The Art of War c-17

by Keith Douglass

  DESK JOCKEY: Nonflyer, one who drives a computer instead of an aircraft.

  DESRON: Destroyer Commander.

  DICASS: An active sonobuoy.

  DICK STEPPING: Something to be avoided. While anatomically impossible in today’s gender-integrated services, in an amazing display of good sense, it has been decided that women do this as well.

  DDG: Guided missile destroyer.

  DOPPLER: Acoustic phenomena caused by relative motion between a sound source and a receiver that results in an apparent change in frequency of the sound. The classic example is a train going past and the decrease in pitch of its whistle. When a submarine changes its course or speed in relation to a sonobuoy, the event shows up as a change in the frequency of the sound source.

  DOUBLE NUTS: Zero zero on the tail of an aircraft.

  E-2 HAWKEYE: Command and control and surveillance aircraft. Turboprop rather than jet, and unarmed. Smaller version of an AWACS, in practical terms, but carrier-based.

  ELF: Extremely Low Frequency, a method of communicating with submarines at sea. Signals are transmitted via a miles-long antenna and are the only way of reaching a deep-submerged submarine.

  ENVELOPE: What you’re supposed to fly inside of if you want to take all the fun out of naval aviation.

  EWs: Electronic warfare technicians, the enlisted sailors that man the gear that detects, analyzes, and displays electromagnetic signals. Highly classified stuff.

  F/A-18 Hornets: The inadequate, fuel-hungry intended replacement for the aging but still kick-your-ass potent Tomcat. Flown by Marines and Navy.

  FAMILYGRAM: Short messages from submarine sailors’ families to their deployed sailors. Often the only contact with the outside world that a submarine sailor on deployment has.

  FF/FFG: Abbreviation for a fast frigate (no, there aren’t slow frigates) and a guided missile fast frigate.

  FLAG OFFICER: In the Navy and Coast Guard, an admiral. In the other services, a general.

  FLAG PASSAGEWAY: The portion of the aircraft carrier that houses the admiral’s staff working spaces. Includes the flag mess and the admiral’s cabin. Normally separated from the rest of the ship by heavy plastic curtains, and designated by blue tile on the deck instead of white.

  FLIGHT QUARTERS: A condition set onboard a ship preparing to launch or recover aircraft. All unnecessary personnel are required to stay inside the skin of the ship and remain clear of the flight deck area.

  FLIGHT SUIT: The highest form of Navy couture. The perfect choice of apparel for any occasion — indeed, the only uniform an aviator ought to be required to own.

  FOD: Stands for Foreign Object Damage, but the term is used to indicate any loose gear that could cause damage to an aircraft. During flight operations, aircraft generate a tremendous amount of air flowing across the deck. Loose objects — including people and nuts and bolts — can be sucked into the intake and discharged through the outlet from the jet engine. FOD damages the jet’s impellers and doesn’t do much for the people sucked in, either. FOD walkdown is conducted at least one a day onboard an aircraft carrier. Everyone not otherwise engaged stands shoulder-to-shoulder on the flight deck and slowly walks from one end of the flight deck to the other, searching for FOD.

  FOX: Tactical shorthand for a missile firing. Fox one indicates a heat-seeking missile, Fox two an infrared missile, and Fox three a radar guided missile.

  GCI: Ground Control Intercept, a procedure used in the Soviet air forces. Primary control for vectoring the aircraft in on enemy targets and other fighters is vested in a guy on the ground, rather than in the cockpit where it belongs.

  GIB: See backseater.

  GMT: Greenwich Mean Time.

  GREEN SHIRTS: See shirts.

  HANDLER: Officer located on the flight deck level responsible for ensuring that aircraft are correctly positioned, “spotted,” on the flight deck. Coordinates the movements of aircraft with yellow gear (small tractors that tow aircraft and other related gear) from maintenance areas to catapults and from the flight deck to the hangar bar via the elevators. Speaks frequently with the Air Boss. See also bitch box.

  HARMS: Antiradiation missiles that home in on radar sites.

  HOME PLATE: Tactical call sign for the Jefferson.

