-
KA :
-
abbreviation for Known Associate; see PROVOCATEUR, DECOY, DANGLE,
CI, THROW-AWAY, LEGEND, LIFTED SKIRT, TRADECRAFT.
-
KABAR :
-
|
M-2 fighting utility knife
|
|
common name for the generic "fighting utility knife", also
spelled "K-Bar", that was developed from the original M-2 combat
knife, and issued to SEALs and Marines. Made by numerous
contractors, the brand name "KaBar" became synonymous with all
versions of the knife, government issue or private purchase. The
M-2/Fighting-Utility knife is a modified bowie pattern
(single-edge, swept-tip, clip-point, fuller groove) with a
crossguard, butt-plate, and stacked-leather haft with "sweat
grooves". The KABAR was still the issue knife for SEAL teams
during the VIETNAM WAR, despite the availability of a
non-magnetic Haynes Alloy (nickel-titanium) DEMO knife
specifically designed for underwater use. See BLOOD GROOVE,
KNIFE. [v: Knife Terms]
-
KAK WHEEL :
-
a numeric-exchange calculator, carried around the
RTO's neck on a thick cord, for encrypting map coordinates. See
SHACKLE, SCRAMBLE, ENCRYPT, ALPHABET SOUP, RTO, RADIO.
-
KALASHNIKOV / KALISHNIKOV :
-
variously the AK-47, AK-74, AKM, or Type 56
Assault Rifle, also known as "AK" (AA-Kay, not "ack"). The AK-47
was the basic infantry weapon of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
and the VIET CONG (VC). The original Russian design by
Kalashnikov was manufactured by the Soviet Union; but most of the
assault rifles used in the VIETNAM WAR were CHICOM, made in the
People's Republic of China (PRC), which was the major supplier of
armaments to NVA and VC forces. This weapon was sturdy,
reliable, compact, and relatively lightweight. It fired a
7.62X39mm bullet in a fully automatic mode (continuous firing as
long as the trigger was squeezed). The high muzzle velocity
(speed of the bullet after firing) and the tumbling action of
the bullet contributed to its effectiveness. Unlike the smaller
5.56mm bullet of the M-16, the AK-47 bullet was not easily
deflected by foliage. The combination of these effects plus its
rapid-fire capability meant that accuracy was not a major
requirement, thus reducing the training time before a soldier
could be sent into combat. Most armaments analysts judge the
AK-47, which normally holds a thirty-round detachable magazine,
to be superior to the U.S. M-16, which became the standard weapon
of American, Korean, and South Vietnamese troops. The AK-47 was
more durable and less adversely affected by the climate and
conditions of Vietnam. There are numerous accounts of American
troops using captured AK-47 rifles, in preference to their issue
weapons, but the distinctive Kalashnikov sound SIGNATURE was an
invitation to "friendly fire" incidents during the confusion of
combat. See 7.62 MINIS, SKS, RIFLE, BAR, CAR, SMG, ELDEST SON.
-
KANZUS :
-
(kansas) combined force from Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and
the United States; see SEATO, ASEAN, ANZUS, FWF, ATFV, AATTV, NZV
FORCE, NZATTV, ROK, KATUSA.
-
KATN :
-
abbreviation for "Kick Ass Take Names", which is the function and
unofficial motto of the military police; see AP, MP, QC, SP.
-
KATUSA :
-
(kah-too-suh) Korean Augmentation Troops with the U.S. Army,
later changed to Korean Augmentee To the U.S. Army; being a
partnership program initiated during the KOREAN WAR to improve
the performance of ROK troops, which were integrated into
American units. Although still practiced, these assignments are
now reserved for privileged Koreans with superior skills, better
education, and higher social status. Although successful, this
program was not replicated in VN, but used ADVISORs and companion
units instead. See STRIKER, BUDDY SYSTEM.
-
KBA :
-
Killed By Air; also cited as Killed By Artillery. See KIA, DOW.
-
K-DAY :
-
Convoy-Day; the unnamed date for the introduction of a convoy
system on any particular convoy lane. See CONVOY, TIME.
-
KD RANGE :
-
Known Distance Range; not "Knock Down", despite the use
of "pop-up / knock-down" silhouette targets to assist in scoring.
The firing range CADRE informed all trainees that the shooting
principles for practice are identical to those used in combat,
except the targets are the "pop-up / shoot-back" type. See ZERO,
BASS, SIGHT PICTURE, DRY FIRE, RIFLE, SMALL ARMS, RED FLAG, BOLO,
MAGGIE'S DRAWERS, FLYING BRAVO. [v: Firearms
Glossary]
-
KEELHAUL :
-
formerly, to drag an offender from stem to stern beneath a ship's
keel, a punishment which often proved fatal; but now meaning to
rebuke severely. See ROCKS 'n' SHOALS, CAPTAIN'S MAST, UCMJ,
BRIG, DRUMHEAD, GAUNTLET, OVER A BARREL, GARROTE, DEATH OF A
THOUSAND CUTS, TWIST IN THE WIND, PAIN.
[nb: criminals on sailing ships were once lashed to the bowsprit
until they perished, as a form of maritime crucifixion]
Also, the operational CODENAME for the post-WWII forced
repatriation and deportation during 1944-7 of eastern European
POWs, DPs, and refugees (including Russians, Cossacks,
Slovenians, Croats, Serbs, and others) into subjugation behind
the IRON CURTAIN as a result of the Allied agreements at the
Tehron and Yalta conferences, affecting millions of innocents who
were systematically exterminated in labor camps; see GULAG,
CONCENTRATION CAMP.
