The emphasis of this educational reference is on words and phrases that appear in published works about war and military service; and amongst this jargon and slang, there is no pretense of objectivity or completeness, which may be readily found in official documents or government resources. This fragmentary opus is a work in progress ....

Caveat Lector: Vulgar, profane, and obscene dysphemisms, which have been used for every part of speech and rhetorical form, have not been Bowdlerized nor expurgated from this glossary, to the undoubted dismay of purists and the evident enrichment of our mother-tongue; so immature or hypersensitive persons should refrain from perusing this indubitably eclectic and contingently egregious compendium. Swearing is usually either juvenile or crass, but military personnel admire talent and respect skill, so the ability to create imaginative expletives and to craft uncommon scurrility is often appreciated.

THE J :

the PLAIN OF JARS (Plaine des Jarres), near Long Tieng. Also, slang for "the jungle", for the bush, sticks, woods, barrens, brush, weeds, scrub, veg, rough, BOONDOCKS / BOONIES, THULE, INDIAN COUNTRY, bad lands, hinterlands, bandit country, or anywhere "out in the field". [nb: Vietnamese term: Rung (forest)]

JAAF :

Joint Army and Air Force, or Joint Action Armed Forces.

JACK :

acronym representing Joint Advisory Commission Korea, an interservice unconventional warfare (UW) or guerrilla operations unit affiliated with the CIA during the KOREAN WAR. The covert techniques established by OSS, enhanced by UNPFK and JACK, were inherited by SOG, and have since been passed to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and US Special Operations Command (USSOC). See SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

JACKBOOT :

any sturdy leather boot that reaches up to or over the wearer's knee, as worn by soldiers. [cf: Hessian boots, seven-league boots, top boot, Wellington boot] Also, anyone who uses the JACKBOOT tactic of intimidation.

JACKBOOT TACTICS :

behavior that is excessively militaristic or aggressively authoritarian, especially brutally bullying measures.

JACKET :

informal reference to the personnel record of a servicemember, also called a "service jacket", that normally designates a "201 file" containing Form 20 / 66 summary outline of training, assignments, evaluations, and decorations; it is so-called as a "covering" report, and not to be confused with a "file" folder for work projects. Also, slang reference to the FIELD JACKET.

JACOB'S LADDER :

a flexible ladder consisting of rope, cable, or chain side-rails and fixed wooden or aluminum rungs, as used on vessels and aircraft, especially during SAR/CSAR operations; also called a "pilot ladder" or "jack ladder", "caving ladder" or "scaling ladder", as derived from the Biblical dream of a ladder ascending from earth to heaven. Also, a webbing or rope ladder (ie: etrier) deployed for rough-terrain INSERTIONs and/or EXTRACTIONs of troops using transport CHOPPERs; employed instead of DEBARKATION NETs or RAPPEL lines. [v: escalade] [v: Climbing Terms]

JAG :

Judge Advocate General

Judge Advocate General, as chief legal officer, or Judge Advocate General's Corps, a lawyer in uniform; also known insultingly as "JAG-off" (sounds like "jack-off"; cf: POGUE) for JAG-officer. During the VIETNAM WAR, commissioned officers were still responsible for administering military laws (UCMJ), as both counsel and judges, and an enlisted man (EM) could request an NCO board at his court martial; but JAG representation became mandatory after that time. Legal liability is now a regular part of pre-operational mission BRIEFINGs to ensure that the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE) are completely understood before any enemy contact occurs. See SJA; compare BARRACKS LAWYER, GUARDHOUSE LAWYER, SEA LAWYER. [v: lawyer, attorney-at-law, counselor, advocate, adviser, jurist, legist, Philadelphia lawyer, pettifogger, mouthpiece, ambulance chaser, shyster, beak]

JAMESWAY HUT :

a version of the semicylindrical QUONSET HUT, with wooden ribs and end walls, and an insulated fabric covering, that was created by the James Manufacturing Company of Fort Atkinson Wisconsin for the Army Air Corps to serve as a barracks, storage shelter, or the like during WWII. This portable and easy-to-assemble hut was designed for arctic weather conditions when personnel were wearing bulky clothes and mittens but needed shelter construction to proceed quickly. Insulated blankets in four-foot-wide lengths were made with glass fiber insulation faced with flame-proof muslin and enclosed in plastic-treated cotton that was water-, vermin-, and fire-proof. The hardware (nails, fasteners, and connecting bars) was the only metal component, and the whole package weighed 1,200 pounds for a 16' X 16' hut (extendable in 4' lengths). Its wooden packing crates were designed for reuse as the hut floor. See BLDG, BILLET. [v: British Nissen hut, Canadian Portaseal hut]

JAPE :

derogatory WWII Marine slang for Imperial Japanese troops who were thought to be dead but weren't [v: PLAY DEAD], which refers to the necessity of "killing corpses" to ensure their demise, because they were so devious and tenacious; derived by contraction of "Jap + ape". See MEATBALL, NIP, GOOK, DINK, SLOPE, SLANT-EYE, RICE BALL, ZIP, CHINK, WOG, LITTLE PEOPLE, BAD GUYS; compare BUDDHAHEAD, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER, INDIG. [nb: although ape and monkey are common slurs of racial comparison or ethnic imputation, such vilification of one's adversary often implied a compliment; as the Marianas' veteran who defined this term expressed it: "A Jap fought you to his dying breath, but a Jape kept coming even after you thought he was dead!"]

JAP SLAPPER :

slang for a martial artist, especially one skilled in judo (soft + way) or jujitsu/jujutsu (soft + technique), aikido (way of the harmonious spirit) or aikijutsu (technique of the harmonious spirit); see BATTLE ROYAL, DOGFIGHT, AT CLOSE QUARTERS, CQB, BUTT STROKE, BAYONET, ON GUARD, UP-CLOSE 'n' PERSONAL, KNUCKLE SANDWICH, MARTIAL ART, GABRIEL. [v: Japanese gijutsu (technique, art)] [cf: Jack-slap (Jaques-slappé): to defeat egregiously]

JARGON :

the specialized vocabulary peculiar to a specific occupation, profession, or social group. Also, obscure or unintelligible communication, as language that is characterized by pretentious vocabulary, convoluted syntax, and is uncommonly vague in meaning (eg: "sacred gibberish"), including legalese, academese, officialese, bureaucratese, journalese, and computerese. See PIDGIN, BAMBOO ENGLISH, GOOKANESE, VERNACULAR, POLYGLOT, MIL-SPEAK. [v: bafflegab, gobbledygook, bombast, malarkey, claptrap, bunkum, tommyrot, balderdash] [nb: Zipf's Law of Linguistics asserts that while a few words in any natural language are used quite often, most words are used infrequently, which statistical observation was first made by George Kingsley Zipf]

JARHEAD :

derogatory term, similar to "jughead", applied to anyone as "stupid or stubborn as a mule", including muleskinners and oilfield rough-necks. As a simile for a capped jar, it originally referred to sailors wearing traditional DIXIE CUP hats, but was later transferred (probably in combination with "stubborn mule" reference) to Marines, who also wear a uniquely styled "utility cover" hat. A Marine is commonly known as a "GIrine" (jy-reen) [or GYRENE], and also as "Uncle Sam's Misguided Child" (USMC) or a "seagoing bellhop". The word Marine has been converted into an acronym meaning: Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Essential. Compare SNUFFY, CHINA MARINE, SEAGOING MARINE, HORSE MARINE, THE CROTCH, MAMELUKE SWORD, USMC; see GI, SQUID, SWABBY, DOGFACE, ZOOMIE.

JATO :

(jay-toe) Jet Assisted Take-Off, being the ancillary propulsion units that assist short lift-off or combat launch of airplanes by boosting their acceleration; see JUICE, compare STOL, VSTOL, VTOL.

