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M I L T E R M S : fingerspelled letter N semaphor letter N signal flag letter N N : NOVEMBER

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N/A :
Not Applicable, as used when completing FORMs, since every question must be answered; see NO EXCUSE, RED TAPE.

NACELLE :
the enclosed part of an airplane, dirigible, or the like, in which the engine, cargo, or passengers are housed; compare COWLING, FUSELAGE. Also, the car of a balloon; as derived from a "small boat".

NAD :
unofficial Marine element NAD patch
NAD Marines
Naval Advisory Detachment, located in Da Nang to support MARKET TIME, BRIGHT LIGHT, and other seaborne operations by SEALs, FORCE RECON, or SOG.

NAG / NAVADVGP :
Naval Advisory Group; see JUNK FORCE.

NAILS :
an anti-personnel type of warhead attached to a 2.75-inch, spin-stabilized, folding-fin, aerial rocket containing FLECHETTEs, and was usually launched from helicopter GUNSHIPs.

NAKED :
an operative with inadequate COVER or insufficient BACKSTOP, who may be accidentally or mistakenly exposed; not usually a DANGLE or THROW-AWAY; see LIFTED SKIRT, RABBIT, BOLT HOLE, TRADECRAFT.

NAKED FANNY :
Nakhon / Nhakon Phanom (NKP) Air Base Thailand, located across the MeKong River from Takhet Laos; operating as a major communication and electronic warfare base, hosting both Army and USAF special operations forces. See PONY, INVERT.

THE NAM :
phrase used by CLERKS 'n' JERKS to signify the VIETNAM WAR, with the implication that the user is a grizzled veteran of a tough combat tour; use of this TELLTALE phrase is a FALSE FLAG. See WAR STORY, SEA STORY, COUNT COUP, BTDT, PAY DUES, REMF, UP-CLOSE 'n' PERSONAL, CANDY-ASS, WANNABE; compare GVN, RVN, SVN, VN, THE ROOT, THE MED, THE GULF, THE MOG, ABSURDISTAN, THE STANS. [nb: among the persistent myths about the VIETNAM WAR is the generalization that "no place was safe" and that "everyone was a combatant"; but the fact is that only 8% of ground personnel ever engaged in combat with the enemy, and the greatest majority of combat casualties occurred in a few selected border areas of enemy concentration and infiltration]

NAPALM :
a jellied incendiary, also called "nape", and formally known as "Incendi-Gel" (or "Incendier-Gel"), used by French and American forces throughout INDOCHINA as both defoliant and anti-personnel weapon. Like "Composition C", it was developed during WWII by British research, but is as ancient as "Greek Fire" (oil + quicklime); consisting of a flammable organic solvent, usually gasoline, made gelatinous by soap, and delivered by bomb or flamethrower. NAPALM clung to the surfaces it touched, holding the burning solvent in place on the target. See PHOUGAS, SNAKES 'n' NAPES, ZIPPO, FAE, GBU, CBU, IRON BOMB.

NAS :
(n a s) Naval Air Station, see OPIUM DEN.

NASA :
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, established in 1969 from technologies transferred by DARPA, subsuming the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) entire, has been re-interpreted as "Never A Straight Answer" by investigators; the official NASA motto is: "For the benefit of all mankind". Compare NSA, NOAA, USGS; see RIGHT STUFF.

NASTY BOAT :
designated U.S. Navy Patrol Type Fast (PTF); imported from Norway to be part of operation MARKET TIME, used to patrol (at speeds up to 47 KNOTS) coastal waters and rivers of Vietnam, and used to insert "Sea Commandos" or SEAL teams. See CAS, PBR, SWIFT BOAT.

NASTY-GRAM :
a brusque and concise message, typically a terse directive or a tactless e-mail, which is unnecessarily irritating in its style and manner, simply because the author has the authority to be rude to the recipient ... impoliteness is often an attempt to mask uncertainty or deficiency, regardless of tactical urgency. Also known as "flame" or "flamer". Compare CALL ON THE CARPET, FANG, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, RIOT ACT, BAYONET SHEET, BACK CHANNEL.

NATIONAL CEMETERY :
a cemetery, maintained by the federal government, for the interment of persons who have served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States, the most famous of which is Arlington National Cemetery; see BOX JOB, BONEYARD, GARDEN OF STONES, TOMB. [nb: "long home" is slang for gravesite; v: graveyard, boneyard, boot hill, God's acre, churchyard, catacomb, necropolis, cenotaph, columbarium, sepulcher; cf: "whited sepulcher" (Matthew 23:27)] [nb: the traditional three-shot volley at burial derives from the pagan ritual of shouting the name of the deceased three times to tell the gods who is coming] [nb: the tradition of placing a coin in the mouth of the deceased before burial derives from the pagan rite of paying for passage into the After-Life (cf: Christian eschatology, re: "harder for a rich man to get into Heaven"); compare "tooth notch" @ DOG TAGS]

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL / NDSM :
awarded to MIL-PERS for active federal service in the Armed Forces during the KOREAN WAR (25 Jun 1950 - 27 Jul 1953), the Vietnam Era (1 Jan 1961 - 14 Aug 1974), the Persian GULF WAR (7 Aug 1990 - 28 Feb 1991; 19 Mar 2002...), and the WAR ON TERROR (20 Sep 2001...), with oak leaf clusters (OLC) for multiple periods; being equivalent to the "American Service Medal" for duty during WWII.

