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.

OA :

Objective Area, being the tactical goal or strategic aim of air, ground, or amphibious missions; compare AO, TO, AOR, MOA, TAOR, CHOP LINE, UA.

OAN HON :

in Vietnamese eschatology, a spirit in purgatory, usually condemned to haunt the region of its death, until released by the beneficence or sacrifice of others. See TIGER BALM; compare PHI, HUNGRY GHOST. [nb: since the November 1965 battles (SILVER BAYONET) in the Ia Drang valley, the area has been referred to as the "Forest of Screaming Souls"]

OATH :

a solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person, entity, or thing, to witness a person's determination to speak the truth or keep a PROMISE; any statement, troth, or affirmation accepted as the equivalent of such an appeal. Also, to pledge, vow, plight, or solemnly swear a binding obligation or PROMISE. Also, the form of words in which an oath is made; see KEEP THE FAITH, SEMPER FI, ESPRIT DE CORPS, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, HOLD ONE'S FEET TO THE FIRE, TOE THE LINE, ACT OF TRUTH, ORDEAL, A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO. Also, an irreverent or blasphemous expression, as a profanation or curse, especially using the name of God or anything sacred; see EXPLETIVE, GODDAM, BAD-MOUTH, TALK TRASH. [nb: 'gee' and 'gee-whiz', used as an interjection or exclamation, derive as euphemisms for the name "Jesus"; archaic 'zounds' derived as contraction of "God's wounds"; "blimey" or "gorblimey", used as an interjection or exclamation, derive as a reduction of "God blind me"; '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; don't dip your dick in the soup)] [cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff] [Swearing is either juvenile or crass, but MIL-PERS admire talent and respect skill, so creative vulgarity and uncommon scurrility is often appreciated. "The talk of him that sweareth much maketh the hair stand upright." Ecclesiasticus 27:14 Apocrypha; "In certain trying circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer." by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens); "Take not God's name in vain; select a time when it will have effect." by Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce; "Grant me some wild expressions, Heavens, or I shall burst." by George Farquhar; "When angry, count four; when very angry, swear." by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens); "A whoreson jackanapes must take me up for swearing; as if I borrowed mine oaths of him and might not spend them at my pleasure. ... When a gentleman is disposed to swear, it is not for any standers-by to curtail his oaths, ha?" by William Shakespeare; "A footman may swear; but he cannot swear like a lord. He can swear as often: but can he swear with equal delicacy, propriety, and judgment?" by Jonathan Swift; "'Twas but my tongue, 'twas not my soul that swore." by Euripides; "It comes to pass oft that a terrible oath, with a swaggering accent sharply twanged off, gives manhood more approbation than ever proof itself would have earned him." by William Shakespeare; "And when the riflemen heard their commander swear so prodigiously, their minds were filled with amazement to learn how little they knew of profanity!" said of Daniel Morgan during the AMERICAN REVOLUTION] [v: protomartyr Saint Stephen was canonized for blasphemy]

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE :

see PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LOYALTY OATH, PROMISE, CREED, OATH, CODE OF CONDUCT, DUTY, HONOR CODE, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, BRASS-COLLAR, A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO, CUSTOMS AND COURTESIES OF THE SERVICE. [v: Disqualification Act, Alien and Sedition Act, Reconstruction Act]

OB :

(oh-bee) Order of Battle, the identification, strength, command structure (arrangement), and disposition of the personnel, units, and equipment of military forces; known as Order of Battle Echelon (OBE) by Naval personnel, and compiled by Order of Battle Study (OOBS); compare TO&E/TOE, MTOE [cf: battalia]. Also, the abbreviation for Operations Base; see FOB.

OBA :

Oxygen Breathing Apparatus; being a rebreathing device, with mask and goggles, providing a source of clean air for working (eg: firefighting, evacuation) in a smoke-filled environment; compare EEBD, SCUBA, GAS MASK.

OBC :

Officer's Basic Course, being the introductory branch-specific training for newly commissioned officers, especially those from ROTC programs; formerly known as Basic Officer's Course (BOC). [nb: Germany has traditionally trained its officer candidates in an eight week basic course at one of several academies (kriegsschule) before sending the graduates along to further training for varying periods in their branch specialization]

OBE :

Order of Battle Echelon; see OB, compare TO&E/TOE, MTOE. [cf: battalia]

OBEY :

to comply with or follow the instructions, directions, restrictions, commands, or any other lawful ORDERs issued by the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND, without hesitation or mental reservation; to submit or conform in action to authoritative guidance. See DRILL, DISCIPLINE, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, WIGGLE ROOM, OFF THE RESERVATION, SCRIPTURES, UCMJ.