-
KEEP THE FAITH :
-
signifier or closure exchanged with fellow servicemembers,
especially combat veterans, expressing loyalty and fidelity; used
in the same manner as Marine use SEMPER FI. Derived from "I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept
the faith." [2 Timothy 4:7]. See UCGC, ESPRIT DE CORPS, OATH.
[nb: "If ye break faith with us who die / We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow / In Flanders fields." (John McCrae, 1915);
"If you keep the faith, good things will eventually come to you."
(Elmer Kelton, 2002)]
-
KENTUCKY WINDAGE :
-
a colloquialism for DEFLECTION; see SIGHT PICTURE, GUN CONTROL.
-
KEW :
-
(cue) Kinetic Energy Weapon; see FAE, STABALLOY.
[cf: potential energy]
-
KEYSTONE :
-
the operational CODEWORD for the series of RETROGRADE increments,
spanning the period July 1969 - November 1972, by which the U.S.
Army was withdrawn from Vietnam; further subdivided by stages,
as: Keystone Eagle, Keystone Cardinal, Keystone Bluejay, Keystone
Robin, Keystone Oriole, Keystone Mallard, Keystone Owl, and so
forth. A unit was "keystoned" when it turned in its equipment and
moved to port; or a support element was "keystoning" by effecting
the transfer of another unit's men and materiel. See ACTOV,
CRIMP, CSMO, PROVN, VIETNAMIZATION. Also,
(forthcoming)
joint doctrine includes plans, command and control,
communications, computer systems, intelligence, operations,
logistics, and personnel; see CAPSTONE, USJFCOM.
-
KEY TERRAIN :
-
certain terrain, such as high ground or defiles, that when
occupied, gives the holder a distinct tactical advantage; compare
STRONGPOINT, CHOKE POINT.
-
KFS :
-
abbreviation for Knife, Fork, Spoon; being the complete set of
eating utensils associated with civilized dining, hence only ever
encountered in a MESS or GALLEY, and during a command (CMMI or
IG) inspection! A soldier in the field reduces weight and
eliminates noise by carrying only a SPOON (also known as the
PARTISAN'S SECRET WEAPON!). See P-38, CHURCH KEY, CHOPSTICK, MESS
KIT, CANTEEN CUP, MESS TRAY, COVER, RATIONS.
[nb: fork introduced to Western civilization 1608; spork patented
1970] [nb: the small knife ("sgian dubh") that's tucked into the
top of the stocking, below the skirt of the kilt, that's
typically crafted by frugal Scots from broken weapons or scrap
metal, is traditionally used when skinning or eating; it is
sometimes called a "black knife", not for any sinister or devious
usage, but due to its coarse or inferior metal, which contrasts
with the brightly polished finer metal used in weapons] [v:
napery, serviette]
-
KHA :
-
Killed in Hostile Action; see KIA, DOW, NOK.
-
KHAKI / KHAKIS :
-
a yellowish brown summer-weight CLASS-A uniform made of cotton
twill; also called "sun-tans". The short-sleeved KHAKI shirt had
breast pockets and EPAULETs; KHAKI trousers were usually four
pocketed and long, but KHAKI shorts with knee-socks were
experimental during the early 1960's. The Army had no matching
HEADGEAR, but the Navy and Air Force did. A privately purchased
alternative of the era was "tropical worsted wool" (TWs) in a
slightly darker shade of light brown; which uniform was both more
comfortable and more attractive than cotton KHAKIS. In 1846, the
white British Army uniform was dyed "dust" brown to match the
color of the desert dirt in India, and is considered to be the
first camouflage uniform. See DRESS, CAMMIES, CAMO, PATCH.
-
KHAKI MAFIA :
-
slang for the "old boys club", for the "movers and shakers", for
henchmen and minions, especially RING-KNOCKERs and other
self-protective MILICRATs; any exclusionary in-group (eg: Bataan
Gang of MacArthur sycophants), but may extend to overtly criminal
rackets engaged in Black Marketeering. As with organized-crime
families, there isn't a single monolithic structure; so the KHAKI
MAFIA (also spelled "maffia" for clique; also known as "the
group", "the outfit", "the organization", or "the mob") is
composed of the "Airborne Mafia", the "Armor Mafia", the
"Aviation Mafia", the "Submarine Mafia", the "Mormon (Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Mafia", the "Freemason (Free
and Accepted Masons) Mafia", the "Shriner (Ancient Arabic Order
of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, an auxiliary of the Masonic
order) Mafia", and other subsets which are dedicated to their own
preferment and advancement. See RABBI, PATRON SAINT, SEA DADDY,
BOY'S CLUB, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, RHIP, ROUGHSHOD, LOYALTY
UP - LOYALTY DOWN, CARPETBAGGERS.
[cf: apparatchik, nomenklatura, nabob, nibs]
[v: 'claque' for group or coterie of BROWN NOSERs]
[nb: every MILICRAT knows that the most dangerous people in the
military are not HEROes, but are disgruntled MIL-PERS who are
frustrated by MICKEY MOUSE and CHICKEN SHIT, by SNOW and RED
TAPE, and having been passed over twice for promotion, are
serving their terminal assignment, and because they are honorable
men who have not STACKed ARMS, they know that there is nothing
that the TICKET-PUNCHERs and RING-KNOCKERs of the KHAKI MAFIA can
do to them!]