THE NATIONAL JOKE FACTORY :
Congress, the best that money can buy! ... both phrases are ascribed to William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers about the branch of government that apportions, reviews, and regulates the military, with little knowledge and less appreciation for its role or function. The military is either a cat's-paw or stalking-horse for ambitious pols, whose best joke is delivered every time THE EAGLE SHITS. See THE G, RED TAPE, PORK BARREL, ACT OF CONGRESS, PETITION, UNCLE SAM, YANKEE. [nb: "Every time Congress makes a joke, it's a law. And every time it makes a law, it's a joke." by Will Rogers]

NATIONAL SECURITY :
a momentous catch-phrase that was imbued with righteous patriotism, as coined by James V. Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense, the utterance of which was intended to (literally and figuratively) open any closed door and close any open door; an invocation to "bend the rules" for a "higher" or "greater" cause. This post-WWII expression, prevalent during the VIETNAM WAR, was a sacrosanct incantation for the edification and exploitation of BRASS-COLLARed CANNON FODDER; being a laissez-passer for all things vague and shadowy and off the record. See PARTY LINE, TOE THE LINE, BIG PICTURE, SCRIPTURES.

NATION BUILDING :
the declared altruistic objective of civil and military operations that validate the dominant exported culture; phrase coined by Boston newspaper on 12 July 1817 during America's "manifest destiny". The "white man's burden" of promoting a "melting pot" homogeneity as the universal culture of the 19th Century has been redefined as "tossed salad" diversity under 20th Century multiculturalism, an egalitarian export that devalues civilized achievement. After the VIETNAM WAR, this unconventional warfare (UW) doctrine was shunned as politically sensitive in favor of measurable objectives, but when COUNTER-TERRORISM missions were assigned, the doctrinal dispute resumed; the new iteration of NATION-BUILDING is called "stability operations", wherein the US military helps to provide basic services and build institutions to stabilise a foreign state recovering from war. The Pentagon issued a directive in late 2005 declaring that "stability operations are a core US military mission". Such stability and peacekeeping operations also involve civilian advisers as police, engineers, sanitarians, economists, and agricultural experts. See WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS. [nb: "The most important thing about democracy, which America could not teach Vietnam because we have not yet learned it ourselves, is not who votes, but who counts the ballots." by an unknown commentator] [v: "manifest Destiny" was coined by John L. O'Sullivan (1839); "White Man's Burden" was coined by J. Rudyard Kipling (1899)]

NATO :
abbreviation for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, being a coalition formed in 1949 among the twelve nations of the Atlantic Pact together with Greece, Turkey, and the Federal Republic of Germany ("West Germany"), for collective defense under a joint military command against aggression, especially the Soviet Union and the other Warsaw Pact (aka: Warsaw Treaty Organization) nations; compare LEAGUE OF NATIONS, COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, UN. Also, abbreviation for the North African Theater of Operations, being the WWII designation for the area encompassing morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt; see ETO, MTO.

NAUTICAL MILE :
officially known as the "International Nautical Mile", being a unit of distance at sea or in the air equal to 1.852 kilometers. Also, a unit of distance, formerly used in the U.S. for navigation, equal to 6080.20 feet (1853.25 m), or the length of a minute of latitude at the latitude in question (decreasing toward the poles); abbreviated "nm". See KNOT, CABLE, FATHOM, SHOT, KLICK. [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]

NAV :
navigator, or radar navigator in an aircraft.

NAVCOMSTA :
Naval Communications Station.

NAVFORV :
US Naval Forces Vietnam.

NAVLO :
Navy Liaison Officer; see LO.

NAVOP :
US NAVy OPerations; NavSpeak for headquarters (HQ). See FLAG PLOT.

NAVSECGRU :
Naval Security Group.

NAVSPEAK :
a subcategory of MIL-SPEAK, being the slang and jargon employed by Navy and Marine personnel. [nb: called "jack-speak" in the British Royal Navy; first compiled as a glossary in 1955 by Commander A. Covey-Crump]

NAVY CROSS / NC :
the nation's second highest award for valor; equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) or Air Force Cross (AFC). See GONG.

NAZI :
a contraction of National Socialist, from the political party named National Socialist German Workers' Party, which ruled Germany under Adolf Hitler ("der Führer") during the Third Reich (1933-1945), advocating territorial expansion and Aryan supremacy. This term signifies political affiliation, not military service; see BAD GUYS, GENOCIDE.

NBC :
Nuclear-Bacterial-Chemical, or Nuclear-Biological-Chemical warfare agents; see CBR, NUKE, BOMB, GENOCIDE, APOCALYPSE.

N-BOMB :
a nuclear bomb designed to release an intense burst of neutrons and gamma rays, with a weaker blast wave and less residual radiation than other nuclear weapons; also known as "neutron bomb". Compare A-BOMB, H-BOMB; see ZERO POINT, GROUND ZERO, OVERKILL, CBR, NUKE, FOOTBALL, PENTAGONAL, DARPA, BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, YELLOWCAKE, HEAVY WATER, HOT GREASE, SCRAM, CONTAINMENT, BROKEN ARROW.

NCA :
(en-see-a) National Command Authority, being the highest level of tactical leadership in time of war or other emergency, from the president, his duly deputized alternate or successor along the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND.

NCB :
Naval Construction Battalion; see SEABEES.

NCC :
Navy Component Commander. Also, the National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam; see NEW MOBE, PROTESTOR, BEST AND BRIGHTEST, FIFTH COLUMN, BLACK BLOC, BULLSHITVIK, YIPPIE.

NCDU :
Naval Combat Demolitions Units were formed during Spring 1943 by Naval Construction Battalion (CB/SEABEES) volunteers, to perform underwater surveys and clearances for amphibious landings. The NCDU evolved into Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) before the end of WWII.

NCFPAC :
Naval Construction Forces Pacific; see SEABEES.

NCIS :
Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or Naval Criminal Investigation Service, being the section that specializes in criminal investigations and prosecutions, and is the successor of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS); see CID, OSI, CGIS, DCIS, DIS, FBI, BUTTON, POLICE.

