TCS op
Special Air Service (Australia)
Special Boat Service (SBS)
Special Operations Target Interdiction Course
Special Operations Warrior Foundation
spotter-sniper relationship
spotting scope method
square knots
Stage One hypothermia
Stage Two hypothermia
Stage Three hypothermia
Stalking phase at Scout Sniper School
staph infections
defined
Stewart, Rod
Stinger missiles
Stockdale, James
Stockholm syndrome
stretching exercises
surf passage training
Survivor (TV series)
Swedish Coastal Rangers
swim tests
Swiss Army knives
Sybil’s Family Restaurant
Tai (Vietnamese officer)
Task Conditions and Standards (TCS) op
briefing onboard plane
debriefing
gear for
on the ground
onboard plane
parachute jump
standby status
Task Force 160 (“Night Stalkers”)
defined
TCS op. See Task Conditions and Standards op
10th Mountain Division
10th Platoon
thermite grenades
defined
Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town”
Third Phase (Dive Phase) of BUD/S
Third Phase (Advanced Field Skills and Mission Employment) of Scout Sniper School
Thornton, Michael
362nd Engineers
tomato juice
training. See also BUD/S; Scout Sniper School; Task Conditions and Standards op
Australian SAS
winter warfare
tridents
Trijicon
25th Aviation Regiment
UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams)
defined
underwater knot tying
underwater swimming
Unertl 10-power sniper scope
Unit, defined
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
United Nations (UN). See also Operation Restore Hope
Unknown Distance and Stalking phase of Scout Sniper School
UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia)
defined
USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command)
VC (Vietcong)
defined
Veterans Affairs
Vietnam War
Boesch and
Garrison and
Knepper and
Norris and
vitamin C
volleyball
Vuarnet sunglasses
Wasdin, Blake
birth of
Body Shop incident
desire to become SEAL
family and military life
front-butt story
Wasdin, Carroll
Wasdin, Debbie
Wasdin, Eryn
Wasdin, Laura
birth of Blake
birth of Rachel
Body Shop incident
dating and marriage to
divorce from
Little Debbie incident
military life and
Wasdin, Leon
beatings by
death of
death of Uncle Carroll
fear of
marriage to Laura and
pecan trees and
physical affection of
Wasdin, Millie Kirkman
Wasdin, Rachel
Wasdin, Rebecca
Wasdin, Sue Anne
Wasdin, Tammy
watermelon field
Waters, Ms.
Wayne, John
Webster, William
Weems Free Clinic
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
defined
Wilbanks, Ben
Wilcox, Ron
Wilkinson, Tim
windage, as primary consideration for sniper shots
wind flags
wind speeds
Win Mags (Winchester Magnum . 300 rifles)
defined
winter warfare training
Wolcott, Cliff
World War II
XOs (executive officers), defined
Zaidan, Muhammad (a.k.a. Abu Abbas)
Zippo lighters
GLOSSARY
AC-130 Spectre: It superseded the Vietnam-era AC-47 gunship a.k.a. “Spooky” or “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The spectre is an air force plane capable of spending long periods of time in the air, sometimes carrying two 20 mm M-61 Vulcan cannons, a 40 mm L/60 Bofors cannon, and a 105 mm M-102 howitzer. Sophisticated sensors and radar help it detect enemy on the ground.
AK-47: The name is a contraction of Russian: Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda (Kalashnikov’s automatic rifle model of year 1947). This assault rifle fires a .308 (7.62 × 39 mm) round up to an effective range of 330 yards (300 meters) and holds 30 rounds. It was developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov in two versions: the fixed-stock AK-47 and the AKS-47 (S: Skladnoy priklad) variant equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock.
AT-4: An 84 mm, one-shot light antitank rocket.
Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Also known as “Christians in Action.”
Asset: Local personnel providing intelligence.
BDU: Battle Dress Uniform.
Blowout kit: Medical pouch.
Booger-eater: Generic term for “bad guy.”
BS: Bull excrement. A synonym for “dishonesty.”
BTR-60: Brone-transporty or “armored transporter,” an Armored Personnel Carrier, the last one in the series was the 60PB, which had a boatlike hull and sloped armor.
BTR-60PB: Soviet eight-wheeled (8 × 8) armored personnel carrier armed with 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun (500 rounds), and PKT coaxial 7.62 machine gun (3,000 rounds). It was replaced by the BTR-70.