-
KHMER ROUGE :
-
literally "Red Khmers"; the forces of the Cambodian
Communist Party. See CLA.
-
KHMER SEREI :
-
Free Khmer, Cambodian resistance group; see KKK, FARK. [nb: 1847
- Kingdom of Cambodia (Ang Duong) Angkor Wat emblem on coin; 1863
- Kingdom of Cambodia (Ang Duong) national flag; 1947 - Kingdom
of Cambodia (Norodom Sihanouk Varman) monarchy promulgated
democratic constitution and universal suffrage; 1948 - Kingdom of
Cambodia (Norodom Sihanouk Varman) new flag; 1954 - Kingdom of
Cambodia (Sihanuks); 1970 - Khmer Republic (Lon Nol); 1975 -
Kingdom of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge); 1976 - Democratic Kampuchea
(Pol Pot, et al); 1979 - People's Republic of Kampuchea [or
Kampuchea Popular Republic] (Heng Samrin, Hun Sen, et al); 1989 -
State of Cambodia (Heng Samrin, Hun Sen, et al); 1991 - State of
Cambodia under provisional UN administration; 1993 - Kingdom of
Camdbodia (Norodom Sihanuk). The colors of the national flag
represent blue for royalty, leadership, or contentment; red for
the nation, people, or courage; white for religion (Brahmanism /
Buddhism), faith, or righteousness. The principal emblem has been
ANGKOR WAT. The three stars in the flag of the Khmer Republic
variously represent: people / religion / government, upper /
middle / lower country, triple jewel of Buddhism (Dharma / Prajna
/ Sandhi), three branches of government. The present design of
horizontal bands was adopted on 29 October 1948 until 9 October
1970, then again on 30 June 1993, with the royal coat of arms on
21 September 1993, in preparation for the reestablishment of the
monarchy on 24 September 1993. The royal coat of arms show two
cups, one placed over the other; above them a sacred sword,
placed horizontally, surmounted by a symbol representing "om",
the sound of creation. Beneath the whole, two laurel branches are
united at the bottom by the star of the Royal Order of Cambodia.]
-
KHUNG BIET :
-
(kahm bick) Vietnamese phrase for "unknown" or "don't
understand", sometimes Americanized as "cam biet" or misspelled
"khong biet"; compare BIET.
-
KIA :
-
Killed In Action; Vietnamese term: Tu Tran. See DOW, PH, BODY
COUNT, WASTED, ZAPPED, BUY THE FARM, PUSHING UP DAISIES, BITTER
END, SPLASH, KBA, KHA, BODY BAG, LAID BY THE WALL, ZULU, NOK,
DUSTOFF, MEDEVAC; compare WIA, GSW-TTH, MILLION DOLLAR WOUND,
PROFILE, LINE OF DUTY, SIW.
[nb: allegedly, due to the undeclared status of the VIETNAM WAR,
allied combat deaths were officially classified as "Killed in
Hostile Action" (KHA), and enemy combat deaths were formally
designated as "Killed In Action" (KIA); but such a legalistic
distinction is supposed to regulate the award of "combat only"
decorations. Allied deaths total approximately 300,000
servicemembers, and the enemy is estimated to have lost 1.4 - 2
million military dead during the Second INDOCHINA War (1954-75).]
-
KICK :
-
informal term used to mean RECOIL, being the distance through
which a weapon moves backward after discharging; the physical
rebound resulting from undergoing a change in momentum ... "every
action has an equal and opposite reaction". See BASS, SPOT WELD,
BURST, DOUBLE TAP, FIREPOWER, SILENCER, PROLONGE. [v: Firearms Glossary]
-
KICKER :
-
slang designation for a DROPMASTER or LOADMASTER who performs an
AIRDROP, LOW-LEVEL EVACUATION DROP, or KICK-OUT of the PAYLOAD so
as to effect a tactical resupply to ground elements; see CREW
CHIEF, HATCH, RAMP, TAILGATE, LZ, DZ, COMBAT LOADED, BAILOUT.
-
KICK-OUT :
-
to deliver essential equipment or necessary resupply to a unit in
the field by quickly throwing packaged goods out of the door or
HATCH of a slow moving airplane, usually a hovering CHOPPER but
any capable BIRD, from SKYMASTER to BRONCO, will suffice during
an emergency. A KICK-OUT is performed as low to the ground as
possible (to spare damage to the delivery), and at the center of
a PERIMETER (which is usually too small for an AIRDROP), and
under adverse conditions (typically receiving SMALL ARMS if not
AA fire), since a proper and secure LZ would be established if
time and opportunity permitted. See TAILGATE, COMBAT LOADED,
LOW-LEVEL EVACUATION DROP.
-
KICKS :
-
slang for G.I. shoes; see LOW-QUARTERS.
-
KICKSTANDED :
-
compulsory, mandatory, or forced retirement of a professional
MIL-PERS, also spelled "kick-standed"; based upon the
powerlessness of a fully functional motorcycle prevented from
operating by elevating the spinning drive-wheel with a kickstand.
This expedient method of disarming a politically embarrassing
situation is supposedly more fair to the individual, since they
are not punished or denied accrued benefits; but it is quite
unjust and cowardly, since the person is presumed guilty and
dishonored by the arrogation. See CYA, DODGE THE BULLET, CHOP,
VULCANIZE, RIF, SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT.