JAVA :

slang for military coffee, also known as joe, mud, sludge, washy, mocha, espresso, brew, black water, brown blood, boiler acid, battery acid, and nectar of the gods; see GI JOE.

JAVELIN :

a man-portable optical anti-tank (AT) MISSILE equipped with a "fire and forget" target-lock guidance system, which supersedes the DRAGON; see LOSAT, TOW, ATGM, CAAT.

JAWBONE :

an account, tab, or tally of indebtedness, especially loanshark or gambling debts; an ostensible Americanism that's purportedly derived from the trading account kept by sutlers on the jawbone of a buffalo, one per customer and recognizably his own for each illiterate trader. Also, talk, converse, palaver, gab, rap, shoot the breeze, chew the rag, chin wag, chin dance; see TALK TRASH, POOP. Also, to influence or persuade without resorting to force or authority. [nb: Zulu warriors took the jawbone (mandible) of their slain enemy and presented it to their chief, who made a trophy of them; cf: EARS]

JAWBREAKER :

any word difficult to pronounce; see ALPHABET SOUP, THE STANS. Also, anything boring, as to be injured by yawning; saying a course was a JAWBREAKER could mean either tedious or difficult depending upon tone or emphasis. Also, hard candy; compare RAT BAIT, CLARK BAR, NECCO, POGY BAIT, GEDUNK, HOOAH! BAR, SUGAR PILL.

JAYHAWK :

USCG heavy helicopter (HH-60J) configuration of SEA HAWK and BLACKHAWK; see CHOPPER.

J-CODES :

an organizational structure for the STAFF that dates from the 19th century, reorganized in 2007 for the conduct of "war prevention" and "security cooperation activities" as directorates in joint headquarters: J1 Personnel, J2 Knowledge Development, J3 Operations, J4 Logistics, J5 Plans and Programs, J6 Command and Control (C4), J7 Outreach, J8 Resources. The specialty section prefixes are hierarchical representations for S= Staff at brigade or regiment, G= General staff at division or corps, and J= Joint staff at army or group. Senior Navy department prefixes are designated "N-". See STAFF; compare CALL-SIGN [nb: pre-2007 J-CODES directorates: J1 Administration, J2 Intelligence, J3 Operations, J4 Logistics, J5 Plans, J6 Command and Control, J7 Plans and Developments, J8 Force Structure]

JCET :

Joint Combined Exchange Training; temporary duty performed overseas by interservice foreign exchange personnel who cooperatively share doctrine and techniques to improve mil-craft skill sets in anticipation of future coordination.

JCS :

JCS

the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff; a formal interservice agency of the government, headed by a Chairman (ChJCS), consisting of the heads of the U.S. Armed Forces, established in 1942 [Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCoS)] as the principal military ADVISORs to the (then) Secretary of War, restructured by the Uniformed Services Act of 1947 and the Defense Reorganization Act of 1958. During the VN era, only the ChJCS reported to the National Security Council (NSC); which later expanded to grant JCS access to the President (POTUS). The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 restored the primacy and exclusivity of the Chairman's (ChJCS) role without granting direct command authority. A pocket badge is authorized for permanent wear by assigned personnel who successfully perform this duty. See CS, OSD, JCSM, NMCC, NMCS, NMCSSC, JSAD, GRADUATED RESPONSE, FLEXIBLE RESPONSE, JGS, OLYMPUS. [nb: after being re-activated from retirement and appointed ChJCS, Maxwell D. Taylor attempted to abolish the JCS in favor of a "Supreme Military Council", outside the military CHAIN-OF-COMMAND] [nb: purportedly, the military uses the term "joint" (to join) to indicate two or more elements from the same service or nation, and the term "combined" (by twos) to indicate two or more interservice or international elements, hence a "joint action" might involve the Army and Navy, while a "combined action" might involve the US and UK; additionally, the term "composite" (put together) indicates a compound of disparate elements forming a whole, while the term "component" (put together) indicates constituent elements of a greater whole]

JCSE :

Joint Communications Support Element.

JCSM :

Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum; also known as "Joint Staff Memorandum" (JSM).

JDAM :

Joint Direct Attack Munition, being a programmable and steerable SMART BOMB or MISSILE which can strike its assigned target from any altitude under any weather or light conditions by following its integral GPS guidance. This technology, which can be retrofitted onto older "dumb" bombs in inventory, reducing stockpiles while improving efficiency, is functionally "fire and forget". Because JDAM is not laser guided and does not have to be tracked to its point of impact, it allows delivery from a secure location at a safe distance, practically eliminating the risk of loss of any operators and delivery systems. The JDAM was first used in Kosovo during Operation PROVIDE PROMISE, and later in the second GULF WAR. See BOMB, MUNITIONS.

JDOC :

joint Defense Operations Center; see TOC, CTOC, CMOC, OPN.

JEDI KNIGHT :

a graduate of the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS); see WAR COLLEGE, C&GS, HUDSON HIGH, BOAT SCHOOL, OCS, ROTC. [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)]

JEEP :

Jeep

nickname for the General Purpose quarter-ton TRUCK, including M-38, M-151A2 MUTT; an onomatopoeic term derived from "GP" (GeeP), which resembled the 1936 "Popeye" comic strip character "Eugene the Jeep" so much that the Willys-Overland Motor Company trademarked the name in 1940. JEEPs were often equipped with canvas top or sides, ELEPHANT'S TRUNK line-cutter on front bumper, pedestal-mounted machinegun (MG), and shoulder-high SPLINTER SHIELD armor-plating. See HUMVEE, GAMMA GOAT, DUCK/DUKW, FAV, ORV, MULE. Also, the abbreviation for Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan; see ABNCP, ABCCC, NEACP, LOOKING GLASS, BRINKMANSHIP, KNOCK INTO A COCKED HAT, HOLOCAUST, DOOMSDAY.

JEEP CAP :

Jeep cap

a soft stocking-cap, knitted of olive drab (OD) wool with a plastic bill sewn into a permanent cuff folded at the bottom; being the Army version of a WATCH CAP, suitable for wearing under a helmet during cold weather. The name of this cap, in common with the term JEEP for the vehicle, is a homophone of "GP", representing 'general purpose'. Its official nomenclature is: cap, wool, knit M1941. See TROOPER CAP, HEADGEAR. [cf: balaclava, coif, pileus, calotte, skullcap]

JERRV :

(gerve) Joint Explosive ordnance disposal Rapid Response Vehicle; a 12-ton COUGAR truck that's hardened to survive BOMBs and MINEs, designed to transport engineers (CE) out to areas where obstacles need to be cleared. Compare CEV; see ENGR, EOD, TRUCK.

JERRY-BUILT :

developed in a haphazard fashion; term used disparagingly of such contrivance to indicate flimsy or shoddy construction. See FIELD EXPEDIENT, JURY-RIG, PLAN B, AD HOC, LEAST RESISTANCE, CROSS-DECKING, COMMANDEER. [cf: stopgap, makeshift, ad-lib [ad libitum], postfix, make-do, Afro-engineer; nb: "Creativity is doing more with less, while invention is doing something with nothing!"; "We've done so much with so little for so long that soon we'll be able to do everything with nothing instantaneously!"]

JERRY CAN :

nickname for the portable upright container (5gal) used for temporary storage of water, fuel, and other liquids, which was copied from a WWII German design; see PETROL, MOGAS, JUICE, POL, BLIVET, BLADDER, POD, TOP-OFF, DONKEY DICK, REDNECK CREDIT CARD.

JESUS NUT :

main rotor retaining nut; so-called because if it ever came off, only Jesus could help.