BUD/S: Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training.
CAR-15: Colt Automatic Rifle-15. One of the family of AR-15 (Arma-Lite Rifle) and M-16 rifle-based small arms. Later versions of the AR-15/M-16 assault rifles were short-barreled. Typically 11.5 inches for a Colt Commando (Model 733), a 14.5 in. barrel for the M-4 Carbine, and a 20 in. barrel for an M-16. The CAR-15 is an earlier version of the M-4 assault rifle with a retractable telescopic buttstock, firing .223 (5.56 mm) rounds, and holding 30 rounds in the magazine. Colt wanted identification of the CAR-15 with its other products, but the CAR designation eventually wound up as a law-enforcement weapon and the M-16 as a military small arm.
CCT: Combat Control Team/combat controllers. Air force special operation pathfinders who can parachute into an area and provide reconnaissance, air traffic control, fire support, and command, control, and communications on the ground—particularly helpful in calling down death from above.
CO: Commanding officer.
CQC: close quarters combat.
CVIC: Aircraft Carrier Intelligence Center. The first C actually stands for “cruiser.” The V comes from the French word voler, meaning “to fly.” Used together, CV is the navy hull classification symbol for “aircraft carrier.”
Cadre: Instructors. Sometimes means leaders.
Cammy, cammies: Camouflage.
Caving ladder: Portable wire ladders for climbing.
Chemlights: Glow sticks. Light sticks containing chemicals activated by bending.
Christians in Action: Nickname for Central Intelligence Agency.
Correct dope: Adjust the scope to adjust for windage and distance.
Cutvee: a cut down Humvee without a top, doors, or windows; a.k.a. M-998 cargo/troop carrier.
Dam Neck: Dam Neck, Virginia, home of SEAL Team Six.
Delta: Delta Force. The army’s tier-one commando unit tasked with conducting counterterrorism and counterinsurgency.
Dope: knowledge, intelligence, poop (Navy Slang). Also see Correct Dope.
E&E: Escape and evasion. Getting out of Dodge.
Exfil: Exfiltrate.
External fixator: A device used in treating fractures. A surgeon drills holes into the uninjured part of the bone near the fracture, then screws pins into the bone. Outside the limb, a metal rod attaches to the pins to hold them in place. The pins and rod make up the external fixator. A.k.a. “halo.”
Fantail: A ship’s stern overhang.
Fast-rope: Kick a thick rope out of the door. Then, wearing special gloves to prevent burning the hands, grab the rope with hands and feet while sliding down.
FFP: Final Firing Position; a sniper’s hide, i.e., the camouflaged pit or tree blind from where a sniper fires.
Fireflies: Handheld infrared strobe lights.
Flashbang: Stun grenade using a nonlethal flash of bright light and loud blast to disorient enemies.
FOB: Forward operating base.
Full package: In Mogadishu, this was at least a hundred men, including a Humvee blocking force, Little Birds with Delta snipers, and Black Hawks with Rangers and Delta operators.
HAHO: High Altitude High Opening; a parachute jump by personnel at 25,000 to 35,000 feet wherein the parachute is opened quickly (while high in the air).
HALO: High Altitude Low Opening; a parachute drop made delivering supplies, equipment, or personnel by freefalling until the dropped objects are low enough to open the chute and safely land on target.
Helo: Helicopter.
HRT: Hostage Rescue Team.
HUMINT: Human intelligence. Intelligence gained and provided by human sources: agents, couriers, journalists, prisoners, diplomats, NGOs, refugees, etc.
IED: Improvised explosive device. A homemade explosive device used in unconventional (illegal) warfare.
JOC: Joint Operations Center.
JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command.
KIM: Keep In Mind; memorization games for scout-snipers.
Khat: A flowering plant native to Somalia, which contains a stimulant that causes excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria (a.k.a. African “speed”).
KN-250: Night-vision rifle scope. Night vision amplifies available light from sources like the moon and stars, converting images into green and light green instead of black and white. The result lacks depth and contrast but enables the sniper to see at night.
Knot: One knot equals roughly 1.15 miles per hour.
LAW: Light Antitank Weapon that fires one 66 mm unguided rocket. Replaced by the AT-4.