-
KILL BOX :
-
a three-dimensional area that's used to facilitate the
integration of joint fires; being a hypothetical abstraction
that's positioned to encompass the TARGET, whether fixed or
mobile, personnel or vehicles, which is the most effective target
area that can be projected for select munitions capable of
delivery by available assets within the time constraints. This
theoretical ideal of sufficient force without the expenditure of
excess or inappropriate force causing unnecessary damage ranges
from "one shot, one kill" SNIPER tactics to minimal implosion
absent of COLLATERAL DAMAGE. With the refinements available from
the new technology, such "surgical strikes" against the
designated enemy are now possible, even in THE FOG OF WAR.
Compare PAINT, SHOT, SHOT IN, SHOT OUT, SPLASH.
-
KILL CREDIT :
-
a symbolic representation of the death toll, being one of the
ways of "keeping score" in "real" WAR GAMES; see TROPHY, BANDIT,
KILL RING, STREAMER, SOUVENIR, EARS, BRAGGING RIGHTS, TOP DOG,
SPLASH, KIA, BODY COUNT, HEADHUNTING, BUTCHER'S BILL, ZULU,
MASSACRE, KILL 'EM ALL, PISSING CONTEST.
[nb: the kill ratio to expended AMMO during the VIETNAM WAR was
about 20,000 rounds per enemy dead]
-
KILL 'EM ALL :
-
popular slogan or sardonic byword, as "Kill 'em all an' let God
sort it out!". Originating as either "Neca eos omnes. Deus suos
agnoscet." or "Neca ecos omnes. Deus suos agnoscet.", which has
been translated as both "Slay them all. God will recognize His
own." and "Kill all! Kill all, for God will know His own."; and
has been variously attributed to Simon de Montfort, Amal Ulric,
Arnald-Amaury, Arnald-Amalric, Arnold Amalric, Caesar von
Heisterbach, and Caesar Heisterbachiensis from the Albigensian
Crusade to extirpate the Catharist heresy, 21 July 1209, in
Beziers France. See MASSACRE, BUTCHER'S BILL, BATTLE CRY, PATCH,
MERCENARY, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS, VIETNAM IS FOREVER, WAR
PARTY, WARMONGER, TRIGGER-HAPPY, BOUNCE THE RUBBLE, BOMB 'EM BACK
TO THE STONE AGE, BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, OVERKILL, KNOCK INTO
A COCKED HAT, GENOCIDE, ATROCITY, RETALIATION; compare THEY'LL
GIVE A WAR AN' NOBODY'LL COME. [v: vernichtungsgedanken] [nb:
"Most of the world's ills would be cured with one three-day open
season on people." by Ernest M. Hemingway]
-
KILLER JUNIOR :
-
the setting of short-FUZEd high-explosive (HE) artillery (ARTY)
rounds for air-burst as a PERIMETER defense technique against
ground attacks. This anti-personnel (AP) procedure for HOWITZERs
was developed by LTC Robert Dean, who was then CO of the 1/8th
Field Artillery in the 25th Infantry Division, as a means to
compensate for the absence of a BEEHIVE or other CASE SHOT round
fitting the 105mm HOWITZER. The 105mm HE projectiles would be set
with two-second timers and fired over open sights on depressed
gun-tubes, resulting in an air-burst approximately 30 feet above
the ground at ranges between 200 - 1000 meters. This technique
was more effective than CANISTER or BEEHIVE because the enemy
could not crawl under the fan of the dispersion pattern. Compare
KILLER SENIOR; see DIME-NICKEL, ONE-OH-DEUCE, ARTY.
-
KILLER KANE :
-
NICKNAME for specialists in night ambush or assassination "behind
enemy lines"; see SHADOW WARRIOR, BODYGUARD, DECAPITATION, TWEP,
STROLLER, SWEEPER.
-
KILLER SENIOR :
-
the setting of short-FUZEd high-explosive (HE) artillery (ARTY)
rounds for air-burst as a PERIMETER defense technique against
ground attacks. This anti-personnel (AP) procedure for HEAVY
STUFF was developed as a means to compensate for the absence of a
BEEHIVE or other CASE SHOT round fitting the 8" cannon. The 8" HE
projectiles would be set with two-second timers and fired over
open sights on depressed gun-tubes, resulting in an air-burst
approximately 30 feet above the ground at ranges between 200 -
1000 meters. This technique was more effective than CANISTER or
BEEHIVE because the enemy could not crawl under the fan of the
dispersion pattern. Compare KILLER JUNIOR; see BIG STUFF, ARTY.
-
KILL HOUSE :
-
a building used for training military and paramilitary agents in
the tactics and techniques of intervention and rescue, especially
urban combat, by presenting typical, atypical, and specific
scenarios during which FLASHBANGs, MILES, and SIM-AMMO is used;
some setups include sound effects, visual distractions, and
BOOBY-TRAPs. The KILL HOUSE, also called "shooting house", may be
a MOCK-UP of an aircraft fuselage, an embassy building, an
apartment complex, a business office, or small factory designed
in European, Asian, or Near Eastern style. These training
sessions are normally videotaped for post-event review. See
BODYGUARD, DOOR KICKING, BREACHER, STACK, MOUT, LRP, DELTA FORCE,
SPECIAL OPERATIONS, ANTI-TERRORISM, COUNTER-TERRORISM, RED FLAG.
