefback: A briefing given to staff by a SEAL platoon regarding their assigned mission; this must be approved before it is implemented
BUD/S: Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training course
Bushido: The philosophy and code of conduct of Japanese samurai warriors.
BX: Base Exchange, a military store with good prices for service people; in the Army, AKA PX for Post Exchange
C4: Plastic explosive
CAR-15: Compact model of the M-16 rifle
CAS: Close Air Support
CATF: Commander, Amphibious Task Force
CDC: Combat Direction Center aboard a ship
CG: Commanding General
Chickenshit: An adjective that describes a person or a situation as being particularly draconian, overly strict, unfair, or malicious
CHP: California Highway Patrol
CLU: Command Launch Unit for the Javelin AT missile
CNO: Chief of Naval Operations
CO: Commanding Officer Cover: Hat, headgear CP: Command Post CPU: Computer Processing Unit CPX: Command Post Exercise CRRC: Combat Rubber Raiding Craft CRT: Cathode-Ray Tube CS: Tear gas
CSAR: Combat Search and Rescue
CVBG: Carrier Battle Group
Dashika: Slang name for the Soviet DShK 12.7-millimeter heavy machine gun
DDG: Guided-Missile Destroyer
DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency
Det Cord: Detonating cord
DJMS: Defense Joint Military Pay System
DPV: Desert Patrol Vehicle
Draeger Mk V: Underwater air supply equipment
DZ: Drop Zone
E&E: Escape and Evasion
Enfilade Fire: Gunfire that sweeps along an enemy formation
EPW: Enemy Prisoner of War
ER: Emergency Room (hospital)
ERP: En route Rally Point; a rally point that a patrol leader chooses while moving to or from an objective
ESP: Extrasensory Perception
ETS: End of Term of Service
FLIR: Forward-Looking Infrared Radar
Four-Shop: Logistics Section of the staff
French Leave: See AWOL
FRH: Flameless Ration Heater
Front-Leaning Rest: The position assumed to begin push-ups; it is customary to place malfeasants or clumsy personnel in the front-leaning rest for punishment, since it is anything but a "rest"
FTX: Field Training Exercise
G-3: The training and operations staff section of a unit commanded by a general officer
GHQ: General Headquarters
GI: Government Issue
GPS: Global Positioning System
Gunny: Marine Corps for the rank of Gunnery Sergeant E-7
HAHO: High-Altitude High-Opening parachute jump
HALO: High-Altitude Low-Opening parachute jump Hamas: Palestinian terrorist organization that has been voted into office in Palestine; their
charter calls for the destruction of Israel.
HE: High Explosive
Head: Navy and Marine Corps term for toilet; called a latrine in the Army
HEAT: High-Explosive Anti-Tank
Heel-and-toe: See watch-and-watch
Hell Week: The fifth week of BUD/S that is more than five days of continuous activity and training with little or no sleep
Hezbollah: A militant Islamic terrorist organization located in Lebanon; it was organized in response to the Israeli occupation and is still active
H&K MP-5: Heckler & Koch MP-5 submachine gun
Hors de combat: Out of the battle (expression in French)
HSB: High-Speed Boat
IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Immediate Action: A quick, sometimes temporary fix to a mechanical problem
IR: Infrared
IRP: Initial Rally Point; a place within friendly lines where a patrol assembles prior to moving out on the mission
Island: The superstructure of an aircraft carrier or assault ship
JCOS: Joint Chiefs of Staff
JSOC: Joint Special Operation Command
K-Bar: A brand of knives manufactured for military and camping purposes
KD Range: Known-Distance Firing Range
Keffiyeh: Arab headdress (what Yasser Arafat wore)
KGB: Russian organization of security, espionage, and intelligence left over from the old Soviet Union
KIA: Killed In Action
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid--or more politely, Keep It Simple, Sweetheart
LBE: Load-Bearing Equipment
Light Sticks: Flexible plastic tubes that illuminate
Limpet Mine: An explosive mine attached to the hulls of vessels
Locked Heels: When a serviceman is getting a severe vocal reprimand, it is said he is having his "heels locked"--i. E., standing at attention while someone is bellowing in his face.