NCO :
(n-c-o) Non-Commissioned Officer; exclusive of technical and specialist ratings, the "hard-stripe" sergeant and petty officer RANKs (from E-4) are in the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. See BUCK, SARGE, CHIEF, GUNNY, TOP, DI, SUPER GRADE, ROCKER, BIRD UMBRELLA, MATING MOSQUITOES, RIGHT ARM; compare EM, MOSQUITO WING, MOSQUITO SMILE, SLICK SLEEVE, SPEC, CRUIT, SWINE LOG, YARDBIRD.

NCOA :
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, being a Corps- or Army-level training course required for promotion above Sergeant E-5; see LPC, INCOC, NCOCC, SMA, SHAKE 'n' BAKE, UP OR OUT.

NCOCC :
(forthcoming); SHAKE 'n' BAKE course training later automated at off-duty education centers see LPC, NCOA, SMA, UP OR OUT.

NCOER :
Non-Commissioned Officer Efficiency Report; based on character and efficiency (C&E) rating. See FITREP, ER, BAYONET SHEET.

NCOIC :
(n-c-o-i-c) Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge; see OIC, CQ.

N-DAY :
Notification-Day; the unnamed day an active-duty unit is notified for deployment or redeployment. See TIME.

NDP :
Night Defensive Position; see PERIMETER, RON, COLD CAMP, SPIKE, RON, BUNKER, FOXHOLE, DEPUY FOXHOLE, SPIDER HOLE, HASTY TRENCH, E-TOOL.

NECK :
any narrow, connecting, or projecting part or piece, especially a strip of land; an isthmus or cape. Also, a strait, channel, narrows, or passage. See BIGHT. [cf: "gat" : a passage or channel that extends inland from a shore through shoals, reefs, gorges, and the like; as derived from hole or opening]

NECKLACE :
to pinion a harried victim with a fuel-filled rubber tire, which is ignited while the person is entrapped; being a slow and sadistic form of execution practiced in many underdeveloped countries. See HAIRCUT AND MANICURE, DECAPITATION, TERRORIST, ATROCITY.

NECK SCARF :
a colored or patterned neck-cloth worn with various uniforms to signify unit distinction or branch affiliation; such as honor guard, military police, or airborne status. Sometimes called cravat, ascot, or foulard; in observing the military tradition of Croatian mercenaries wearing a distinctive neck scarf while serving in the French Army. In WWII, resupply parachutes were often scavenged to make distinctively colored or patterned neck scarves as an indication of front line duty. During combat operations, all MIKE FORCE troops were issued a distinctively patterned or colored NECK SCARF to help prevent FRIENDLY FIRE casualties; a similar display was practiced by the Northern Alliance tribesmen and their ADVISORs in Afghanistan after the 9/11 2001 TERRORIST attack. Compare FIELD SCARF; see CORD, CORDON, CREST, HEADGEAR, LANYARD, PATCH. [nb: during the period of American "manifest destiny", when Indian Scouts were employed as Army guides and strikers in the Western campaigns, bright red cloths were issued to allies, to be worn as an armband or headband or NECK SCARF, to avoid FRIENDLY FIRE casualties during engagements]

NEED TO KNOW :
the basic criterion for access to restricted data, regardless of rank or position; security classifications include UNCLASsified (color code: white), For Official Use Only (FOUO)(color code: green), Confidential (color code: blue), Secret (color code: red), Top Secret (color code: orange), and delimiters include NO FOReigN (NOFORN) and Eyes Only (no copies)(color code: yellow). There are no security classifications "above" Top Secret, but code word access for special projects or reports, is a further restriction based upon the NEED TO KNOW, upon being "in the loop" for action or oversight. It's been said that SOG kept its best secrets from its own operatives, all of whom were COMPARTMENTALIZED, since penetration agents and war PROTESTORS seemingly knew more than the actual veterans! See MUSHROOM, OPSEC, BACK CHANNEL. [nb: "hush-hush" and "mum" mean 'silent' (don't talk about it), rather than 'secret']

NEGATIVE :
MIL-SPEAK for no, not, incorrect, disagree, denied, none; sometimes converted into slang as "negatory" or "negatron". Compare AFFIRMATIVE; see NUGATORY.

NEPTUNE :
Lockheed RP-2 aircraft.

NESEP :
(knee-sip, or ness-sep) Navy Enlisted Scientific Education Program, a baccalaureate and commissioning program available to promising technicians serving on active-duty in the U.S. Navy; see ACASP, DEP, CONAP, BOOTSTRAP, USAFI, SOC, ROTC.

NEST :
Nuclear Emergency Support Team, formerly known as the Nuclear Emergency Search Team, being a response group of scientists and engineers under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration in the US Dept of Energy that has been tasked since 1974 with responding to nuclear accidents and radiological incidents. NEST, which can field a force of several hundred technicians equipped with portable detectors, is responsible for investigating the illegal use of nuclear materials, and will assist military or police bomb disposal missions, including TERRORIST incidents. Due to the occurrence of false positive reactions and the ease of masking fissile/fissionable materials, it is unlikely that NEST will be able to detect a serious threat before it is activated. Acronym sometimes misrepresented as 'Nuclear Explosion Survey Team'. See CBR, NUKE, HOT GREASE, SCRAM, CONTAINMENT, EOD, BUNNY SUIT, MOPP, HAZMAT, WMD.

NET :
short for network, especially communication or surveillance systems; see COMMO, RADIO, TELEPHONE, TELECON, SAT, SATCOM; compare SCUTTLEBUTT, RUMOR, BACK CHANNEL, TELEPHONE TREE, BAMBOO TELEGRAPH. Also, mesh or screen of appropriate size used variously to cover, carry, or contain; see GP, DEBARKATION NET, CARGO NET, BAR, MAIL [nb: the word "canopy" originally meant net, as a gauze mosquito barrier; cf: sparver]. Also, anything serving to catch or ensnare; see SNATCH.