-
KILL RING :
-
a painted line or band encircling the MAIN-GUN tube, commencing
from near the MUZZLE, each one of which represents the confirmed
destruction in battle of a similar enemy weapon or vehicle; being
a non-verbal testament of combat prowess, adopted by American
YELLOWLEGs and REDLEGs from WWII German TANKERs. See TROPHY,
BRAGGING RIGHTS, TOP DOG, KILL CREDIT.
-
KILL ZONE :
-
the area of saturated fire where most casualties will occur; also
called "killing ground", "killing field", "beaten zone", or "dead
zone"; compare ZONE OF FIRE, POINT OF IMPACT, IMPACT AREA; see
FPL, AMBUSH, BATTLEFIELD. Also, the most lethal area, being the
preferred AIMPOINT or target for maximum effectiveness; compare
DEAD SPACE.
-
KILO :
-
meaning 'thousand', as in kilogram or kilometer; see KLICK. ALSO,
the word assigned to represent the letter "K" in the
international phonetic alphabet; at various times in different
spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented
as King. See ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes &
Signal Flags]
-
KILROY :
-
,^^^,
(O O)
--oooo--(_)--oooo--
a peering face graffito, often coupled with the catch-phrase
"Kilroy was here!", as made popular during WWII and after by
being indiscriminately emblazoned wherever troops advanced; this
icon ostensibly originated as an inspection mark made on military
equipment by James J. Kilroy. An alternative attribution credits
Francis J. Kilroy Jr., a sergeant in the Army Air Transport
Service, whose friends delighted in recording his name everywhere
they went. [nb: in a similar vein, the SF friends and associates
of Walt Shumate delighted in attributing every dastardly deed and
ignoble feat to him, making his name impossibly ubiquitous and
improbably universal, sometimes appearing simultaneously at a bar
brawl in Okinawa, a whorehouse in Panama, a caper in Egypt, an
escapade in Germany, and a frolic in Alaska; in the British SAS
fraternity, the same has been done with the Andy McNab persona]
[cf: pasquinade]
-
KIMONO :
-
(forthcoming);
a loose robe with wide sleeves that's fastened at the waist with
a sash, as traditionally worn by Japanese men and women; derived
from "thing to wear".
compare CHEONGSAM, AO DAI, HANBOK.
-
KINFORMING :
-
a portmanteau word combining 'kin/kinfolk' and 'informing', as
adopted during the GULF WAR; being the notification procedure
required of the unit commander that advises a servicemember's
family of his injury or death, which also initiates the casualty
affairs or survivor assistance process. See NOK, WIA, DOW, KIA,
CACO, HUG SQUAD, SKY PILOT, GHOUL, MORTUARY AFFAIRS, GRAVES
REGISTRATION.
-
KINGBEE :
-
Sikorsky CH-34 helicopter.
-
KING OF THE HILL :
-
preeminent, paramount, predominant, foremost, superior,
unsurpassed, matchless, peerless, incomparable, second to none;
one who has conquered all contenders to achieve dominance. This
activity, also called "king of the mountain", having devolved
into a rough-and-tumble game for children, teaches the value of
a superior position, and the singularity of attainment. KING OF
THE HILL utilizes defensive high ground in the same manner as the
'Base Capture' game, which is a variant of CAPTURE THE FLAG. See
BATTLE ROYAL, UPHILL BATTLE, FIGHTING MAD, CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE;
compare DUCK ON DRAKE, DUCKS AND DRAKES, TUG OF WAR, PRISONER'S
BASE, WAR GAMES.
-
KIOWA :
-
Bell OH-1 or OH-58 (JetRanger) observation helicopter; an armed
version is designated "Kiowa Warrior" (OH-58D). See SCOUTSHIP,
LOH, CHOPPER.
-
KIP :
-
to sleep or rest; derived from brothel. Also, a unit of weight
equal to half a ton, or 1000 pounds avoirdupois. Also, a large
heavy bundle or fardel, especially of hides. Also, the basic
monetary unit of currency of Laos; see LEGAL TENDER.
-
KISKA TASK FORCE :
-
(forthcoming); 15 August 1943 landing on Kiska in the Aleutian
Islands
-
KISS :
-
military injunction to "Keep It Short and Simple", or "Keep
It Simple Stupid"; conceived by British MG J.F.C. Fuller, who
formalized the principles of warfare during WWI. [nb: "If you
have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or
clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and
hit it again — a tremendous whack!" by Winston L.S. Churchill]
-
KISS THE MISTRESS :
-
hitting the center of the target; a perfect score. See
SHARPSHOOTER, DEADEYE, KNOCK THEIR SPOTS OFF, MAGGIE'S DRAWERS,
TURN THE JACK, AIMPOINT, BOLO BADGE.
