Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Apparatus — a vehicle equipped with water, foam, and other fire suppression equipment designed specifically to fight aircraft fires.
AK-47 — a military assault rifle, originally manufactured in the former Soviet Union.
Amir — Arabic for chieftain or commander.
Angels — pilot slang for altitude; usually representing thousands of feet; ie: Angels 30 would be 30,000 feet.
ARFF — see Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.
ARFF Apparatus — see Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Apparatus.
ASAP — acronym for As Soon As Possible.
Ayatollah — an Iranian Shiite religious leader.
Caliph — the chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Muhammad.
Caliphate — a form of Islamic government led by a caliph.
Call Sign — a code name used to identify a unit, or an individual within a unit, that is broadcasting or receiving a radio message.
Captain — a military officer of high rank, in particular an officer ranking above first lieutenant and below major.
CBII — see Combined Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation.
CH-47 Chinook — a twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift cargo helicopter.
CH-47 Image: Public Domain
Columbarium — a place for the respectful and usually public storage of urns that contain cremated remains.
Combined Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation (CBII) — an agency of the new United States government formed by the combination of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Command Post — the place from which a military or emergency services unit is commanded.
Communications Unit — a hand-held, multi-channel, digital radio and data terminal.
Comm Unit — short for Communications Unit.
CP — see Command Post.
CPT — abbreviation for Captain; see Captain.
Data Block — a high capacity, digital storage device used to store images, sound, and other information.
Decon — short for Decontamination; see Decontamination.
Decontamination — the process of cleansing an object to remove contaminants such as micro-organisms or hazardous materials, including chemicals, radioactive substances, and infectious diseases.
Dust-off (also DUSTOFF) — common military call sign for a medical evacuation helicopter; derived from the acronym DUSTOFF: Dedicated Unhesitating Service To Our Fighting Forces.
Entrenching Tool — a collapsible shovel used by military personnel for multiple purposes.
Evac — short for Evacuation; see Evacuation.
Evacuation — to remove personnel from a dangerous area.
Executive Officer (XO) — the officer who is second in command to the commanding officer.
Friendly Fire (also called fratricide) — the unintentional killing of a friendly person during combat operations.
GEN — abbreviation for General; see General.
General — a military officer of very high rank, in particular an officer ranking above colonel and in command of an army.
Golden BB — a lucky shot that disables or kills (destroys) an individual or vehicle.
Great Satan — a pejorative term used by radical Islamists to refer to the United States of America.
Heads-up Display (HUD) — an instrument display in an aircraft or vehicle that can be seen without lowering the eyes, typically projected onto a windshield or visor.
HUD — abbreviation for Heads-up Display; see Heads-up Display.
IGC — short for Islamic Global Caliphate; see Islamic Global Caliphate.
Infidel — an individual who adheres to a religion other than one's own.
Intel — short for Intelligence; see Intelligence.
Intelligence — the collection of information of military value.
Islamic Global Caliphate (IGC) — a region ruled by a Fundamental Islamist caliph. The IGC was founded in the Middle East and has spread to dozens of countries through immigration, cultural takeover, and aggression.
Jihadi / Jihadist — a terrorist who performs violence in the name of jihad.
Kill Box — a three-dimensional target area that is defined to facilitate the integration of coordinated joint weapons fire.
Kilometer — a metric unit of measurement equal to 1,000 meters (approximately 0.62 miles).
Klick — a common military term meaning kilometer when referring to distance.
Landing Zone — a military term for an area where aircraft can land.
Lieutenant Colonel — a military officer of high rank, in particular an officer ranking above major and below colonel.
Little Satan — a pejorative term used by radical Islamists to refer to the nation of Israel.
LTC — abbreviation for Lieutenant Colonel; see Lieutenant Colonel.
LZ — abbreviation for Landing Zone; see Landing Zone.
M1A2 Abrams — U.S. military third-generation main battle tank; heavily armed and armored.
M-4 CQBR — a shorter and lighter variant of the U.S. military M-16A2 assault rifle designed for close quarters battle.
Mad Minute — a period of intense automatic weapons fire.
MAJ — abbreviation for Major; see Major.
Major — a military officer of high rank, in particular an officer ranking above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
Master Sergeant — a military noncommissioned officer (NCO), in particular a NCO above sergeant first class and below sergeant major.
Meal, Ready to Eat — a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging used by military personnel for use in combat or other field conditions where organized food facilities are not available.
Medevac — a helicopter used to evacuate wounded personnel from a battlefield.