  HOT: In reference to a sonobuoy, holding enemy contact.

  HUFFER: Yellow gear located on the flight deck that generates compressed air to start jet engines. Most Navy aircraft do not need a huffer to start engines, but it can be used in emergencies or for maintenance.

  HUNTER: Call sign for the S-3 squadron embarked on the Jefferson.

  ICS: Interior Communications System. The private link between a pilot and a RIO, or the telephone system internal to a ship.

  INCHOPPED: Navy talk for a ship entering a defined area of water, e.g. inchopped the Med.

  IR: Infrared, a method of missile homing.

  ISOTHERMAL: A layer of water that has a constant temperature with increasing depth. Located below the thermocline, where increase in depth correlates to decrease in temperature. In the isothermal layer, the primary factor affecting the speed of sound in water is the increase in pressure with depth.

  JBD: Jet Blast Deflector. Panels that pop up from the flight deck to block the exhaust emitted by aircraft.

  USS JEFFERSON: The star nuclear aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.

  LEADING PETTY OFFICER: The senior petty officer in a workcenter, division, or department, responsible to the leading chief petty officer for the performance of the rest of the group.

  LINK: See data link

  LOFARGRAM: Low Frequency Analyzing and Recording display. Consists of lines arrayed by frequency on the horizontal axis and time on the vertical axis. Displays sound signals in the water in a graphic fashion for analysis by ASW technicians.

  LONG GREEN TABLE: A formal inquiry board. It’s better to be judged by six than carried by six.

  MACHINISTS MATE: Enlisted technician that runs and repairs most engineering equipment onboard a ship. Abbreviated as “MM” e.g. MM1 Sailor is a Petty Officer First Class Machinists Mate.

  MDI: Mess Decks Intelligence. The heartbeat of the rumor mill onboard a ship and the definitive source for all information.

  MEZ: Missile Engagement Zone. Any hostile contacts that make it into the MEZ are engaged only with missiles. Friendly aircraft must stay clear in order to avoid a blue on blue engagement, i.e. fratricide.

  MIG: A production line of aircraft manufactured by Mikoyan in Russia. MiG fighters are owned by many nations around the world.

  MURPHY, LAW OF: The factor most often not considered sufficiently in military planning. If something can go wrong, it will. Naval corollary: shit happens.

  NATIONAL ASSETS: Surveillance and reconnaissance resources of the most sensitive nature, e.g. satellites.

  NATOPS: The bible for operating a particular aircraft. See envelopes.

  NFO: Naval Flight Officer.

  NOBRAINER: Contrary to what copy editors believe, this is one word. Used to signify an evolution or decision that should require absolutely no significant intellectual capabilities beyond that of a paramecium.

  NOMEX: Fire-resistant fabric used to make “shirts.” See shirts.

  NSA: National Security Agency. Primarily responsible for evaluating electronic intercepts and sensitive intelligence.

  OOD: Officer of the Day, in charge of the safe handling and maneuvering of the ship. Supervises the conning officer and other underway watchstanders. Ashore, the OOD may be responsible for a shore station after normal working hours.

  OPERATIONS SPECIALIST: Formerly radar operators, back in the old days. Enlisted technicians who operate combat detection, tracking, and engagement systems, except for sonar. Abbreviated OS.

  OTH: Over the horizon, usually used to refer to shooting something you can’t see.

  P-3’S: Shore-based antisubmarine warfare and surface surveillance long-range aircraft. The closest you can get to being in the Air Force while still being in the Navy.
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  PHOENIX: Long range antiair missile carried by U.S. fighters.

  PIPELINE: Navy term used to describe a series of training commands, schools, or necessary education for a particular specialty. The fighter pipeline, for example, includes Basic Flight then fighter training at the RAG (Replacement Air Group), a training squadron.

  PUNCHING OUT: Ejecting from an aircraft.

  PURPLE SHIRTS: See shirts.

  PXO: Prospective Executive Officer — the officer ordered into a command as the relief for the current XO. In most squadrons, the XO eventually “fleets up” to become the commanding officer of the squadron, an excellent system that maintains continuity within an operational command — and a system the surface Navy does not use.