[nb: by playing card analogy since the mid-19th century, the King
is headquarters, the Queen is the principal point on the FRONT
LINE, and the Jack is a secondary position; such that a "kiss" is
a solid hit or strike, and a "turn" is an oblique or glancing
blow of mis- or indirection] [nb: according to classic military
lore, carrying playing cards (also called a "California prayer
book" or the "Devil's calling cards") in combat is bad luck, so
the deck must be left behind in camp or buried upon departure;
cf: DEATH CARDS, WAR GAMES] [nb: some etymologists attribute the
phrase "buck the tiger" to faro gambling, but can not explain its
usage, however the same phrase is widely associated with lusty
gratification, and needs no explanation; v: "They won't drink,
they won't buck the tiger, they won't even fight." Roads of
Destiny; "Nothing stronger than bouillon, not a chance to
buck the tiger even for one moment...." Hagar's Daughter]
-
KIT :
-
materials and supplies for a specific purpose (eg: MESS KIT, MED
BAG, BUG-OUT KIT, DOPP KIT, PRO KIT). Also, BIVOUAC or
battlefield gear (eg: WAR BAG); see DUFFEL. Also, the container
for such material (eg: DITTY BAG, KIT BAG, MUSETTE, FLIGHT BAG);
see DUNNAGE. Also, all the parts necessary to assemble something
(eg: radio kit). [nb: the whole "kit 'n' caboodle" is an early
Americanism for the container with everything that belongs in it,
or an entity with all of its functional elements, such as a
COMBAT LOADED or MISSION READY unit that's GOOD TO GO; another
early Americanism for this entirety, whole or completeness, is
"lock, stock, 'n' barrel", which refers to all the essential
parts of a firelock musket; cf: SHEBANG]
-
KIT BAG :
-
see KIT, MED BAG, MUSETTE, WAR BAG, GO-BAG, FLIGHT BAG, DUFFEL
BAG, AWOL BAG, BIVY, DINGLEBERRY.
[nb: "rucksack" = back-sack; "knapsack" = bite/snap-up/eat, food
sack; "kit-bag" = soldier's small bag/knapsack; "haversack" =
single strap over one shoulder / musette] [cf: bundle,
bindle/bindlea, swag, bluey, dilly bag, tucker-bag, bag, pouch,
tote, sack, pack, grip, gripsack, overnighter, weekender,
carpetbag, suitcase, portmanteau, Gladstone bag, traveling case,
garment bag, Val-Pack, luggage; v: "scrip" wayfarer's bag or
wallet; "viaticum" traveler's money and necessities]
-
KIT CARSON SCOUT :
-
named for the renown American frontier Indian Scout, Kit Carson,
abbreviated KCS, this program employed captured or surrendered
enemy soldiers who return to their former operational areas to
serve as guides for Allied troops. See HOI CHANH, ROADRUNNER,
EARTH ANGEL.
[nb: the American frontiersman, hunter and guide, Christopher
Houston "Kit" Carson (1809-68), known as the "Little Big Man",
was made famous by the plaudits of John Charles Frémont
for his employments during the Western expeditions of 1842-5,
then similarly engaged by Stephen Kearny in New Mexico, then
installed in 1853 as Indian agent at Taos, and later militia
leader of the New Mexico Volunteers in campaigns against
southwestern tribes during the CIVIL WAR (including the Texas
battle at Adobe Walls in November 1864), then finally appointed
Brigadier General in July 1866 to command Fort Garland, Colorado]
[nb: a similar program during WWII in the ETO operated by OSS was
called "Sauerkraut" (word play: Sour + German)]
-
KITCHEN IN A CARTON :
-
informal name for the "Unitized Group Ration Express", being a
no-fuel/no-power self-heating system that requires no additional
equipment; introduced to field inventory in 2007. Each
self-contained UGRE system is designed to be air-dropped, weighs
40 pounds, and feeds 18 servicemembers with menu items like
turkey dinner with gravy. See RATIONS.
-
KITE :
-
(forthcoming); THROW-AWAY
[nb: the kite, called a "flying sail", has been used militarily
since the fifth century BC by the Chinese to signal situations,
send commands, scatter leaflets, produce sounds, and lift
observers.] [nb: during WWII, German U-boats used a "gyro-kite"
to lift a temporary observation platform above sea level]
-
KIWI :
-
(kee-wee) NICKNAME for New Zealand ADVISORs and servicemen,
also known as "Digger", from "Down Under" (antipodes); as derived
from the flightless bird native to the islands. See NZATTV, NZV
FORCE, RNZAF, NZSAS, TAN TAY LAN, ANZAC, FWF, FANK TRAINING
COMMAND, ANZUS, KANZUS, ASEAN, SEATO, compare AUSSIE, TOMMY, GI
JOE, GI. [v: Down Under Military Glossary] [aka:
Maori 'Aotearoa' meaning "land of the long white cloud"] [cf:
kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry (Zespri)]
-
KKK :
-
Krum Kmampuchea Khmer, or Khmer Kampuchea Krom, or Khymer
Kampuchea Krom; exile ethnic Cambodian faction working with
Allied elements. See KHMER SEREI, FARK.
-
KLAXON :
-
a loud electric horn, formerly used on motor vehicles; a type of
alarm now used as a warning signal or siren. Compare SQUAWK BOX,
BLOWER, HORN, TANNOY, TOCSIN; see WARNING ORDER, BOATSWAIN'S
PIPE, BUGLE CALL, POOP, HEADS-UP, FYI, STAND-TO, DEFCON, ESP,
SACON, GQ, AHOY, HOISE, OORAH, HOOAH, HAUL-ASS, STAT.
-
KLICK :
-
slang for kilometer (km), also spelled "click"; being 1,000
meters or 0.621 mile. See KNOT, NAUTICAL MILE, MILE.