LSO: Landing Signal Officer
LSSC: Light SEAL Support Craft
LZ: Landing Zone
M-18 Claymore Mine: A mine fired electrically with a blasting cap
M-60 E3: A compact model of the M-60 machine gun
M-67: An antipersonnel grenade M-203: A single-shot 40-millimeter grenade launcher
MATC: A fast river support craft
MC: Medical Corps
MCPO: Master Chief Petty Officer
Medevac: Medical Evacuation
MI-5: United Kingdom Intelligence and Security Agency
Mk 138 Satchel Charge: Canvas container filled with explosive
MLR: Main line of Resistance
Mossad: Israeli Intelligence Agency (ha-Mossad le-Modiin ule-Tafkidim Meyuhadim--Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks)
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat
MSSC: Medium SEAL Support Craft
Murphy's Law: An assumption that if something can go wrong, it most certainly will
N2: Intelligence Staff
N3: Operations Staff
NAS: Naval Air Station
NAVSPECWAR: Naval Special Warfare
NCO: Noncommissioned Officers--i. E., corporals and sergeants
NCP: Navy College Program
NFL: National Football League
NROTC: Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
NVB: Night-Vision Binoculars
NVG: Night-Vision Goggles
NVS: Night-Vision Sight
OA: Operational Area
OCONUS: Outside the Continental United States
OCS: Officer Candidate School OER: Officer's Efficiency Report OP: Observation Post
OPLAN: Operations Plan; this is the preliminary form of an OPORD
OPORD: Operations Order; this is the directive derived from the OPLAN of how an operation is to be carried out; it's pretty much etched in stone
ORP: Objective Rally Point--a location chosen before or after reaching the objective; here a patrol can send out recon on the objective, make final preparations, reestablish the chain of command, and perform other activities necessary either before or right after action
PBL: Patrol Boat, Light
PC: Patrol Coastal vessel
PDQ: Pretty Damn Quick
PIA: Pakistan International Airlines
PLF: Parachute Landing Fall
PM: Preventive Maintenance
PMC: Private Military Company; these are businesses that supply bodyguards, security personnel, and mercenary civilian fighting men to persons or organizations wanting to hire them
PO: Petty Officer (e. G., PO1C is Petty Officer First Class)
POV: Privately Owned Vehicle
PPPP: Piss-Poor Prior Planning
PT: Physical Training
Puhtee: An Afghan rolled stocking cap that can be worn in many ways
RHIP: Rank Has Its Privileges
RIB: Rigid Inflatable Boat
RIO: Radar Intercept Officer
RON: Remain OverNight; generally refers to patrols
RPG: Rocket-Propelled Grenade RPM: Revolutions Per Minute R and R: Rest and Relaxation, Rest and
Recuperation, and a few other things used by the troops to describe short liberties or furloughs to kick back and enjoy themselves
RRP: Reentry Rally Point; a site outside the range of friendly lines, to pause and prepare for reentry
RTO: Radio Telephone Operator
Run-flat tires: Solid-rubber inserts that allow a vehicle to run even when its tires have been punctured
SAS: Special Air Services--an extremely deadly and super-efficient special operations unit of the British Army
SAW: Squad Automatic Weapon--M249 5.56-millimeter magazine-or clip-fed machine gun
SCPO: Senior Chief Petty Officer
SCUBA: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SDV: SEAL Delivery Vehicle
SERE: Survival, Escape, Resistance, and Evasion
SF: Special Forces
SFOB: Special Forces Operational Base
Shahid: Arabic word for martyr (plural is shahiden)
Shiites: A branch of Islam; in serious conflict with the Sunnis
SITREP: Situation Report
SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
Snap-to: The act of quickly and sharply assuming the position of attention with chin up, shoulders back, thumbs along the seams of the trousers, and heels locked, with toes at a forty-five-degree angle
SOCOM: Special Operations Command
SOF: Special Operations Force
SOI: Signal Operating Instructions
SOLS: Special Operations Liaison Staff
Somoni: Currency of Tajikistan: 2.79=$1.00
SOP: Standard Operating Procedures
SPA: Self-Propelled Artillery
Special Boat Squadrons: Units that participate in SEAL missions
SPECOPS: Special Operations
SPECWARCOM: Special Warfare Command
Stand-to: Being on watch or at a fighting position
Sunnis: A branch of Islam; in serious conflict with the Shiites
Superstructure: The part of a ship above the main deck
T-10 parachute: Basic static-line-activated personnel parachute of the U. S. Armed Forces; primarily designed for mass tactical parachute jumps
Tail-End Charlie: Brigand terminology for the last man in an operation--e. G., the final guy getting off a vehicle, jumping from an aircraft, rear guard on a patrol, etc.
Taliban: Militant, anti-Western Muslims with extreme religious views; in serious conflict with Shiites
TDy: Temporary Duty
Three-Shop: Operations and Training Section of the staff
TO: Table of Organization
TOA: Table of Allowances
TO&E: Table of Organization and Equipment
Two-Shop: Intelligence Section of the staff
U. K.: United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland)
UN: United Nations
Unass: To jump out of or off something
UNREO: United Nations Relief and Educ
ation Organization
USAF: U. S. Air Force
USASFC: U. S. Army Special Forces Command
USSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics-Russia and neighboring countries before the fall of communism there
VTOL: Vertical Takeoff and Landing
WARNO: Warning Order; an informal alert, written or oral, that informs personnel of an upcoming operation or activity
Watch Bill: A list of personnel and stations for the watch
Watch-and-watch: A watch bill that requires personnel to be off only one watch before going back on again; used as a punishment or when a shortage of personnel requires such scheduling; AKA heel-and-toe
Waypoint: A location programmed into navigational instrumentation that directs aircraft, vehicles, and/or vessels to a specific spot on the planet
Whaler Boat: Small craft loosely based on the types of boats used in whaling; they are generally carried aboard naval and merchant vessels and are diesel-powered
WIA: Wounded in Action
WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction-nuclear, biological, etc.
FB2 document info
Document ID: 02688c95-b084-40a2-a410-ad23e86c8b7f
Document version: 1
Document creation date: 14.9.2012
Created using: calibre 0.8.67, FictionBook Editor Release 2.6.6 software
Document authors :
Jack Terral
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