  RACK: A bed. A rack-monster is a sailor who sports pillow burns and spends entirely too much time asleep while his or her shipmates are working.

  RED SHIRTS: See shirts.

  RHIP: Rank Hath Its Privileges. See collar count.

  RIO: Radar Intercept Officer. See NFO.

  RTB: Return to base.

  S-3: Command and control aircraft sold to the Navy as an antisubmarine aircraft. Good at that, too. Within the last several years, redesignated as “sea control” aircraft, with individual squadrons referred to as torpedo-bombers. Ah, the search for a mission goes on. But still a damned fine aircraft.

  SAM: Surface to Air missile, e.g. the standard missile fired by most cruisers. Also indicates a land-based site.

  SAR: Sea-Air Rescue.

  SCIF: Specially Compartmented Information. Onboard a carrier, used to designated the highly classified compartment immediately next to TFCC.

  SEAWOLF: Newest version of Navy fast attack submarine.

  SERE: Survival, Evasion, Rescue, Escape; required school in pipeline for aviators.

  SHIRTS: Color-coded Nomex pullovers used by flight deck and aviation personnel for rapid identification of a sailor’s job. Green: maintenance technicians. Brown: plane captains. White: safety and medical. Red: ordnance. Purple: Fuel. Yellow: flight deck supervisors and handlers.

  SHOE: A black shoe, slang for a surface sailor or officer. Modernly, hard to say since the day that brown shoes were authorized for wear by black shoes. No one knows why. Wing envy is the best guess.

  SIDEWINDER: Antiair missile carried by U.S. fighters.

  SIERRA: A subsurface contact.

  SONOBUOYS: Acoustic listening devices dropped in the water by ASW or USW aircraft.

  SPARROW: Antiair missile carried by U.S. fighters.

  SPETZNAZ: The Russian version of SEALS, although the term encompasses a number of different specialties.

  SPOOKS: Slang for intelligence officers and enlisted sailors working in highly classified areas.

  SUBLANT: Administrative command of all Atlantic submarine forces. On the West Coast, SUBPAC.

  SWEET: When used in reference to a sonobuoy, indicates that the buoy is functioning properly, although not necessarily holding any contacts.

  TACCO: Tactical Control Office: the NFO in an S-3.

  TACTICAL CIRCUIT: A term used in these books that encompasses a wide range of actual circuits used onboard a carrier. There are a variety of C&R circuits (coordination and reporting) and occasionally for simplicity sake and to avoid classified material, I just use the word “tactical.”

  TANKED, TANKER: Navy aircraft have the ability to refuel from a tanker, either Air Force or Navy, while airborne. One of the most terrifying routine evolutions a pilot performs.

  TFCC: Tactical Flag Command Center. A compartment in flag spaces from which the CVBG admiral controls the battle. Located immediately forward of the carrier’s CDC.

  TOMBSTONE: Nickname given to Magruder.

  TOP GUN: Advanced fighter training command.

  UA: Unauthorized Absence, the modern term for AWOL.

  UNDERSEA WARFARE COMMANDER: In a CVBG, normally the DESRON embarked on the carrier. Formerly called the ASW commander.

  VDL: Video Downlink. Transmission of targeting data from an aircraft to a submarine with OTH capabilities.

  VF-95: Fighter squadron assigned to Airwing 14, normally embarked on USS Jefferson. The first two letters of a squadron designation reflect the type of aircraft flown. VF = fighters. VFA = Hornets. VS = S-3, etc.

  VICTOR: Aging Russian fast-attack submarine, still a potent threat.

  VS-29: S-3 squadron assigned to Airwing 14, embarked on USS Jefferson.

  VX-1: Test pilot squadron that develops envelopes after Pax River evaluates aerodynamic characteristics of new aircraft. See envelopes.

  WHITE SHIRT: See shirts.

  WILCO: Short for Will comply. Used only by the aviator in command of the mission.

  WINCHESTER: In aviation, it means out of weapons. A Winchester aircraft must normally RTB.

  XO: Executive officer, the second in command.

  YELLOW SHIRT: See shirts.

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