NEUTRALIZE :
To render an enemy action, operation, force, installation, or the like ineffective by military action, as to nullify an enemy's threat potential or capability by combat action, by intercession, by maneuver, by containment, or any other means.

NEWBEE :
(new-bee) anyone with less time IN COUNTRY or in service than the speaker, but usually synonymous with CHERRY or FNG for a novice or tyro; may also be spelled "newbie", as a contraction of "NEW baBIEs". Sometimes called "rookie", "tenderfoot", "greenhorn", "cheechako", FRESH CATCH, "fresh meat", "new meat, or "raw meat". Compare TURTLE, NUGGET, WANNABE, RETREAD. [nb: showing an astonishing sophistication, a new Russian soldier in the USSR during WWII was known as an "ingénu" [masculine form of ingénue], which is both quite accurate and very descriptive]

NEW MOBE / NEW MOB :
symbol of international peace movement
peace sign
short form of the New Mobilization Commitee to End the War in Vietnam (NMCEWV); see NCC, PROTESTOR, BEST AND BRIGHTEST, FIFTH COLUMN, BLACK BLOC, BULLSHITVIK, YIPPIE, APOCALYPSE.

NEW WORLD ORDER :
the visionary cooperation (if not a utopian conspiracy) of the international powers, in which nations tend to negotiate rather than foster conflict; as derived from 1939 book title by H.G. Wells. See POSSE COMITATUS; compare HAPPY VALLEY.

NFLSVN :
National Front for the Liberation of South Viet Nam, as the political arm of the Viet Cong (VC); also abbreviated NFL and/or NLF (qv). See PRG, PLA, PAVN.

NFZ :
No Fire Zone, an ostensibly secure or pacified area in which no fire (including defensive) may occur without both military and political authorization; compare RFZ, FREE FIRE ZONE, see RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

NG :
National Guard; properly specified as Army National Guard (ARNG), Air National Guard (ANG), etc. See WEEKEND WARRIOR, MILITIA, PARAMILITARY, DRAFT, DRAFTEE; compare RA.

NGFS :
Naval GunFire Support (with 5" to 16" shells).

NGO :
Non-Governmental Organization, being a private organization with transnational social or economic interests that consults with the UN on humanitarian relief and peacekeeping; compare QUANGO, GOCO, OGA, BELTWAY BANDIT.

NHA THO :
Vietnamese term for a church, temple, or religious building; the same term with a different pronunciation refers to a brothel or whorehouse! Compare JOSS STICK. [cf: sporting house, house of ill repute, disorderly house, red-light district, hothouse, brothel, whorehouse, cathouse, bawdyhouse, bordel / bordello, bagnio, stews, lupanar, Mexican nunnery; see SIN CITY, KIP, CLAP, PRO KIT, SHORT ARM, ANTIBIOTIC, SHORT-TIME, BOOM-BOOM, CHURNING BUTTER, TRICK, DIDDLY, FUCK, HAT TRICK, DAISY CHAIN, BUTTERFLY, SHACK-JOB, CAMP FOLLOWER, CHOCOLATE BUNNY, PUNK, DU, STEAM 'n' CREAM, HOOKUP, HELL ON WHEELS, ACT OF CONGRESS]

NIAGARA :
name of 1968 KheSanh relief operation, supported by FOB#3 SLAM elements of SOG. [nb: typically poor metaphor: falls, deluge, implying relentless force]

NICKEL RIDE :
a brief familiarization flight, as a demonstration of technology or technique, and an evaluation of the passenger, as a preliminary to acceptance for training; by analogy with the once cheap and thrilling carnival rides. See UP CHECK, CHECK RIDE, CHOPPER, BIRD.

NICKNAME :
(forthcoming); compare CODENAME, CODEWORD, COVER, PASSWORD, CALL-SIGN, BATTLE CRY, GUSTO, HOOAH, OORAH, GUNG-HO, ESPRIT DE CORPS, WETSU, DIEHARD, TOAST, SIGNATURE, CREST, PATCH. [v: mottoes and nicknames of military units] [nb: the term 'slogan' is derived from the Scottish words (sluagh + gairm) meaning "army cry" or "war cry"; cf: misnomer "slughorn"] [nb: Imperial Japanese "banzai" (ten-thousand years; not "bonsai" gardening) similar to Chinese "wàn-sue"] [nb: the "thin red line" was applied to the British ("Redcoats") in the Crimean War because they did not form into a defensive square when engaged, making their line weak, which impugned their military prowess; likewise, the Scottish bagpipers accompanying British troops in WWI were labeled "ladies from hell" for wearing kilts into battle while playing an instrument instead of carrying a weapon ... each attribution was initially offensive, but both were later adopted as distinctions] [v: Names of Foreigners or Foes]

NIE :
National Intelligence Estimate; also identified as Special National Intelligence Estimate (SNIE).

NIGHTCRAWLER :
slang for a recruiter who scouts businesses, institutions, and other areas for suitable candidates, usually an ideologue or contrarian, who requires little or no training to perform antiestablishment acts, such as protesting, wrecking, propagandizing, and spying, regardless of the beneficiary; also known as a "talent scout". See THROW-AWAY, DANGLE, SLEEPER, MOLE, FIX, DECOY, STOOGE, PROVOCATEUR, PROTESTOR, SECRET AGENT, SPOOK, CRYPTO, TRADECRAFT, YOUNG LIONS, BABY BRIGADE; compare HANDLER.

NIGHTHAWK :
the Lockheed F-117 fighter, commonly known as "The Black Jet", being a stealth aircraft developed from the DARPA "Have Blue" project.

NIGHTINGALE :
Douglas C-9 cargo aircraft, used for MEDEVAC. Also, a distraction or deception device designed by the CIA for clandestine operations that simulated a firefight, including intervals and delays; see BOOBY-TRAP, DECOY, RED HERRING, DECEPTION.