JET JOCKEY :

slang for any PILOT qualified to fly a jet-propelled (FAST MOVER) aircraft, sometimes shortened to "jet jock"; this "knight of the sky" is also called "throttle jockey" or "fighter jock", as distinguished from prop or glider, transport or helicopter PILOTs. See FUF, G-SUIT, SUCK 'n' PUFF, AUGER-IN, PANCAKE, FAG, BIRDMAN, Q-COURSE, GOOD STICK. [nb: a BULLETPROOF pilot's braggadocio is often expressed as "big sky, little bullet"; v: GOLDEN BB, MAGIC BULLET]

JET PROPULSION :

motivation of a body developed by the reactive force from the injection of a high-speed jet of gas; see JATO, RAMJET, PULSEJET, SCRAMJET, MACH, AFTERBURNER, SONIC BOOM, SUPERSONIC, HYPERSONIC. [nb: Jet propulsion is the propulsion of a body by a force developed in reaction to the ejection of a high-speed jet of gas. The four basic parts of a jet engine are the compressor, turbine, combustion chamber, and propelling nozzles. Air is compressed, then led through chambers where its volume is increased by the heat of fuel combustion. On emergence it spins the compression rotors, which in turn act on the incoming air. In the combustion chamber of a jet propulsion engine, the combustion of a fuel mixture generates expanding gases, which escape through an orifice to form the jet. Newton's third law of motion requires that the force that causes the high-speed motion of the jet of gas have a reaction force that is equal in magnitude and oppositely directed to push on the jet propulsion engine. Hence the term "reaction motor" is often applied to jet-propulsion engines. The thermal jet engine operates with a continuous blast, but intermittent duct jet propulsion proceeds by a series of pulses, or intermittent explosions. The ramjet, or "continuous duct", engine relies on its own forward motion to compress the air that enters it. Although highly efficient, it is designed to operate only after high speed has been attained through the use of some other power source, typically a rocket. The scramjet, or supersonic-combustion ramjet, engine is designed to operate at hypersonic speed, using hydrogen for fuel; in theory, a scramjet-propelled craft could achieve orbital speed, with an efficiency three times that of liquid- or solid-fuel rockets. In addition, without the need to carry oxygen, an air-breathing, scramjet-powered vehicle can carry a greater payload than a rocket-powered one. There are various thrust-augmentation methods that can be used to increase the effective driving force of jet engines: the afterburner, water-injection, and air bleed-off methods. An afterburner uses the exhaust gases from the engine for additional combustion, with resulting higher compression; however, it consumes large amounts of fuel. Injection of water into the air-compressor inlet also increases the thrust, but can be used only at take-off because of the high water consumption. Air bleed-off, sometimes called the "fan augmentation method", also makes more efficient use of air otherwise wasted. The first reaction engine, the aeolipile (a ball that rotated as a reaction to escaping steam), was constructed by the inventor Heron (or Hero) of Alexandria. Developments through the centuries have resulted in two general types of reaction machines, the true rocket and the airstream engine, commonly known as the jet engine. Unlike a jet engine, a rocket engine carries with it chemicals that enable it to burn its fuel without drawing air from an outside source. Thus a rocket can operate in outer space, where there is no atmosphere. Fritz von Opel, a German automobile manufacturer, made the first flight entirely by rocket power in 1939. The American R.H. Goddard did much of the important pioneer work in modern rocket development. The second category of reaction motor, the jet engine, is a development of the late 18th-century gas turbine engines, which directed combustion gases against the blades of a turbine wheel. Not until 1908 was it suggested that an aircraft could be driven by jet propulsion. René Lorin, a French engineer, proposed using a reciprocating engine to compress air, mix it with fuel, and thus propel the aircraft by the pulses of hot gas produced by combustion of the mixture. Henri Coanda, a Romanian engineer, experimented with a reaction-powered aircraft in 1910, and observed the phenomenon now known as the "Coanda effect". In 1939 the English engineer, Frank Whittle, developed a jet engine that powered a full-sized aircraft, and a year later, Secundo Campini in Italy, flew for 10 minutes using a thermal jet engine. Jet-propelled aircraft have replaced propeller-driven types in all but short-range commercial applications; turboprop planes, in which a propeller is turned by a turbine engine, are used for short-range flights. The SR-71 Blackbird, a U.S. jet SPYPLANE, holds the current speed record of 2,193.17 mph for a piloted air-breathing airplane, but NASA's experimental scramjet-powered pilotless X-43A has bested this, almost reaching Mach 7 (about 5,000 mph) and Mach 10 (about 6,800 mph) in brief test flights in 2004. The Australian-led HyShot Flight Program successfully tested a British-designed scramjet engine in 2006. (The Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition ©2007 Columbia University Press)]

JETSAM :

goods or supplies that are deliberately cast overboard from a vessel so as to lighten or stabilize it in an emergency, as derived from "jettison"; such cargo typically sink where castaway, but may be later washed ashore. See LAGAN; compare FLOTSAM, WAVESON, CASTOFF, DODO.

JETSTAR :

Lockheed C-140 aircraft.

JETTISON :

to cast goods, supplies, or other cargo from an aircraft or vessel so as to lighten or stabilize it during an emergency; see JETSAM.

JGS :

the Vietnamese Joint General Staff, being comparable to JCS.

JIC :

Joint Intelligence Center; compare NIC.

JIEDDO :

(gee-doe) Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization; originally established as an Army task force in 2003, then upgraded to interservice defense agency status in 2006, with the mandate to develop and coordinate counter-IED doctrine and tactics. JIEDDO serves as a coordinator and clearinghouse on IED practices and effects, including types of injuries (IEDs generate a ratio of 9 WIA for each KIA). This agency is funded for research and acquisition of interrupter, disrupter, jammer, and remote detonator equipment. JIEDDO conducts defensive operations to detect IED emplacements, and offensive operations to interdict the manufacture, transport, and installation of IEDs.

JINGLE TRUCK :

slang for a commercial vehicle of broad description and ingenious configuration that's used in itinerant sales or trade; based upon its somewhat garish and noisy appearance in the most remote areas from the Near East to the Far East, irrespective of ethnic, religious, or political divisions. These tradesmen, often multilingual, doggedly ply their goods and products wherever their decrepit or ramshackle trucks can roll, and are an excellent source of local news ... which can authenticate military intelligence (MI) when interlarded. JINGLE TRUCKs, also known as a "jingly truck" or "jewelry truck", are sometimes independently contracted to haul cargo for delivery on behalf of foreign operations. This designation, probably based upon their clinking or tinkling sound, originated during the period of British colonialism, and has since been adopted by other MIL-PERS (especially ADVISORs and SPECIAL OPERATIONS types) serving throughout this vast region. American troops serving in the SANDBOX have nominated the JINGLE TRUCK for various distinctions, including "State Animal of Afghanistan" and "Official Flower of Iraq". See HACK, RICE-BURNER, TRUCK. [v: chariot, hansom, hackney, jitney, jingle, gharry, fiacre, tonga, trap, gig, dogcart, calash, growler, runabout, palanquin/palankeen, jiao, gama, sedan chair, hand truck, pushcart, tug-truck, pull-truck]

JINK :

Air Force term for turning an aircraft hard in various directions so as to avoid enemy fire, evade apprehension, or escape detection; see BANK, YANK 'n' BANK, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, ACM, FUR BALL, DOGFIGHT, AEROBATICS.

JITTERBUG :

to be "on the move" or "on the jump" in an erratic series of rushes or leaps, so-called after the strenuously acrobatic jazz dance; see ON THE BOUNCE, HOPSCOTCH, JUMP-START, FIRE 'n' MANEUVER, LEAP FROG, CHECKERBOARD, BUTTERFLY, CLOVERLEAF, BUTTONHOOK, ZIGZAG, DASH, OP TEMPO. Also, slang for someone who's anxious or apprehensive, excited or agitated, skittish or flinchy; also called "jumping bean"; see NERVOUS IN THE SERVICE, compare HANG LOOSE.

JLIST :

(jay-list) Joint service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology; see JSLIST.

JMUA :

JMUA

(forthcoming); see MUC, OUA, UNIT CITATION, GONG.