[v: International System of Units (si): meter (length), kilogram
(mass), second (time), ampere (electric current), kelvin
(temperature), mole (amount of substance), and candela (luminous
intensity); including femtometer / fermi (fm), picometer (pm),
angstrom (a), nanometer (nm), millimicron, micron/micrometer
(mu), millimeter (mm), centimeter (cm), decimeter (dm), meter
(m), dekameter (dam), hectometer (hm), kilometer (km), light
year, parsec]
-
KMAG :
-
Korea Military Advisory Group; consisted of MIL-PERS under the
operational control of the State Department (DoS). Compare USDAO.
-
KMC :
-
Republic of Korea Marine Corps; compare ROK, USMC.
-
KNEE CAP :
-
the perennially airborne aerial command center of the Strategic
Air Command (SAC); see DEFCON, SACON, FOOTBALL.
-
KNEE-KNOCKER :
-
slang for the protective rim or bulwark surrounding an opening in
a BULKHEAD or DECK, designed to exclude water; this coaming is
also called a "shin-scraper".
-
KNIFE :
-
see BAYONET, BANANA BOLO, BOLO, MACHETE, KABAR, COMMANDO DAGGER,
PILOT'S SURVIVAL KNIFE, SOG BOWIE, POCKETKNIFE, BLOOD GROOVE;
compare ON GUARD, BUTT STROKE, CQB, LONG KNIFE, HOT KNIFE,
ELECTRIC BUTTERKNIFE.
[v: Knife Terms]
-
K-9 :
-
designation being a simulacrum for "canine", denoting the use of
specially trained dogs for military employment in messengering,
security, tracking, and detection with companion handler. Dog
handling is traditionally conducted using German-language
commands accompanied by unambiguous gestures. First used
during WWI, such loyal but expendable animals have usually been
abandoned or exterminated after each subsequent war, despite
their extensive and expensive training. The bond between dog and
handler is often untransferrable, such that the dog is either
discharged when the handler leaves the military, or is destroyed
if no other kennel is available for retirement. After WWI,
starving signal dogs were rescued by the founders of what later
became The Seeing Eye Foundation for re-training as guide dogs
for blinded veterans, a field of mobility (O&M) training that
has since burgeoned. These working dogs, commonly called "police
dogs" and "guarddogs", were known during the VIETNAM WAR as
"boonie pups" in camaraderie with BOONIE RATs; the dogs' spirit
was also represented by the expression: "Hell on Paws", as a
take-off from HELL ON WHEELS. The Army's Quartermaster Corps (QM)
initially trained all military dogs, but after a period of
dispersion, the Department of Defense (DoD) again consolidated
training with the U.S. Air Force. See SCOUT DOG, SAPPER; compare
WEASEL, IRON DOG. [nb: a joint US-Canadian operation during WWI
called "K-9" transported dogsled teams from Alaska and northern
Canada to the Alps and Vosges Mountains for the FRONT LINE
delivery of messages, food, medicine, or AMMO, and evacuation of
the wounded, in France and Italy during winter snows when horses
and mules proved incapable] [nb: the first military use of
dogsleds was in the laying of telegraph lines across Alaska, the
delivery of mail and other resupply items in both World Wars, and
for winter search and rescue operations in the Arctic, until
replaced by snowmobiles and helicopters in the 1950s ... Germans
used dogsleds for resupply on the Russian Front during WWII, and
dogsleds are still used today for border patrol in Norway,
Finland, and Greenland] [nb: during Operation Barbarossa,
defending Russians used anti-tank "mine dogs" against attacking
German vehicles; dogs were Pavlovian conditioned to eat their
food on the underside of moving vehicles, where the trigger on
their back would detonate the saddlebag explosive that they
carried] [nb: sled dog team races began with the 1907-18
All-Alaska Sweepstakes, the 1925 Great Race of Mercy delivery of
diphtheria serum (re-enacted in 1975), the 1932 Winter Olympics
dogsled race, the annual Alaska Fur Rendezvous dogsled race that
became the Iditarod in 1967, and the 1973 Iditarod race run from
Anchorage to Nome] [nb: mush, the command urging or spurring a
dogsled team to travel, is a corruption of 'march' as spoken by
French voyageurs]
-
KNOCK INTO A COCKED HAT :
-
to destroy utterly or defeat completely; with reference to the
18th century fashion of wearing bicorne and tricorne hats. See
WMD, BOMB 'EM BACK TO THE STONE AGE, BOUNCE THE RUBBLE, MAD,
OVERKILL, MASSACRE, HEADHUNTING, TURKEY SHOOT, KILL 'EM ALL,
ATROCITY, GENOCIDE, HOLOCAUST. [cf: facer]
-
KNOCK IT OFF :
-
command broadcast to all participants, by any
element or umpire, to interrupt mock-combat training for reasons
of safety or completion; to cease and desist, to give quarter.
Given the natural competition of training, enthusiasm frequently
exceeds judgement, such that strikes and developments are
disputed; so KNOCK IT OFF concludes the exercise for later
analysis and assessment. Actual combat does not have a "pause"
button or an "interrupt" switch; and "fair play by the rules" is
a moot point in victory. See DOGFIGHT, BELAY, SCRUB, RING THE
BELL, TS CARD, POOP, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.
-
KNOCK THEIR SPOTS OFF :
-
hitting the center of the target; a perfect score. Originating as
pistol marksmanship competition with the target being the "pips"
on playing cards. This phrase, which enjoins a superior
performance of skill, may be confused with "knock their socks
off", which extols an impressive (even flamboyant) performance.