NIGHT STALKERS :
NICKNAME of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), also spelled "Nightstalkers", which was formed as Task Force 158 to execute "Operation Honey Badger" after Operation EAGLE CLAW, then transformed into Task Force 160 as a result of the official inquiry into the failure of Operation EAGLE CLAW, later reformed as 160th Special Operations Aviation Group Airborne (160SOAGAbn), and then expanded into a regiment.

NIGHT TRAP :
BLACKOUT landing of an airplane on a FLATTOP under nighttime tactical conditions; the most difficult of aircraft carrier landings. See PADDLES, TAILHOOK, BOLTER, BURBLE.

NIH :
informal acronym for Not Invented Here, representing the institutional resistance to anything imported from another service or agency; commonly expressed as: "that's not how we did it before", or "we didn't do it that way last time". This insularity is a negative bias, which objections usually evaporate as soon as the item has been integrated and tested ... an obstructive delay that's intolerable during wartime, regardless of motive, due to lost time and wasted lives. Among the several schisms contributing to the debacle of the VIETNAM WAR, a refusal to alter un-/conventional doctrine or to "abandon" tradition in order to "win on the battlefield" was indicative of the Not Invented Here mindset.

NILO :
Naval Intelligence Liaison Officer, usually a linguist or area specialist; see ONI.

NIMA :
(neemah) National Imaging and Mapping Agency, or National Imagery and Mapping Agency, being the resource for military maps since October 1996, when the US Geological Survey (USGS) was displaced due to downlink satellite profiles; see TOPO, MAP, COMICS, CHART.

NINE-YARDS :
thoroughly, completely, entirely; from "the full NINE-YARDS" or "the whole NINE-YARDS". Phrase represents the full amount of belted .50cal AMMO for the WWII aircraft machinegun (MG); see LINK AMMO. Similarly, "dressed to the nines" (from all the elements of full dress) also means completely and entirely; but it takes all NINE-YARDS of fabric to properly outfit the well dressed man; see MESS DRESS. The number "nine" is ancient symbolism for completion or fulfillment. [nb: derivation is also alleged to be the amount of sailcloth on a YARDARM, the number of YARDARMs ("yards") on a three-masted sailing ship, the amount of fabric for a sashed kilt, the distance to a first-down in football, a quantity of poured concrete, or a bin full of coal; cf: derivation of "gringo" as foreign-speaking vs song lyric, v: DOUGHBOY]

NIP :
short for Nipponese, a Japanese name for themselves, used in a derogatory manner by Allies when referring to Imperial Japanese troops during WWII; also known as a "son of heaven", which refers to the divinity (kami) of their emperor (Mikado), which was expressed sarcastically by Americans. See MEATBALL, JAPE, GOOK, DINK, SLOPE, RICE BALL, ZIP, CHINK, WOG, LITTLE PEOPLE, BAD GUYS; compare BUDDHAHEAD, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER, INDIG, DESEGREGATION.

NIPA / NIPA PALM :
sharp-edged palms (Nypa Fruticans), used for thatching and basketry, that grow in dense concentrations; palm leaf edges much like SAW GRASS. See BOONIES, TULE, ELEPHANT GRASS, KUNAI, PITA.

NIS :
Naval Intelligence Service; see DNI, CNO, INTEL. Also, Naval Investigative Service, later renamed Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); see CGIS, CID, OSI, DCIS, DIS, FBI, BUTTON, POLICE.

NKP :
Nakhon / Nhakon Phanom Air Base Thailand, located across the MeKong River from Takhet Laos; operating as a major communication and electronic warfare base, hosting both Army and USAF special operations forces. Also called NAKED FANNY. See PONY, INVERT.

NKPA :
North Korean People's Army, being the enemy during the KOREAN WAR, along with the Chinese communists (CHICOM). See GOOK, BAD GUYS.

NLF :
National Liberation Front, officially the "National Front for the Liberation of the South" (NFLSVN), but also known as South Viet Nam Liberation Army (SVNLA); being the political directorate of the Viet Cong (VC) guerrilla movement, formed as a separate entity from NVA on 20 Dec 1960. Vietnamese version: Mat Tran. See VIET MINH, CHARLIE, VC, VCI, PRG, PLA, VIET QUOC, BAD GUYS.

NLOS-C :
Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, being an experimental autoloading and firing system since 2004 designed for artillery, tank, and mortar guns on mobile chassis using electrothermal energy, which generates more force than solid propellants. The prototype tank and artillery cannons can automatically fire up to six 120mm/155mm rounds per minute; and the protype armored vehicle mounted mortar can fire twelve 105mm/120mm rounds per minute.

NLT :
Not Later Than, directing the time/date of completion; see SUSPENSE DATE, RBI, TICKLER, DEADLINE, UNDER THE GUN.

NMCB :
U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalions; see SEABEES.

NMI / NMN :
no middle initial, or no middle name; see FNU.

NOA :
Non-Operational Aircraft

NOAA :
(noah) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, being a commissioned service of the US government; see NASA, DARPA, USGS, SRTM, GPS, LORAN, UTM, INS, AZIMUTH, CHART, SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE, BEAUFORT SCALE, STORM WARNING, WINDSOCK, WEATHER EYE.