JOC :

Joint Operations Center; see TOC, CTOC, JDOC, CMOC, OPN.

JOCKSTRAP MEDAL :

among intelligence agents (eg: CIC, MI, DIA, CIA, etc), a decoration that's been covertly presented in a closed ceremony for distinguished conduct or meritorious performance during a classified operation; also called a "jockstrap award", this decoration may not be openly worn on the recipient's uniform as long as the details of the operation remain classified, but its existence is noted in the recipient's (classified) personnel file as a factor to be considered during promotion ... such restricted awards are so called because the only place that they can be worn is on the inside of the jockstrap! Also, by association among conventional servicemembers, an automatic award presented to every member of the "team" just for suiting up and going along with the game, hence the sportsmanship allusion to teamwork as represented by the 'jockstrap'. See I WAS THERE, BTDT, PAY DUES, CAMPAIGN MEDAL, UNIT CITATION, IMPACT AWARD, BADGE OF COURAGE, FRUIT SALAD, GONG, TRASH.

JODHPUR :

(jod-fer) an above-the-ankle demiboot that closed with a strap that buckled on the outside of the wearer's foot, as worn before WWII with LEGGINGs or PUTTEEs, and worn afterward by aircrew and aircraft ground maintenance personnel; also called chukka (from polo) or BOONDOCKERS; compare BUSKINS, TANKER BOOTS, see FOOTWEAR. Also, pantaloons or riding breeches that are cut full around the hips and thighs for ease of movement, then tapering from the knee to a close fit on the lower leg; as derived from the polo uniform worn in Jodhpur India; compare ZOOT SUIT.

JODY :

archetypal DRAFT DODGER and "lounge lizard" who steals the girlfriend left at home. If the Nice Girl succumbs and sends a disloyal "Dear John" letter, then she becomes a Bad Girl, who's commonly known as "Susie Rottencrotch" or "Mary Meatgrinder". Conversely, service women betrayed by JODY, receive a "Dear Jane" letter. A "kiss-off" from a serviceman to a forlorn civilian can use the same references (eg: GI JODY sends a Dear Jane to Miss Lonely Hearts). See SUGAR REPORT, MAIL CALL. Also, the short form of JODY CALL; so named due to their preoccupation with unmilitary deeds and civilian affairs. [cf: the rabbit-like character called "Cuthbert" invented by Poy, the cartoonist for the "Evening News", to represent all the eligible DRAFT DODGERs avoiding combat during WWI with sinecures and deferments; not to be confused with Saint Cuthbert]

JODY CALL :

rhythmic chants or rhyming songs intended to coordinate marching tempo, sometimes shortened to JODY; probably derived from labor songs that paced the work and maintained the processing order. These ballads, classified as "occupational folk songs", are preoccupied with unmilitary deeds and civilian affairs, sharing the common miseries of ordinary people, along with blues and country lay, featuring the archetypal JODY as villain or rake, who typically wins the soldier's pay and possessions, seduces the serviceman's wife and dog! See CADENCE, HEP, CHANTEY, HOISE, BY THE NUMBERS, GUNG-HO, HEAVE-HO, BEATERS 'n' BLEATERS, TOOTER. [nb: some revisionists, by ignoring the extensive history of martial music and work songs going back to ancient China and early Rome, are "crediting" segregated Negro troops with the 'invention' of CADENCE calls for the improvement of morale during training in WWII, specifically an impromptu "Sound Off" CADENCE call initiated by PVT Willie Duckworth while marching in the Provisional Training Center of Fort Slocum, New York, in May 1944, and later identified as the "Duckworth Chant" in reformed folklore. It's another insidious myth and pernicious lie perpetrated upon the gullible by self-anointed elitists! The similarity of JODY to every carpetbagger and scalawag argues demonstrably for a 19th century development, as does the word 'cadence' in early Army songs ("count off the cadence loud and strong"), but even more is the persistence of sea chanteys by sailors laboring at common tasks.] [cf: ballad, chanson, lay, air, tune, ditty, carol]

JOE :

slang for military coffee, also known as mud, sludge, washy, java, mocha, espresso, brew, black water, brown blood, boiler acid, battery acid, and nectar of the gods; see GI JOE. Also, slang for any uniformed MIL-PERS serving overseas, especially GRUNTs and other GROUND POUNDERs, as a truncation of GI JOE since the WWII-era.

JOHNNY-GUN / JOHNNY GUN :

informal reference to the Johnson model M-1941 light machinegun (LMG), being a .30cal SMALL ARM fed by 20-round magazines with a front blade sight and a rear folding aperture sight; although the Johnson LMG was the only new machinegun design introduced during WWII, it was only used to a limited degree during the war; compare BAR, TOMMY-GUN.

JOHN WAYNE :

attributive criticism for anyone wearing an unbuckled HELMET (STEEL POT, K-POT) in imitation of this movie star (Marion Michael Morrison) in numerous war film roles where his chin straps are dangling or hanging loose; regulations (as well as common sense safety) require them to be fastened, either up (around the helmet) or down (around the head) for proper wear and noise discipline. Also, an attribution for someone who is too reckless or individualistic, someone who breaks the rules of procedure instead of following the guidelines; not a self-disciplined team player; a rogue or COWBOY, HOT DOG or HOT-SHOT. Also, slang for the P-38 (or later P-51) C-RATION can opener; compare CHURCH KEY, KFS.

JOHN WAYNE DRIVING SCHOOL :

sardonic reference to the process of teaching inexperienced trainees the fine art of tactical driving in rough terrain, which usually results in the vehicle getting banged up ... and the instructor growing exponentially older with each new student.

JOHN WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL :

sardonic reference to the SPECIAL FORCES and SPECIAL OPERATIONS training center at Fort Bragg; see SWS, SWC&S, SFTG, SFQC, SOTC, ROBIN SAGE, GABRIEL, BRONZE BRUCE, ELECTRIC BUTTERKNIFE, GREEN BERET, BLANKET HEAD, SNEAKY PETE, SNAKE-EATER, SF; compare MSOS. [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)]

JOHN WAYNE RIFLE :

M-1911A1 .45cal pistol

sarcastic reference to the government model M-1911/M-1911A1 .45cal (11.25mm) PISTOL, fired for qualification on a 25-yard shooting range, but was invariably accurate for hundreds of meters in the hands of Hollywood HEROs! ... like John "Duke" Wayne (Marion Michael Morrison). One of the most reliable handguns ever issued to MIL-PERS, with excellent lethality, this semiautomatic was designed by John Moses Browning and served in all conditions around the world ... until needlessly replaced in 1990 by the M-9 sidearm. The M-1911A1 remains the preferred sidearm for SFers and Marines. See CALIBER, HARDBALL, DUMDUM, UP-GUN, PISTOL. [nb: a slang term for the fully metal jacketed .45cal PISTOL and submachinegun (SMG) ammunition is 'pumpkin ball' ("punkin ball"), so-called due to its color and size]

JOINT :

purportedly, the military uses the term "joint" (to join) to indicate two or more elements from the same service or nation, and the term "combined" (by twos) to indicate two or more interservice or international elements, hence a "joint action" might involve the Army and Navy, while a "combined action" might involve the US and UK; additionally, the term "composite" (put together) indicates a compound of disparate elements forming a whole, while the term "component" (put together) indicates constituent elements of a greater whole. The term "joint", expressive of interservice, reflects an expansion of the "combined arms" concept, once limited to each service branch, into a unified command structure. See JOC, JTF, USJFCOM, CJSOTF-AP, JSOTF, JSOC, USSOC, SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

JOINT ARMY/NAVY PHONETIC ALPHABET :

also known as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet; see PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags]

JOKER :

in Naval aviation, a fuel level that's critically low, lower than BINGO; see ENDURANCE, DROP-TANK, POD, DROGUE, TANKER, POINT OF NO RETURN.