OBJ :

OBJective, being the TARGET or goal, destination or end-point of an operation, usually denoted by code word or reference point (RP); see AIMPOINT, PHASE LINE, WAY POINT, SOFT TARGET, HARD TARGET, COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

OBJECTIFICATION :

the practice of degrading things, events, and processes to the status of insensate or inanimate objects, as by the use of impersonal or mechanistic labels, such as TARGET, ZONE OF FIRE, BUSTING CAPS, ROCK 'n' ROLL, HOSE, MAD MINUTE, COLLATERAL DAMAGE, TWEP. This is a coping mechanism that dehumanizes someone's conduct or behavior; it's a form of spiritual or emotional desensitization by causal distancing or connective disengagement. Without OBJECTIFICATION, combatants have a tendency to become dysfunctional from supersensitivity or hyperphysicality, neurotic from evasion or abstraction, or psychotic from immersion or supersaturation. See STRESS OF SOUL, THOUSAND-YARD STARE, ZOMBIE, BLACKOUT, FLASHBACK, WATERWORKS, CONVERSION SYMPTOMS, PTSD, TELESCOPING, DISSOCIATION, BROKEN-WING SYNDROME, FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT, COMBAT BUM, TOUR BABY, TWO-FISTED, HOMESTEADER. [cf: vitalism, dynamism, mechanism, automatism; v: objectivity, objectivism, objective idealism, objective relativism, reification]

OBSERVER :

see Observer Controller (OC), UMPIRE.

OBSTACLE COURSE :

a training course consisting of a series of physical barriers which must be negotiated by troops in a race against time; used for physical training (PT), and for familiarization with the tactical movements that might be encountered on a battlefield. This training course is also known as an "assault course" or "commando course", and includes wall climbing, low-crawling under wire, balance running, agility running, ditch jumping, rope swing, net climbing, and the like. Sometimes mistakenly called a CONFIDENCE COURSE (qv); the completion of an OBSTACLE COURSE is an individual effort, while satisfying the requirements of a CONFIDENCE COURSE is a team or group effort.

OC :

abbreviation for Officer Candidate; see OCS, CADET; compare WOC. Also, abbreviation for Observer Controller, being the designation for umpire or referee CADRE who monitor FTX and war game EXERCISEs for procedural compliance, safety and security; see KNOCK IT OFF, OPFOR, MOCK-COMBAT, WAR GAMES, STOOGE, OFF THE RESERVATION, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE). [nb: a 'stickler' was the second in single combat, and so was very punctilious about the minutest points of etiquette, then later becoming an umpire or referee in competitive tournaments, and finally being any person who persistently demands absolute adherence or unyielding conformity]

OCB :

Operations Coordinating Board.

OCCUPATION :

the seizure and control of an area by military forces, especially foreign territory, over a given period or for a set term. Also, a job, skill, or specialty; see MOS, Q-COURSE, OJT, MIL-CRAFT.

OCCUPIED TERRITORY :

that area, region or section, subsection or subdivision, controlled by a party or force that is at political, religious, or ethnic variance from the majority of its residents, during which such control is maintained against the will of those denizens; such territory that's under the authority and effective control of an armed belligerent, exclusive of the land and peoples being administered pursuant to treaty or other terms of agreement (express or implied) with the legitimate civil authority of that territory.

OCCUPY :

to take possession and control of a place, to militarily seize and hold a position, to capture and secure a territory.

O CLUB :

short for Officer's Club, the "Officer's Open Mess" on posts and bases around the world, where OFF-DUTY dress and deportment is regulated as much as in any DUTY assignment or BILLET, and perhaps scrutinized even more by wives who manage their husband's careers! Each O CLUB is variously provided with dining rooms, ballroom, barrooms, snack bar, game room, CLASS SIX store, barbershop, picnic area, swimming pool, golf course, trap or skeet range, boating area, and the like; usually located near HQ buildings, main chapel, and VOQ. Although the NCO Club is similar, the EM Club [v: SLOP CHUTE] or Service Club is primitive by comparison. See RIGHT ARM, DINING-IN, MESS, GALLEY, CANTEEN, ANNEX, PARTY SUIT, DIRTY SHIRT, BEARING, DISTAFF. [cf: barrelhouse, cocktail lounge, saloon, roadhouse, speakeasy, blind pig / blind tiger, pub, ginmill, public house, tavern, cantina, bar, barroom, bar-and-grill, grogshop, watering hole, 11th Frame, 19th Hole, honky-tonk, dive, brasserie, bistro, taproom, beer joint, beer parlor, brewpub, alehouse, rathskeller, cabaret, nightclub, drinkery] [v: "What happens in the club stays in the club!"]

OCOI :

Office of the Coordinator Of Intelligence/Information (COI) was the predecessor, along with the JCS Office of War Information (OWI), of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII.