NOB :
(n o b) Navy / Naval Operations Base

NOB HILL :
slang for the housing section on post or BASE provided for married OFFICER family quarters, either the entire area or just the FLAG OFFICER neighborhood; often mistaken to be "snob", the term 'nob' refers to any socially prominent person, and is synonymous with 'head', as leader. See QTRS. [v: nibs, nabob, patrician, nobleman, aristocrat, lord, brahmin, grandee, peer, gentleman, blue-blood, silk-stocking, swell, leader (LDR)] [nb: the word "caddie", with the same origin as CADET, and sometimes shortened to "cad" (irresponsible, dishonorable), was the 17th Century term for a gentleman who learned the military profession by serving in the army without a commission; henceforth, it was applied to a person seeking employment] [nb: until recently, an OFFICER was simultaneously designated a "gentleman" when appointed by an ACT OF CONGRESS, which not only inspired further intellectual development but also encouraged cultural sophistication, which refinements were mocked as being 'suave and debonair' (deliberately mispronounced as "soo-wave" and "dee-boner"); v: BRASS HAT, BLUE BLOOD, UP THE HAWSEPIPE, OFFICER'S COUNTRY, TALLY-HO; cf: HARD-ASS, MACHO]

NOBLE SAVAGE :
(forthcoming); introduced by John Dryden, not Jean Jacques Rousseau; compare the "scholar soldier" as an ideal of consummate professionalism

NOC :
(knock) Non-Official Cover, the unconventional COVER story (ie: LEGEND) given to an operative or agent, instead of the standard embassy or military job title; see CIA, SINGLETON.

NOD :
Night Observation Device, a large light-intensifying telescopic night vision system; also called Night Vision Device (NVD) when configured as a hand-held or head-mounted monocular. See STARLIGHT, GREEN-EYE, NVG, I2, PEEPERS, FIELD GLASSES.

NO-DOZE :
airborne missions to broadcast psychological operations tapes of appeals, music and PROPAGANDA during darkness; play on words from commercial stimulants (caffeine tablets) sold under same name. See PEANUT, PSYOPS.

NOE :
Nap Of [the] Earth, or following the contours of the terrain, which is a greater distance but more tactical or covert; often misrepresented as "map of the earth", probably by reference to CONTOUR LINES but perhaps by aural misunderstanding of oral pronunciation. See GRASS, CONTOUR FLYING, SLANT DISTANCE.

NO EVIL :
commonly expressed as "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil", but properly translated from Japanese as "don't see, don't hear, don't speak" (mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru); and allegorically represented by "three wise monkeys" from a play on words in Japanese. The pictorial maxim of these "three wise monkeys" was popularized by a 17th century carving over the Sacred Stable door of the famous Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko, Japan. The origin of this aphorism is unknown, but it is believed to have migrated from India through China into Japan during the 8th century (Yamato Period) as a Tendai-Buddhist legend. The "three wise monkeys", along with the chrysanthemum, is historically representative of the Mikado, thus acquainting many Allied and American forces serving in the Pacific (PTO) during WWII and KOREAN WAR with this motif.

NO EXCUSE :
the military catch-phrase for "it's my responsibility" or "it's my fault", which is a commendable performance-oriented attitude but it only fixes the blame, without fixing the problem; an "explanation" is not an "excuse". On the battlefield, "No excuse, sir!" is never heard ... and good leaders always carry the bloody burden of unavoidable mistakes. See N/A, RED TAPE, WIGGLE ROOM, ZERO TOLERANCE. [nb: real life always transcends the rule book]

NO FLY ZONE :
a safety area, buffer, or access corridor set off from a border, boundry, DMZ, or other demarcation where traffic is prohibited; see FCSL, CHOPPER, BIRD.

NOFORN :
NO FOReigN, not for foreign distribution; a delimiter qualifying distribution of classified documents. See OPSEC, EYES ONLY, NEED TO KNOW, COMPARTMENTALIZATION, ADV, COUNTERPART.

NOISE :
informal term for the directed transmittal of jamming signals intended to interfere with detection or communication; see CHAFF, MUSIC, FANFARE, ECM. Also, the existence of STATIC, CROSS-TALK, or other deterioration in a broadcast causing low-grade reception; see SQUELCH, RADIO.

NO JOY :
informal expression of failure or dissatisfaction; an apparent Britishism adopted by aviators. The "unattained gratification" stands in marked contrast with military professionalism, hence is typical of droll English humor.

NOK :
Next Of Kin; the person designated for notification in the event of injury or death. See KINFORMING, WIA, DOW, KIA, SKY PILOT, GHOUL.

NON / NON LA :
broad conical hat, part of traditional Vietnamese costume; see BASKET HEAD.

NON-LETHAL WEAPONS :
(forthcoming)

NORAD :
acronym for NORth [American] Air Defense command, a combined U.S. and Canadian air forces command responsible for detecting aircraft and space vehicles deemed a threat to continental airspace.

NORS :
(norse) Not Operationally Ready -- (due to short) Supply

NOSE :
(forthcoming); "sniffer" device, molecular detector; see CBR, HAZMAT. see CHIN BUBBLE, CHOPPER, FUSELAGE, BIRD. see WAR NOSE, FUZE, WARHEAD, PAYLOAD.

NOSE COUNT :
a collegial form of polling that shares responsibility (or distributes guilt) in a manner imitative of corporate and political compromises, as favored among BROWN NOSERs and MILICRATs; being a harmonizing or acquiescent practice among STAFFers that is antithetical to the hierarchal sole responsibility of command authority. See RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE, COMMAND RATIO, HEADQUARTERISM.

NOSEDIVE :
the plunge of an aircraft with the forward part pointing downward, especially a headfirst crash; also spelled "nose-dive" or "nose dive". See AUGER-IN, PANCAKE, GROUND LOOP, ALUMINUM RAIN, BOUNCE, TOUCHDOWN, ALS, AUTO-ROTATE, CHOPPER, BIRD. [nb: during the period of aeronautical experimentation, before powered flight was successful, headfirst or nose-down crashes were so common that the Wright brothers characterized their efforts as "well drilling"]

NOSGPAC :
Naval Operations Support Group, PACific Fleet

NO SWEAT :
informal catch-phrase for can do, easily done, or not a problem to accomplish; see PIECE OF CAKE, CAKEWALK, LAUGH A MINUTE, WALK IN THE PARK, DUCK SOUP, TURKEY SHOOT.