JOLLY GREEN GIANT :

Jolly Green Giant

refers to either the heavily armed USAF AC-47 gunship aircraft, or the USAF HH-53 / HH-3 heavy cargo helicopter used for rescue. See DAKOTA, SMOKY BEAR, SEA STALLION, SANDY, CHOPPER, BIRD.

JOOD :

Junior Officer Of the Deck, who is second to the Officer Of the Deck (OOD); compare SOPA.

JOPE :

Joint Operation and Planning Exercise. [nb: purportedly, the military uses the term "joint" (to join) to indicate two or more elements from the same service or nation, and the term "combined" (by twos) to indicate two or more interservice or international elements, hence a "joint action" might involve the Army and Navy, while a "combined action" might involve the US and UK; additionally, the term "composite" (put together) indicates a compound of disparate elements forming a whole, while the term "component" (put together) indicates constituent elements of a greater whole]

JOSS STICK :

a thin stick of dried fragrant paste, burned as propitiative incense before a cult image or idol (joss). Usually understood as fate, destiny, fortune, or luck; JOSS is actually pidgin Chinese for "god", as in joss house. See ANTHROPOMORPHISM, MASCOT, MOJO, VOODOO, HOODOO, ABRACADABRA, PASSWORD; compare NHA THO. [nb: "Joss-sticks: small sticks burned by the Chinese in their pagan tomfoolery, in imitation of certain sacred rites of our holy religion." by Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce]

JOURNAL :

formally classified as a subscription BULLETIN; being a periodical published by the military for professional development, including: "Military Review", "Proceedings", "Marines", "Soldier", "All Hands", "Parameters", etc. Compare YANK, STARS AND STRIPES, OVERSEXED WEEKLY, REPORT, MR, WHITE PAPER. [nb: "Army Times", "Navy Times", "Air Force Times", "Marine Gazette", "Early Bird Brief", "Daily News Roundup", and other service-oriented newspapers are proprietary publications, just as "Army", "Leatherneck", "Sea Power", "Air Power", "National Guard", "Legion", "VFW", and other quasi-military magazines are proprietary publications of their respective professional or veteran associations, which are neither endorsed nor sponsored by the military] Also, a log, register, or daybook account recording the daily [der: Latin daily (diurnalis), French day (jour)] affairs and activities of a unit; see WAR DIARY, compare MORNING REPORT. [nb: the military prohibits the keeping of a personal diary for reasons of security in denying the enemy opportunities for gathering INTEL from captured or recovered documents, including personal letters (SUGAR REPORT); however, this practical measure is widely disregarded and generally disobeyed]

JOURNALIST :

see FRUIT FLY, WAR CORRESPONDENT, GAG ORDER, OPSEC, BLACKOUT, RED INK, DISINFORMATION, PROPAGANDA, BIG LIE, RUMOR. [nb: "Journalists are the semi-literate cretins hired to fill the spaces between the advertisements." by Winston L.S. Churchill]

JOY :

confirmed sighting, link, or contact by aircraft PILOT or WSO, being the same as AFFIRM or success; conversely, "No Joy" is an expression of failure, being the opposite of TALLY-HO.

JOYSTICK :

informal term for a control or steering lever (CONTROL STICK), as for maneuvering and manipulating an airplane or tank, computer or conveyance; also called "stick" or "beer-lever"; see DEAD STICK, VOLPLANE, HOTAS. [nb: where the ship's steering wheel has been replaced by JOYSTICKs for controlling propulsion pods and thrusters, the HELM is called an "integrated bridge system workstation"] Also, slang for penis, phallus, PRICK / CU, SHORT ARM, STICK, SPAR, YARDARM, HOT DOG, HOSE, BAYONET, BIRD, DIPPER, POGY BAIT, POGUE, and the like; compare LITTLE PRICK, DEAD-SOLDIER, ONIONS. [nb: 'hooey', allegedly an Americanism used as an interjection for nonsense or tripe, is actually a corruption of the Russian vulgarity ("khuy") for penis, and is commonly used alone (eg: dick, dickhead, dick-wad) or in phrases (eg: dumber than dick; he doesn't know dick; don't dick around; don't stir your tea with your dick)] [cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff]

JP :

jet petroleum, such as "JP-4", being a liquid fuel for jet aircraft, the chief ingredient of which is kerosene; see POL, PETROL, AVGAS, JUICE, TOP-OFF, HOT-FUELING, FUEL LADDER. Also, the abbreviation for Joint Pacific.

JPAC :

U.S. Joint Prisoner of war/missing in action Accounting Command, being the interservice authority responsible for battlefield archeology, including the identification and recovery of the physical remains of American servicemembers lost in the line of duty; see CIL, RECOVERY, POW, MIA, LAID BY THE WALL, BODY-SNATCHER, GRAVES REGISTRATION, MORTUARY AFFAIRS.

JPADS :

(jay-pads) Joint Precision AirDrop System, being a computer-controlled parachute delivery method used to supply or resupply troops in the field with rations, fuel, ammunition, and other vital necessities. After exiting a cargo plane flying as high as 25,000 feet above the ground (AGL), the JPADS wing-shaped parachute self-maneuvers using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to a drop zone (DZ) as small as 100 meters, making aerial delivery of a 2000 pound PAYLOAD securely. A 10,000# cargo JPADS is also available. Compare LOW-LEVEL EVACUATION DROP; see HEAVY DROP, AIRDROP.

JPRA :

Joint Personnel Recovery Agency; see BLOOD CHIT, SAFE, JSARC, CSAR, SAR, RCC, RECOVERY.

JPRC :

Joint Personnel Recovery Center, being the cover designation for the interservice BRIGHT LIGHT project; in the post-Vietnam era, it was succeeded by the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA). See POW, SON TAY, BLOOD CHIT, SAFE, compare SNATCH, TONGUE, PACKAGE, JSARC, CSAR, SAR, RCC, RECOVERY.

JRATA :

Joint Research And Test Activity

JRC :

Joint Reconnaissance Center

JRTC :

JRTC

Joint Readiness Training Center; a live-fire infantry field exercise area for simulated operations coordinated with air and armor support. Originating as a corps maneuver area preparatory to WWII deployment, it was revitalized in 1987 at Fort Chaffee, and relocated to Fort Polk in 1993; battle scenarios range from "hot war" through counterinsurgency to peacekeeping missions, including political and media elements. Compare NTC, RED FLAG; see CPX, FTX, JTFEX, OPFOR, MILES.

JSAD :

Joint Strategic Analysis Division at JCS.

JSARC :

Joint Search and Rescue Center; see SAR, JPRC, JPRA, RCC.

JSD :

ARVN JSD

Jump Status Designator, being a "winged sword" pocket patch worn by ARVN AIRBORNE personnel and their ADVISORs; as with many elite Vietnamese military symbols, the JSD was probably inspired by a similar French ("metro") device. See PARACHUTE, WINGS, OVAL.

JSLIST :

(jay-list) Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology, being a biochemical coverall carried in an accessory bag for field wear during a HAZMAT or CBR incident; see MOPP, CPOG, BUNNY SUIT, MOON SUIT, BLUE SUIT, GAS MASK.

JSOC :

(jay-sock) Joint Special Operations Command at Pope Air Force Base, organized in 1987, which includes the Navy's Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team 6), the Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (DELTA FORCE), the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (NIGHT STALKERS), the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron; also known by various nicknames (eg: "Secret Army of Northern Virginia", "Task Force Green", etc), with its manpower level fluctuating according to its mission, including its own intelligence division, reconnaissance aircraft, and dedicated satellites. See SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

JSOTF :

Joint Special Operations Task Force, including Task Force Dagger and Task Force 11 in Afghanistan, under JSOC subsequent to 9/11 2001 TERRORIST attack.

J-STAR :

(forthcoming); platform includes LANTIRN pod, PAVEWAY launch used in TANK PLINKING operations

JSTARS :

(jay-stars) Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.