See SHARPSHOOTER, DEADEYE, KISS THE MISTRESS, MAGGIE'S DRAWERS,
AIMPOINT, BOLO BADGE, DEATH CARDS, WAR GAMES.
-
KNOT :
-
a constrictive interlacement for fastening. Knot tying has
a language of its own, including: bend, BIGHT, loop, hitch,
running-end, standing-end, trailing-end, fast, splice, braid,
twine, etc; see HARD-AND-FAST, MONKEY FIST, TURK'S HEAD. [v: Climbing Terms]
Also, a unit of speed equal to one NAUTICAL MILE (or about 1.15
statute miles) per hour; probably derived as a contraction of
"[k]naut(ical mile)"; the usage "knots per hour" is a redundancy.
Also, a unit of measure, being either one NAUTICAL MILE, or a
line marked 47'3" (13.79m) long.
[nb: 12 inches = 1 foot, 3 feet = 1 yard, 6 feet / 2 yards = 1
fathom, 16.5 feet = 1 rod (aka: pole or perch), 66 feet / 4 rods
= 1 chain (90 feet / 15 fathoms = 1 anchor chain), 10 chains /
660 feet (1/8 statute mile) = 1 furlong, 120 fathoms / 720 feet =
1 land cable, 101 fathoms / 606 feet (1/10 nautical mile) = 1
cable, 3 statute miles = 1 land league, 3 nautical miles = 1 sea
league / shot] [nb: a "geographic mile" is the length of a minute
of longitude on the equator]
-
KNOW THE ROPES :
-
experienced, knowledgeable, masterly; to be familiar with or able
to execute a task. A nautical phrase from the days of sail, when
an understanding of the complexities of ropes, knots, and rigging
was essential for a seaman. This expression first appeared in a
published work as a reference to the ship's captain in "Two Years
Before the Mast" by Richard Henry Dana (1840).
-
KNOW YOUR ENEMY :
-
a catch-phrase that encourages insight and creativity, since it
is not enough to second-guess oneself ("How would I kill me?"),
but to recognize enemy patterns and methods, strengths and
weaknesses, potential and goals ("How would he kill me?"), both
tactically and strategically; also expressed as "know the enemy".
See CAPABILITY, COURSE OF ACTION, LEAST RESISTANCE, FIELD
EXPEDIENT. ["To know your enemy, you must become your enemy ...
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." by Sun-Tzu
(ca490BC)]
-
KOREAN WAR :
-
a war launched 25 June 1950 to unify the Hermit Kingdom, annexed
since 1910 and divided by the Yalta Conference trusteeship, by
INVASION from the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea
aided by communist China (PRC) and Russia (USSR) into the
Republic of (South) Korea aided by US and UN forces, resulting in
an armistice signed 27 July 1953 that confirmed the antebellum
1948 separation along the 38th parallel, less approximately
180,000 Allied and an estimated 2,000,000 enemy casualties. The
KOREAN WAR was America's first "limited war", formally designated
a "police action", and was the first military intervention by 16
members of the United Nations exercising their peacekeeping
authority.
[nb: "In the simplest of terms, what we are doing in Korea is
this: We are trying to prevent a third world war." by Harry S.
Truman (16 April 1951)]
[cf: during the KOREAN WAR, many North Korean and Chinese
communist POWs TATTOOed themselves with anti-American or
pro-communist slogans, on their hands, arms, foreheads, or
chests, as an act of defiant solidarity with their homelands, and
with their war against Western ideals; such that even when they
rioted, no NK or CHICOM POWs were punished for having expressed
their political views with signs or TATTOOs, despite the fact
that such dissent was intolerable in their own homelands]
-
KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL :
-
a striking tableau and frieze erected on the Capitol Mall
adjacent to the VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL commemorating the
service and sacrifice of combatants more than forty years after
the armistice for the "Forgotten War". See MEMORIAL DAY, MISSING
MAN FORMATION, TAPS.
-
KP :
-
Kitchen Police, with duties to assist food preparation, setup,
clean-up, and waiter/steward or Dining Room Orderly (DRO);
sometimes called "pot-walloper", "pan-wrestler", or "kicking pots
and pans", formerly known as "blackguard". See SCRUB, SWEAT,
ELBOW GREASE, COOKIE, MESSHALL, GALLEY, POLICE; compare GI PARTY,
POLICE CALL, HOUSECLEANING.
-
K-POT :
-
the lightweight ballistic (Kevlar) HELMET that replaced the STEEL
POT after Vietnam; also called "Fritz" for its resemblance to the
German coal-scuttle or "Dutch Boy" HEADGEAR. [nb: Kevlar patented
1971]
-
KRAIT :
-
a nocturnal venomous snake, in either black and white or black
and yellow bands, with erect upper fangs (elapid), that's
INDIGenous to South Asia; also called "two-step" or "eleven
second" snake for its deadly effect.
-
K-RATIONS :
-
single meal for an individual soldier; eponymously named for its
WWII (1942) creator, Ancel Keys. See RATIONS.
-
KUNAI / KUNAI GRASS :
-
tall sharp-edged grass, growing throughout Asia and the Pacific
region; also called "blady", "blady grass", and "lalang". See
BOONIES, TULE, ELEPHANT GRASS, SAW GRASS, NIPA PALM, PITA.
-
KYAT :
-
the Burmese (Myanmarian) basic monetary unit of currency; see
LEGAL TENDER.
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