NPFF :
RVN National Police Field Force; see WHITE MICE, QC, NPSS, POLICE.

NPG :
former abbreviation for the U.S. Navy Post-graduate School, which is properly cited as NPS (qv).

NPRC :
National Personnel Records Center; consolidated archive of military records from all service branches. See PERSCOM, BUPERS.

NPS :
U.S. Navy Post-graduate School, being a center for advanced technical training situated in Monterey CA; originally devoted to nautical subjects, including nuclear physics, but the curriculum has been expanded to include unconventional warfare (UW), and the student body extended to other service branches; also known as Naval Post-graduate School, and formerly cited as NPG.

NPSS :
RVN National Police and Security Service; see WHITE MICE, NPFF, QC, POLICE.

NRO :
National Reconnaissance Office, established 25 Aug 1960 by a technology transfer from DARPA, to administer and coordinate satellite development and operations for the U.S. intelligence community; later renamed National Reconnaissance Organization. The satiric motto of the NRO is: "Yesterday's technology at tomorrow's prices!".

NSA :
Naval Support Activity. Also, National Security Agency; may be re-interpreted as "No Such Agency", "Never Say Anything", or "Never Sleeps at All" due to the sensitivity of the data it processes.

NSC :
National Security Council, a U.S. government agency, established by the 1947 National Security Act, is responsible for planning,coordinating, and evaluating the nation's defense policies, being staffed by the President, Vice-President, Secretarys of State and Defense, and Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness. The NSC is an advisory body, like the president's cabinet, and is not in the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. See NSPG, TIWG. [nb: JCS is not included]

NSD :
Naval Supply Depot, aka: NAVSUPDEP; see DEPOT, DUMP, DRMO, MOTHER SHIP, PRE-POS, LOGISTICS. Also, National Security Directive; also identified as National Security Decision Memorandum (NSDM) and as National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM).

NSIC :
National Strategy Information Center.

NSN :
National Stock Number, the stock number identifying every part, component, or item in government inventory, for purchase, issue, requisition, or accountability. The National Stock Number is a 13-digit inventory sequence, consisting of the 4-digit Federal Supply Classification code and the 9-digit National Item Identification Number, which replaced the 11-digit Federal Stock Number, and is NATO compatible. [nb: in an effort to control costs and reduce waste, the DoD has instituted a policy of "non-duplication" in military procurement (Military Adaptable Commercial Item {MACI}), such that a mil-spec contract will NOT be let whenever a commercial "off the shelf" (COTS) product is "close enough for government work" and does not require special features; so some name brand items are now in logistical inventory]

NSPG :
National Security Planning Group; see NSC, TIWG.

NSWG :
Naval Special Warfare Group, formed in 1967 from Naval Operations Support Group, which includes UDT (until 1983) and SEAL organizations.

NTC :
National Training Center
NTC
(en-tee-see) National Training Center; a live-fire armor (ARM), cavalry (ACAV / ACR), and air cavalry (AIR CAV / AIRMOBILE) field exercise area at Fort Irwin using OPFOR CADRE known as "Krasnovyans". The Desert Training Center was established before WWII to prepare troops for combat in north Africa, with the Center renamed the California-Arizona Maneuver Area in 1943. Compare JRTC, RED FLAG; see CPX, FTX, JTFEX, OPFOR, MILES.

NTDS :
Naval Tactical Data System

NUBUSH :
(new-bush or nub-bush) a BLACK woman (especially Afro-American) or a female of mixed race with pronounced Negroid characteristics, especially head and pubic hair; as a contraction of Nubian + bushy. See CHOCOLATE BUNNY.

NUGATORY :
trifling, worthless, ineffective, or futile; being typical of semi-literate MIL-SPEAK which mixes hieratic esoterica with slang and obscenity to form a unique patois; see MISTER, DUD, LOOSE CANNON, FIDO, PAPER TIGER. [nb: not to be confused with "negatory"; see NEGATIVE]

NUGGET :
slang for a sailor on his first FLOAT or initial cruise on-board a ship; see SWABBY, SQUID, CHUM, TADPOLE, POLLYWOG, FRESH CATCH, CHERRY, FNG, NEWBEE.

NUKE :
informal usage for a nuclear or thermonuclear weapon; see BOMB, A-BOMB, H-BOMB, N-BOMB, ZERO POINT, GROUND ZERO, OVERKILL, WMD, FOOTBALL, CBR, BACKPACK, DARPA, BIKINI, BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, YELLOWCAKE, HEAVY WATER, HOT GREASE, SCRAM, FALLOUT, EMP, CONTAINMENT, NEST, BROKEN ARROW, PAPER TIGER.

NULLITY :
any meaningless symbol or invalid sign used in cryptography, especially one used to mislead or inhibit decipherment; see CODE, ENCODE, ENCRYPT, DECODE, DECRYPT, ALPHABET SOUP, KAK, SHACKLE, SCRAMBLE, CIPHER, BURST, TAP CODE, DUNGEON, CRYPER, INTEL. Also, a person or thing of no value or import, something worthless, as naught, rush, zilch; see ZERO, ZIP, CIPHER, SQUAT, DIDDLY.

NUMBER ONE :
(numba whon) slang for good, fine, prime, based on earlier use of Japanese "ichi-bon" during KOREAN WAR; see UCGC. Also, self or self interest, as "looking out for number one".

NUMBER SIXTY :
(numba sixee / numba sicksee) M-60 machinegun (MG); a pun on slang value rating of #1 - #10,000 as "bad news" or deadly. Also called PIG.

NUMBER TEN :
(numba ten) slang for bad.

NUMBER TEN-THOUSAND :
(numba ten-thou) slang for extremely bad, worst. [cf: Chinese "wan-sue", Japanese "banzai" meaning ten-thousand years, used as a battle cry]

NUNG :
non-Indonesian ethnic Chinese peoples INDIGenous to the CENTRAL HIGHLANDS and North Vietnam; this ethnic minority served primarily in SPECIAL FORCES projects. See CHINK, INDIG.