JTF :

Joint Task Force; see JTTF, JTF-SWA, TF. [nb: purportedly, the military uses the term "joint" (to join) to indicate two or more elements from the same service or nation, and the term "combined" (by twos) to indicate two or more interservice or international elements, hence a "joint action" might involve the Army and Navy, while a "combined action" might involve the US and UK; additionally, the term "composite" (put together) indicates a compound of disparate elements forming a whole, while the term "component" (put together) indicates constituent elements of a greater whole]

JTFEX :

Joint Task Force EXercise; see JRTC, JOPE, OPFOR, MILES, compare NTC, RED FLAG, GQ, EXERCISE.

JTF-SWA :

Joint Task Force - Southwest Asia, including Headquarters, Joint Task Force - Southwest Asia (HQ, JTF-SWA).

JTIDS :

Joint Target Information Distribution System, being target data that is updated and provided by aerial surveillance (eg: AWACS) to those Navy and/or Air Force aircraft that're tasked with the attack while enroute.

JTTF :

Joint Terrorism Task Force, being a multi-agency organization (formed in July 2002) consisting of teams of investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which is designed to combine and coordinate the multiple partner resources of federal, state, and local efforts under the unified direction of the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ); also known as the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF); see JTF, TF.

JUDAS GOAT :

a conspicuous bomber, brightly painted like a TRAINER or in DAZZLE camouflage pattern, used during WWII as a guide or pacesetter when establishing a formation after take-off, so as to set the proper course, speed, and altitude on a bombing mission; this frontrunner or trailblazer was needed to initially orient the formation of inexperienced PILOTs and navigators, so as to reduce accidents and mishaps, whereupon this escort would transfer the lead to the mission commander, and return to base (RTB). The JUDAS GOAT, or "judas sheep", was so labeled by the other aircrews for acting like a bellwether in leading the "lambs to slaughter". This phrase, of course, derives from any decoy that's employed to direct others into their place of death. See GOAT, POINT, PATHFINDER, SPEARHEAD, AUTOTOMY, DEFECT, TURNCOAT.

JUDAS HOLE :

see PEEPHOLE.

JUDGE LYNCH :

the personification of lynch law, which is the summary execution of an accused or convicted person by extralegal process, originally from the DRUMHEAD trial of royalists by patriots during the Revolutionary War, eponymously after either Charles Lynch or William Lynch of Pittsylvania, Virginia. See CIVIL AFFAIRS AGREEMENT, SOFA, PROVOST COURT, DRUMHEAD, MARTIAL LAW, SQUEEZE, THIRD DEGREE, STRANGE FRUIT, CHRISTMAS TREE, PISO'S JUSTICE, REGULATOR, VIGILANCE COMMITTEE, WHEN IN ROME. [cf: Isaac Parker as the "Hanging Judge" at Fort Smith Arkansas; v: kangaroo court, honor court, grievance committee, vigilance committee, tribunal, sanhedrim]

JUDGMENT CALL :

the ability to make a wise decision or to form a sensible opinion, especially in matters affecting action; the use of good sense or discernment when interpreting some debatable determination ... being a subjective ruling based upon observation or experience, instead of the objective application of invariable laws. See COMMAND PRESENCE, COMMAND VOICE, EXTRAORDINARY POWERS, OVERSIGHT, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, RESPECT, BEARING, LDR, COMMANDER.

JUDY :

AvnSpeak communicated to ground or airborne controllers by the PILOT or weapons officer (WSO) confirming that a designated target has been acquired visually or electronically, and that the attack is proceeding; the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE) always require target confirmation before an attack. See TALLY-HO, BOGIE, BANDIT, VISUAL, PRIMROSE PATH, SCRAM, JOY, SMOOGE, SPLASH.

JUGGERNAUT :

any large, overpowering, or destructive force or its implacable object, including anything requiring blind devotion, complete commitment, or cruel sacrifice; as derived from an idol of Vishnu or Krishna ("Jagannath"), the lord of the world, that's annually drawn on a huge cart at Puri in Orissa, India, under whose wheels devotees are said to have thrown themselves to be crushed. See HELL ON WHEELS, BATTLE WAGON, THUNDERBOLT.

JUICE :

slang for electricity or electric power. Also, slang for fuel or petroleum; also called "go juice"; see POL, CHERRY JUICE, PETROL, JP, AVGAS, MOGAS, HOT-FUELING, TOP-OFF, ENDURANCE, BINGO. Also, slang for acceleration or propulsion power; see AFTERBURNER, BUSTER, BLOWER, JATO, PULL PITCH, SCRAMBLE, HAUL-ASS, ASAP, PDQ, STAT, FORTHWITH. Also, slang for influence exerted for personal or illegal purposes, also known as fix, grease, juke, jive, jingo, jazz, jolt, joy; see RABBI, PATRON SAINT, SEA DADDY, LIFER, MILICRAT, RIGHT ARM, CAREER TRACK, RING-KNOCKER, TICKET-PUNCHER, CYA; compare juju, grigri, MOJO. Also, slang for alcoholic beverages, especially home-brewed or illicitly distilled (eg: raisin- or applejack hard cider); see HOOCH, BREW, GROG, GROUP TIGHTENER, SPLICE THE MAINBRACE, SUNDOWNER, GUSTO, HATCH, MOONSHINE, THE DRINK, TOAST, HOIST, DUTCH COURAGE, WHISKEY WARRIOR, DEAD-SOLDIER, BYOB, CLASS SIX. Also, slang for extorted money or bribe money; compare SLUSH FUND, BLACK BAG, HONEY POT, CUMSHAW, SOUVENIR, bribe, graft, mordida, payoff, buyoff, payola, bite, kickback, schmear, grease, oil, soap, sop, boodle, hush money, induce/-ment, suborn, buckshee, spiff [v: primage]. Also, slang for usury or vigorish (der: "vygrash" / "vyigrysh"); see KHAKI MAFIA, CARPETBAGGERS. Also, slang for gossip or scandal; see RUMOR, SCUTTLEBUTT, BACK CHANNEL, GOUGE, POOP, GREEN GREASE, HOT-SHIT, FALSE FLAG, DECEPTION, BAYONET, BAMBOO TELEGRAPH. Also, the essence, strength, verve, vigor, or vitality of life, as élan or élan vital. Also, to enliven or excite, as by analogy to natural bodily secretions, such as epinephrine. Also, the natural fluid or liquid extract from a fruit or other plant, as derived from a term for broth, SOUP, sauce; see BUG JUICE, THE DRINK, GI JOE, NUOC, WATER PURIFICATION TABLET; compare CHOW. [nb: a non-concentrate called "Fruit Smack" was marketed by Kool-Ade, the precursor of Kool-Aid, in 1927; '-ade' is a suffix meaning fruit drink (eg: lemonade)]

JUJU :

see MOJO, VOODOO, HOODOO, ABRACADABRA.

JULIAN DATE :

each day of the year, sequentially numbered, as used for vehicle and aircraft logbooks; derived from calendar reformed by Julius Caesar, and differentiated from conventional Gregorian calendars. See CY, FY, TIME. [nb: The old Julian Calendar, in force in Great Britain and her colonies (ie: America) until 1752, overestimated the solar year by 11 minutes 14 seconds each year. Under that calendar the year technically began on 25 March (ie: Lady Day or Annunciation). The New Style Calendar, which went into effect in 1752 (based upon the Gregorian Calendar ordained by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582), adjusted the errors in the old chronology by adding 10 days down through the year 1699 and 11 days beginning with 1700, and leaving 11 days out of the calendar in 1752 (eg: 3 September became 14 September). In addition, the new year once more began on 1 January. Thus, the effect of following New Style usage for all dates prior to 1752 results in an adjusted chronology (eg: the Mayflower Compact, bearing the date of 11 November 1620, was actually signed on 21 November). Under the Julian Calendar (Old Style), George Washington was born 11 February 1731/2, but the Gregorian Calendar lists it as 22 February 1732 (New Style).]