Medical Evacuation — the evacuation of wounded personnel from a battlefield.
Military Police (MP) — a branch of an army that exercises guard and police functions.
MP — abbreviation for Military Police; see Military Police.
MRE — abbreviation for Meal, Ready to Eat; see Meal, Ready to Eat.
MSG — abbreviation for Master Sergeant; see Master Sergeant.
Mujahedeen — Islamist guerrilla fighters who fight against non-Muslim forces.
Multi-scanner — an electronic device designed to detect the presence of many hazardous materials by analyzing vapor, liquid, and radiological emissions.
Night Vision Goggles — electro-optical devices that are used to detect visible and infrared energy and provide visible images.
NORAD — abbreviation for North American Aerospace Defense Command; see North American Aerospace Defense Command.
North American Aerospace Defense Command — a bi-national (United States and Canadian) organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.
NVGs — abbreviation for Night Vision Goggles; see Night Vision Goggles.
Operation Plan — a formal plan for military forces, their military organizations, and units to conduct operations, as drawn up by commanders within the combat operations process to achieve objectives before or during a conflict.
Ops Plan — short for Operation Plan; see Operation Plan.
Pencil Whipped — to approve documentation without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.
Private — an enlisted military member of the lowest rank.
PVT — abbreviation for Private; see Private.
ROE — abbreviation for Rules of Engagement; see Rules of Engagement.
Rules of Engagement — directives to military forces that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which force, or actions which might be construed as provocative, may be applied.
Sabot — a spacer placed around an object within a container which holds the object suspended within the container.
SB
DS — see Southern Border Defense System.
Sergeant — a military, noncommissioned officer (NCO) ranking above corporal but below staff sergeant.
Sergeant Major — a military, noncommissioned officer (NCO) of the highest rank, above sergeant major.
SGM — abbreviation for Sergeant Major; see Sergeant Major.
SGT — abbreviation for Sergeant; see Sergeant.
Southern Border Defense System (SBDS) — a concrete moat and wall established along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. It stretches from the southwestern corner of Arizona to the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Sitrep — short for situation report.
Situation Report — a short, concise briefing of the current conditions during an operation. See also Sitrep.
Special Forces — elite military personnel specializing in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency.
Stryker — an eight-wheeled armored vehicle used by the U.S. Army with defense capabilities similar to those of a tank, but with greater mobility and fewer logistical requirements.
Stryker Image: Public Domain
Surface-to-Air Missile — a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles.
UH-60 Black Hawk — a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter.
UH-60 Image: Public Domain
XO — abbreviation for Executive Officer; see Executive Officer.
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Maps
Locations in Arizona furing Bloody Border
Locations in Arizona during Target Terror
Locations in Arizona during Freedom’s Forge
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Arizona State Guard Organizational and Rank Charts
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Arizona Revised Statute: 26-174. Arizona state guard; establishment; purpose; appropriations
A. If the national guard of Arizona or a major portion thereof is called into active federal service, or if the national guard or a major portion thereof is alerted for federal service or for any other reason the governor considers to be necessary, the governor may establish an armed force for the safety and protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the state which shall be known as the Arizona state guard.
B. The Arizona state guard shall insofar as practicable be governed by and subject to the laws of the state pertaining to the national guard. The governor shall issue or cause to be issued rules to govern administration and organization of the state guard.
C. Appropriations made to the national guard shall be deemed appropriated to both the national guard and the Arizona state guard, if and when the latter organization is established, and any funds that are unexpended from appropriations to the national guard may be used for establishment and maintenance of the Arizona state guard.
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About the Author
Jeffrey Fortney is a former USAF firefighter and fire service training instructor. He began writing stories in 1970. His parents encouraged his writing by buying him a manual typewriter in 1972. When not writing science fiction/adventure stories, he pays the bills by working as a senior technical editor and photographer for the world's oldest publisher of fire service training materials. He is happily married to Julie, his bride of over 30 years. They have 4 children, 5 grandchildren, and 2 dogs.
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Other Novels by Jeffrey M. Fortney
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy
Bloody Border
Target Terror
Freedom’s Forge
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy
(a compilation e-book only)
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The Terra-Bravo Saga
Chaos on Terra-Prime
Foothold on Terra-Bravo
with K.M. Fortney
Crisis on Terra-Bravo
with K.M. Fortney
The Terra-Bravo Saga
Volume 1
with K.M. Fortney
(a compilation e-book only)
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Camadin Station
Death Haunts the Stars
Last Stand
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy Page 60