NUOC :
(nook) Vietnamese term for water; see THE DRINK, JUICE, BUG JUICE, GI JOE, WATERWORKS, CANTEEN, WATER PURIFICATION TABLET. [aka: hobo soda, Adam's ale, snow float, Nature's own elixir] [nb: Have a drink of pure sweet water? It's filtered by dirt. It lays low and grows scum. It erodes solid stone. It rots wood. It rusts metal. Fish have sex in it. Little boys pee in it. Bugs and such drown in it. And I'm expected to drink it?! NO thanks!] [nb: 1 liter (1000cc/1.0567qt) of pure water weighs 1 kilogram (1000g/2.2046#)]

NUOC DA :
(nook day) Vietnamese term for ice; see THE DRINK, JUICE, BUG JUICE, GI JOE, CANTEEN, WATER PURIFICATION TABLET. [nb: a patent application for an Ice Cube Tray with Lever Ejector Mechanism was filed in 1950 by Arthur J. Frei]

NUOC MAM :
a pungent Vietnamese condiment, a fermented and concentrated fish sauce used to flavor RICE, also spelled "nuos nam"; known as "nam pla" (Thailand), "tuk trey" (Cambodia), "kechap" (Malaya/Malaysia), and called "armpit sauce" by many Americans. [nb: a similar fish sauce, garum, was a common ingredient in ancient Greek and Roman cultures since the Eighth Century B.C.; being a pungent extract of fermenting fish, this seasoning was a popular alternative to salt. Salt, spices, and seaweed were combined with various fishes (eg: mackerel, prawns, sardines, anchovies, tuna, salmon, red mullet, or oysters) and fermented for as long as three months; whence the residual liquid was strained, then carefully decanted and sealed. The fermenting fish undergo "enzymic proteolysis", an interactive process that produces an acrid brine; the odor of its manufacture banishing garum production to remote locales. This sauce is not "rotten fish" or "spoiled meat" ... the "enzymic proteolysis" does not lead to decay and putrefaction, but is a bacterial action that preserves and eventually dissolves the fish. This fermentation is similar to the production of beer, vinegar, cheese, and yogurt. The attractive "full-bodied" flavor of fermented foods is due to a high content of "glutamate", an amino acid.] [nb: more common fish soup/stew dishes: ragout, pepper pot, matelote, cioppino, bouillabaisse, chowder, newburg, thermidor, and similar fare; v: CHOW, SOUP]

NVA :
North Vietnamese Army, or a uniformed soldier in the regular army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV); aka: BO DOI. NVA rank designations changed from shoulder-strap to collar-tab during the 1960s, but was uniformly red background with yellow markings. NVA ranks during VIETNAM WAR Era: Private Second Class, 1 star; Private First Class, 2 stars; Corporal, 1 star in stripe; Sergeant, 2 stars in stripe; Senior Sergeant, 3 stars in stripe; Cadet or student officer, 1 bar; Second Lieutenant, star and bar; Senior Lieutenant, 2 stars and bar; Captain, 3 stars and bar; Senior Captain, 4 stars and bar; Major, star and 2 bars; Lieutenant Colonel, 2 stars and 2 bars; Colonel, 3 stars and 2 bars; Senior Colonel, 4 stars and 2 bars; Major General, star in border; Lieutenant General, 2 stars in border; Colonel General, 3 stars in border; Senior General, 4 stars in border. See PAVN, VC, CHARLIE, NLF, PLA, PRG, VIET MINH.

NVAF :
North Vietnamese Air Force, which began air-to-air engagements over North Vietnam during post-Tet '68 reprisals; compare VNAF.

NVD :
Night Vision Device; encapsulated by the 1980s catch-phrase: "own the night", the latest generations offer multiple views, pointing options, range finding, aiming and marking sequences, and coupling to a Global Positioning System (GPS). See ENVIS, NVG, NOD, GREEN-EYE, STARLIGHT, I2, PEEPERS.

NVG :
Night Vision Goggles (eg: AN/PVS-7), the improved ambient-light technology made more compact in a set of binocular head-mounted goggles which lack good depth perception and constrict peripheral vision, making watchfulness by other crewmembers in moving vehicles or aircraft essential. Because the objective lens shows a luminous GREEN-EYE during operational scanning, and because the binocular NVG interferes with aimed firing of individual weapons, and because any sudden flare of intense illumination (eg: explosion, FLASHLIGHT, etc) will destroy the operator's night vision, a head-mounted Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD) with an on/off switch is issued to RECON and SOF personnel, who wear it over their non-dominant eye. See NOD, GREEN-EYE, STARLIGHT, I2, PEEPERS, FIELD GLASSES.

NVN :
abbreviation for North Viet Nam, the informal designation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), later becoming the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV); see VN.

NWTC :
Northern Warfare Training Center
NWTC
Northern Warfare Training Center, being the site of the three-week Northern Warfare training course at Fort Greely Alaska. The mountain phase of the course includes climbing, rappelling, and medical evacuation. The watercourse phase covers boat operations, stream crossing, river charting and navigation. The glacier phase covers crevasse rescue, step cutting, group climbing, belaying and anchors. Acquired skills include basic knots, mountain walking techniques, and route selection. The schooling emphasizes mobility in mountainous terrain, on glaciers, and inland waterways, culminating in a three-day field exercise (FTX) situated on Gulkana Glacier. See MOUNTAINEER, WINTER WARRIOR. [nb: the Marine Corps Cold Weather Training Center (MCCWTC) is located at Bridgeport, California] [nb: due to axial tilt during earth's rotation, the hemispheric seasons are not the same length, with the southern summer / northern winter being the shortest season, and northern summer / southern winter being the longest]



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