Little Bird: Special operations light helicopters. The MH-6 and AH-6 (attack variant) were both used in Mogadishu. Armament includes guns, rockets, and missiles.
LST: Lightweight Satellite Terminal; an encrypted radio that can send burst packets to a satellite for fast relay.
MRE: Meal, Ready-to-Eat. Field ration in lightweight packaging. Sometimes referred to as “Meal, Refusing-to-Exit” because the low dietary fiber content can cause constipation.
Macawi: A colorful Somali kiltlike garment.
NOD: Night Optical Device.
NVA: North Vietnamese Army—the regular Communist military that fought the South Vietnamese and Americans during the Vietnam War.
OP: Observation post.
Op: Operation.
Ouija board: Flat surface on which miniature airplanes or other objects are moved around to indicate position and status of aircraft on the deck of a carrier.
P-3 Orion: Navy spy plane.
PJ: Air force pararescue special operations unit focused on rescuing pilots downed in enemy territory and providing emergency medical treatment.
PLO: Palestine Liberation Organization. A political, paramilitary, and terrorist organization recognized by a hundred states as representative of the Palestinians.
PT: Physical training.
PTs: Gym shorts and T-shirt worn during PT.
Pasha: Code name for our safe house in Mogadishu.
QRF: Quick Reaction Force made up of the army’s 10th Mountain Division, 101st Aviation Regiment, and 25th Aviation Regiment.
Rangers: A rapid light infantry unit that can fight against conventional and special operations targets. The Army Rangers in Mogadishu came from Bravo Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion.
RPG: Rocket-propelled grenade.
SAS: Special Air Service, Britain’s tier-one special operations commando unit. Australia and New Zealand derived their SAS from this British unit.
SATCOM: Cryptographic (scrambled) portable satellite communication radio used by SEALs.
SEALs: The U.S. Navy’s elite SEa, Air, and Land commandos.
SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.
JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command, located at Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg in North Carolina. JSOC commands Special Mission Units that include SEAL Team Six, Delta, and the air force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron.
SIG SAUER P-226 Navy 9 mm: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft—German for “Swiss Industrial Company.” Pistol with phosphate corrosion-resistant finish on the internal parts, contrast sights, and an anchor engraved on the slide. Holds fifteen rounds in the magazine. Designed especially for the SEALs.
SIGINT: Signals Intelligence. Intelligence gathered intercepting signals between people (communications intelligence) and electronic signals (electronic intelligence) not directly involved in communication such as radar. Also the people responsible for gathering such intelligence.
Staph infection: “Staph” is short for “staphylococcal,” a strain of bacteria that produces toxins similar to those in food poisoning, which can kill.
Task Force 160: Nicknamed the “Night Stalkers,” this army helicopter unit usually operates at night, flying fast and low, to avoid radar detection.
Thermite grenade: Grenade containing thermite, a chemical that burns at approximately 4,000°F/2,200°C.
UDT: Underwater Demolition Team. The frogmen, ancestors of SEALs.
UNOSOM: United Nations Operation in Somalia.
Unit: U.S. Army Delta Force.
VC: Vietcong. Guerrilla and regular Communist units that fought the South Vietnamese and America during the Vietnam War.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Like other military units, SEALs often use the military phonetic alphabet “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”—WTF to mean “What the f***?”
Win Mag: Winchester Magnum. The .300 Win Mag holds four rounds of .300 ammunition. Usually used with a Leupold 10-power scope. For evening, a KN-250 night-vision scope slides over the top of the Leupold.
XO: Executive officer. Number two man in charge of a command. The number one man is the commanding officer (CO).
SEAL TEAM SIX: MEMOIRS OF AN ELITE NAVY SEAL SNIPER. Copyright © 2011 by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wasdin, Howard E.
SEAL Team Six : memoirs of an elite Navy seal sniper / Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-312-69945-1
1. Wasdin, Howard E. 2. United States. Navy. SEALs—Biography. 3. United States. Navy—Commando troops—Biography. 4. Snipers—United States—Biography. 5. Operation Restore Hope, 1992–1993—Personal narratives, American. I. Templin, Stephen. II. Title.
VG87.W37 2011
359.0092—dc22
[B]
2010054462
First Edition: May 2011
eISBN 978-1-4299-9652-5
First St. Martin’s Press eBook Edition: May 2011
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SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper Page 31