JULIETT :

the word assigned to represent the letter "J" in the international phonetic alphabet; commonly mistaken to be "juliet", and sometimes spelled "juliette"; unless doubled, the final "t" is silent in some languages. At various times in different spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented as Jig. Compare ALFA, ZERO, WILLIE PETE; see ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags]

JUMP BOOTS :

jump boot

originating during WWII conversion from BOONDOCKERS with PUTTEEs to logger-style lace-up boots, the AIRBORNE command asked the Corcoran Boot Company to imitate the German JUMP BOOTS. The rough-out BROWN BOOTS issued to GIs and paratroopers were repeatedly refined, such that some soldiers jumped and hiked barefoot during training until improvements could be made to their footwear. By the VIETNAM WAR, they became private purchase boots made of black leather for anyone desirous of better footwear, regardless of jump status. More properly called "paratrooper boots"; they are about two inches higher for better leg support, have thicker heels and soles, reinforced heel and toe caps, and a pull-on loop from the Achilles reinforcement. The wear of all leather boots is no longer authorized after 30 April 2008. See FOOTWEAR, OLD BREED.

JUMP CP :

a temporary command post (CP), established for a brief operation or preparatory to a main command post (CP) displacement, normally including only the personnel and equipment necessary to control the immediate operation. See FOB, OB.

JUMPER :

a loose-fitting, pullover-style, outer jacket with piping and stars on its back-flap, in blue or white, as worn with a neckerchief by sailors; as part of the U.S. Navy "service dress blue" or "service dress white" uniform. A similar "undress blues" (or "undress whites") without neckerchief, stars, or piping was also worn as a semi-work uniform by sailors. See CLASS-A, BLOUSE, BLUE JACKET. Also, slang term for a parachutist; see JUMPIN' JUNKIE, PARATROOPER.

JUMPING BEAN :

slang for someone who's anxious or apprehensive, excited or agitated, skittish or flinchy; also called "jitterbug"; see NERVOUS IN THE SERVICE, compare HANG LOOSE. [nb: despite the apparent connection to the "Mexican jumping bean" (the movement of a moth larva inside the spurge seed impels its action), this phrase is not a referent for Hispanics, parachute qualified or not; in fact, more Hispanics have received the Medal of Honor than any other minority racial group]

JUMPING JACK :

an exercise in which someone starts from a standing position with legs together and arms at their sides, then jumps to a position with the legs spread apart and their arms brought together over their head, and then jumps back into the starting position; also known as "side-straddle hop", which was derived from a jointed puppet that could be made to caper or cavort by pulling an attached string. See FRONT LEANING REST, PUSH-UP, DROP, SQUAT, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, DAILY DOZEN, PT, PCPT, PFT, EXERCISE, PAIN.

JUMPIN' JUNKIE :

derisive nickname for any PARATROOPER, being an enthusiastic devotee of parachuting and/or skydiving; also called "jump chump" or "leap freak". Compare DOPE ON A ROPE; see AIRBORNE, PARACHUTE, DZ, STATIC LINE, FREE-FALL, HIT THE SILK.

JUMPMASTER :

any Master Parachutist certified to supervise the loading and para-drop of personnel and equipment from various aircraft; the AIRBORNE-qualified individual assigned to control the PARATROOPERs from the time they enter the aircraft until they exit. A military JUMPMASTER, commonly called MASTER BLASTER, must make 60 jumps before attending the jumpmaster's training course. Free-fall requires skydivers to "self-jumpmaster". See STICK COMMANDER, Q-COURSE, WINGS, CENTURY WINGS, PARACHUTE, DROPMASTER, BAILOUT; compare LOADMASTER, CREW CHIEF, KICKER, BEACHMASTER.

JUMP POCKETS :

slang for the side-mounted cargo pockets featured on FATIGUE pants and field trousers, as being the only pockets accessible to fully suited paratroopers. Also, the chest-mounted cargo pockets featured on the jungle FATIGUE BLOUSE, as derived from the WWII "jump jacket", slanted for ease of access; compare HIGH POCKETS.

JUMP SCHOOL :

USAIS Abn Board Army Abn Sch

a ground training center, also called "parachute school" or "airborne school", for the physical training and technical indoctrination of parachutists in the proper deployment and control of this tactical medium, including PARATROOPERs and Military Free Fall (MFF) skydivers, which training facilities have been located on various military installations, especially Fort Benning, Georgia and Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey. [nb: the JUMP SCHOOL in Vietnam was located at Dong Ba Thin and Long Thanh, including Military Free-Fall (MFF) and High-Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) training (with steerable "T U" and "Double L" canopy modifications) from 1969 for SPECIAL OPERATIONS] It has been said that the Army JUMP SCHOOL has cleverly crammed an ordinary three-day training course into an intense three-week program of physical fitness and harassment that will sufficiently frustrate any sane individual into joyously leaping out of a perfectly good airplane just to conclude the ordeal! See BLACK HATS, ABN, AIRBORNE, PARACHUTE, JUMPIN' JUNKIE, STATIC LINE, DROGUE, CUT-AWAY, STREAMER, PLF, STICK, DINGLEBERRY, FLIGHT BAG, JUMP BOOTS, AIRHEAD, DZ, HEAVY DROP, FREE-FALL, GANG-BANG, JUMP TOWER, VWT, JSD, TAB, OVAL, WINGS, TRASH, JUMPMASTER, GOLDEN KNIGHTS, CHUTING STARS, IRON MIKE, HANG TOUGH, AIRBORNE ALBUM, PROP BLAST, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, ROMMEL'S ASPARAGUS, SQUAT, GROUNDED; compare RIGGER, AIR ASSAULT, PATHFINDER. [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)] [v: Parachuting Terms, and Parachuting History]

JUMP SPEED :

the airspeed at which paratroopers, parachutists, and other aircrew can exit with comparative safety from an aircraft. [cf: terminal velocity]

JUMP-START :

to act, or to be inspired to act, in a lively and energetic manner, as if electrified or galvanized; that is, to suddenly and urgently begin performing some necessary action as if immediately going from complete rest to full speed; also expressed as "jump to it" or "on the bounce"; see MOVE OUT, OP TEMPO, SADDLE-UP, GOOD TO GO, COMBAT LOADED, MISSION READY, UNLIMBER, LOCK 'n' LOAD, CHARGE, FOLLOW ME, WATCH MY SMOKE, STORM, HOOPLA, BATTAILOUS. Also, to supply ignition or launch power from an external source (booster); see APU. [nb: to "jump the gun" is a sports or racing metaphor, having nothing to do with military weaponry; being used in the same way as "jump the queue", "jump to conclusions", "jump bail", or "jump ship"]

JUMP TOWER :

a construction used in JUMP SCHOOL to train aspiring parachutists in the proper method of exiting an airplane or of steering a deployed PARACHUTE before the final phase of actual parachuting; compare VWT.

JUNCTION CITY :

major ground operations in WAR ZONE C, including AIRBORNE assault on 22 Feb 1967; related to CEDAR FALLS operation.

JUNGLE BAGS :

slang for tropical-weight solid-green jungle FATIGUES or utilities; compare ERDL, LEOPARD, TIGER STRIPE, CAMMIES; see DRESS.

JUNGLE BOOTS :

jungle boots

adapted from British and Australian footwear worn during the Malaysian campaign, this combat boot featured a direct molded-sole (DMS) of lug cleats, leather vamp with drain vents, leather heel counter, anti-penetration insole, and reinforced green fabric legging. It was designed to dry more quickly than all leather boots in the tropical conditions of Southeast Asia. Early attempts to issue these boots to ARVN troops required adjustments: Vietnamese feet were too small, and MONTAGNARD feet were too wide. Wear of the green-and-black JUNGLE BOOTS is no longer authorized after 30 April 2008. See BATA BOOTS, LPC, FOOTWEAR.

JUNGLE EXPERT :

Jungle Expert

certification awarded to US Army personnel for completion of a jungle warfare course of instruction; graduates are authorized to wear the galleon insignia of the 33rd Inf Rgt with attached "Jungle Expert" tab on left FATIGUE shirt pocket. After Operation Brush Bay in April 1951, Army Unit 7437 was tasked to develop a Jungle Operations Training Center under the command of the 33rd Inf Rgt (ca1954) and the 20th Inf Rgt (1956) at Ft Sherman, Canal Zone, Panama. This 3-week course became the separate Jungle Warfare Training Center in April 1960, but on 1 July 1963 was subordinated as the Jungle Operations Committee under the School of the Americas, Ft Gulick, CZ, Panama. On 1 July 1968, JOC was redesignated Jungle Operations Training Center at Ft Sherman, CZ, Panama; and placed under the operational command of 8th Special Forces Group (later SAF, 3/7th SFGAbn) on 1 July 1970. In March 1969, the US Army Southern Operations RECONDO course (3-weeks) was added to the JOTC curriculum, awarding an arrowhead pocket patch very similar to the MACV RECONDO School patch (including the central 'V' motif). On 30 June 1972, JOTC was transferred to Atlantic Area Installation Command, deactivated on 24 Feb 1975, and reorganized under 3/7SFGAbn together with assets transferred from the USAF Tropical Survival School, which was closed at the same time. On 18 July 1975, JOTC was subordinated to the 193rd Inf Bde, Ft Amador, CZ, Panama. See BUSHMASTER, BOONIE RAT, FANK TRAINING COMMAND; compare MOUNTAINEER, WINTER WARRIOR. [v: bushranger]

JUNGLE JIM :

properly "Operation Jungle Jim", a 1962 project of the USAF 1st Air Commando Group dispatched to South Vietnam from the Special Air Warfare Center at Eglin AFB; see DIRTY THIRTY, FARMGATE, AIR COMMANDO.

JUNGLE PENETRATOR :

a compact device, somewhat resembling an anchor, attached to the winch cable of a rescue helicopter (eg: KINGBEE, HUSKY, JOLLY GREEN GIANT, etc), and used for extracting a person from dense vegetation or other extreme terrain conditions; also called "forest penetrator". If the device becomes entangled or the (too heavy or unbalanced) load affects flight and jeopardizes the helicopter, the PILOT or CREW CHIEF can sever the cable with a small explosive charge (TORPEDO), jettisoning the device and its load. See HOT HOIST, CHOPPER, SAR, CSAR.

JUNGLE ROT :

various skin-conditions caused by the environment or sepsis, and usually treated benignly by improved hygiene and healthy exposure in air and light; may sometimes be psychosomatic indicator of combat stress. See CONVERSION SYMPTOMS, FUO, YAW. [nb: the practice of not wearing underpants during field operations was common during the VIETNAM WAR as an aid to disease prevention, and has since acquired the designation: "going commando"]

JUNK :

flat bottomed and high sterned sea-going BOAT with battened lugsail rigging, and a fenestrated RUDDER; its keel is known as a "dragon's spine"; the term JUNK derives from pidgin Chinese. Essentially unchanged since before the second century AD, the old style JUNK embodies all the operating principles of the modern yacht; see COMPARTMENT, compare SAMPAN, SMACK, SCOW. [nb: the hull on European ships bears a resemblance to fish, while the hull on Asian junks bears a resemblance to waterfowl] Also, slang for narcotics; see DOPE, CAN SA, GRASS, HAY, COLORS, SMACK, HOT SHOT, CHINA WHITE, STICK, STONED, TAR, HUBBLE-BUBBLE. [v: gateway drug, hard drug, soft drug, designer drug, prodrug; cf: miracle drug, wonder drug]

JUNKET :

a trip taken by a government official at public expense, ostensibly for the purpose of obtaining information, but often combined with a pleasurable excursion; compare GARDEN SPOT, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, HARDSHIP TOUR. [nb: civilians go 'abroad' while soldiers go 'overseas']

JUNK FORCE :

Junk Force

Naval Advisory Group in Mekong Delta operating from small native craft (JUNK, SAMPAN, SMACK) and light patrol boats (PBL, PBR); also called "Brown Water Navy". The native Vietnamese wooden JUNKS, being about thirty feet long and often without auxiliary engines, that were used for fishing and transport, were adopted by U.S. Navy JUNK FORCE interdiction missions for concealment among the fishing fleets, for improved surveillance and maneuverability, and for access to close shore work. See NAG, MRF.

JURY :

the jury arose in medieval times as a body of neighbours who were summoned by a public officer to give, on oath, a true answer to some question or legal hearing; during and after the Domesday Inquest (1086), the Norman kings of England regarded the jury (as derived from "to swear") as an alternative to "trial by combat" or "trial by ordeal". The tribunal of magistrates who compose the board of judges in a court martial also comprise the jury, rendering the verdict after pleadings and the punishment after consultation and deliberation. See ORDEAL, TRIAL, EXECUTIVE SESSION, MCM, UCMJ.

JURY-RIG :

to construct or repair something hastily by using whatever is at hand, especially as a temporary solution; a stopgap, makeshift, ad-lib [ad libitum], postfix, make-do, Afro-engineer. See FIELD EXPEDIENT, JERRY-BUILT, PLAN B, AD HOC, LEAST RESISTANCE, CROSS-DECKING, COMMANDEER. [nb: "Creativity is doing more with less, while invention is doing something with nothing!"; "We've done so much with so little for so long that soon we'll be able to do everything with nothing instantaneously!"]

JUSMAG :

Joint United States Military Assistance Group.

JUSMAPG :

Joint US Military Advisory and Planning Group.

JUSPAO :

Joint United States Public Affairs Office.

JUST CAUSE :

the INCURSION of more than 25,000 troops into Panama, from 20 Dec 1989 to 3 Jan 1990, after a Marine sentry was shot following the 15 Dec 1989 declaration of war on the U.S. by the Panamanian legislature; jocularly known as "Operation Just Because". See ROOSEVELT COROLLARY, BANANA WARS, WAR. [nb: Invasion of Panama (1989): 40 battle deaths]

JUST DESERTS / DESERTS :

[ety: deserve] see FACE THE MUSIC, DAY OF RECKONING, RETRIBUTION, RETALIATION, REPRISAL, JUST WAR.

JUST WAR :

a rational assertion, on moral or legal grounds, of the warrantable authority permitting a military action; typically consists of ideological criteria masquerading as a philosophical tenet that's asserted by one state in opposition to another, but can include religious sects (eg: HOLY WAR) and disfranchised factions (eg: REVOLUTION) which may not owe allegiance to any official entity. Covert or surrogate aggression by enemies of the commonweal frustrates the conventional practice of punishing violators of the public good until (as in GUERRILLA WARFARE) they attain support or standing, which (albeit marginal) legitimization tends to complicate any RETALIATION. International law has allowed war to be a legally permissible method of altering existing rights or evolving policy when remedying otherwise insolvable interstate controversies. Although some men have been deceived into sacrificing themselves for a lie, none has done so wittingly; in every instance, each contending side believes that it alone possesses moral authority, and the right to victory. See BLOODY SHIRT, CROSS THE RUBICON, WAR POWERS ACT, GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY, BIG STICK DIPLOMACY, SABER-RATTLING, GUNPOINT, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, WARNING SHOT, CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS, FIGHTING WORDS, MORAL COURAGE, RETALIATION, MORAL VICTORY, FIGHTING MAD, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), LAWS OF WAR. [nb: "And if also any one contend (in the fight), he is not crowned (for victory) unless he contend lawfully." 2 Timothy 2:5]

JV :

Junior Varsity; see AUGMENTEE, B TEAM, CIVILIAN.