OCONUS :

(oh-ko-nus) Outside [of the] CONtinental United States; being MIL-SPEAK for overseas; includes assignments in Alaska and Hawaii, Guam and Guantanamo. See HERSHEY BAR, DEROS, SOFA, WHEN IN ROME; compare CONUS, ZI. [nb: civilians go 'abroad' while soldiers go 'overseas']

OCS :

OCS roadwheel

(oh-see-ess; not "ox") Officer's Candidate School; sometimes called "Organized Chicken Shit", and the former enlisted graduates are widely known as "Ninety Day Wonders" or "Ninety Day Blunders" from the length of the original WWII training period, commencing in 1941. Primarily oriented toward training combat arms (ie: Infantry, Armor, Artillery) officers for company-level assignments during wartime, the OCS program has also been intermittently offered in Signal, Ordnance, Transportation, Engineer, Chemical, and Medical Service Corps branches since its inception. A WAC OCS program was episodically offered until women were fully integrated into the Armed Forces in 1976. OCS during WWII was the first training course to be racially desegregated. The OCS program is also available to reservists, and is known as Officer Training School (OTS) by the USAF. In 1918, ROTC was suspended in favor of the Student Army Training Corps to train enlisted men (EM) for special wartime assignments. To correct the deficiencies of the original WWII program, OCS was extended to 22-weeks during the KOREAN WAR, and to 26-weeks during the VIETNAM WAR; but in April 1973, the program was reorganized into a 14-week branch immaterial course at Fort Benning. A student training in OCS is known as a "candidate" [or more formally an "officer candidate" (OC)], unlike the terms for CADET used in the various TRADE SCHOOLs. In the post-Vietnam era, the OCS emblem, once worn as a PATCH and later as a helmet BADGE, has acquired the nickname "roadwheel". [nb: Vietnamese term: Truong Sinh Vien Si Quan] [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)] [nb: Germany has traditionally trained its officer candidates in an eight week basic course at one of several academies (kriegsschule) before sending the graduates along to further training for varying periods in their branch specialization] [v: "What happens in school stays in school!"]

OCTOPUS :

slang for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), because it lives in the darkest depths, has tenticles that intrude everywhere, and defends itself with a blinding effusion of ink. Also, something likened to an octopus, as a masterful executive with many forms of far-reaching influence or control.

OD :

Olive Drab color, as standard dull "Olive Green" (OG) military color. The wear of olive drab (OD) is no longer authorized after 30 April 2008. [nb: the human eye can discern more shades of green than any other hue] [nb: except for rifle regiments separate from infantry and dragoons from before the War of 1812, the U.S. Army wore blue uniforms until the adoption of KHAKIS and FATIGUES, so when the CLASS-A uniform was redesigned in 1954, the color Army Green (AG44) was selected for its historical link to the early riflemen and SHARPSHOOTERs; then in 2008, the traditional Continental Army blue color was restored] Also, Operational Detachment; see ODA, ODB, ODC. Also, improper abbreviation for Officer of the Day / Deck (OOD); see DUTY DOG, DOG ROBBER, DOGSBODY, CDO, SDO, SOPA.

ODA :

(oh-dah) Operational Detachment Alpha, being an A TEAM in the US Army SPECIAL FORCES. The USSOCOM protocol for ODA numbering (effective 2007) is: the first digit represents the SF Group (eg: 1SFGA=1, 3SFGA=3, 10SFGA=0, 19SFGA=9, 20SFGA=2); the second digit represents the Battalion (ie: 1-4); the third digit represents the Company (ie: 1-3); and the fourth digit represents the Detachment (ie: 1-6). The older 3-digit notation differed by having the second digit identify both the company and battalion (ie: 1=A Co 1st Bn, 2=B Co 1st Bn, 3=C Co 1st Bn, 4=A Co 2nd Bn, through 9=C Co 3rd Bn). Six A TEAMs or ODAs comprise a company (CO), three SF Companies comprise a battalion (BN), and four SF Battalions comprise a group (effective 2007); each active duty SF Group specializes in the languages and cultures of a particular region (ie: 1st SFGA in East Asia; 3rd SFGA in Africa, Mid-East, and Central Asia; 5th SFGA in Mid-East and Central Asia; 7th SFGA in South America; and 10th SFGA in Europe). In developing a new interservice amalgamation, USSOCOM has redesignated the 'ODA' as a generic "special operations detachment", disconnecting its formerly strict affiliation with SF/USSF.

O-DARK-30 / O-DARK-THIRTY :

(oh-dark-thirty) a vague reference to some unspecified time when most other people are OFF-DUTY or asleep, as "worked till O-DARK-30", or "awoke at O-DARK-30"; also represented as "oh-dark-early", but never expressed as 0-dark-30 or zero-dark-thirty, despite the fact that only numerals are used in military computation. This early (or late) time segment is also known as "the darkest hour" and the "wee hours". See WHITE NIGHT, TIME.

ODB :

(oh-dee-bee) Operational Detachment Bravo, being a B TEAM in the US Army SPECIAL FORCES. [nb: six A TEAMs or ODAs comprise a company (CO), three SF Companies comprise a battalion (BN), and four SF Battalions comprise a group (effective 2007); each active duty SF Group specializes in the languages and cultures of a particular region (ie: 1st SFGA in East Asia; 3rd SFGA in Africa, Mid-East, and Central Asia; 5th SFGA in Mid-East and Central Asia; 7th SFGA in South America; and 10th SFGA in Europe)]

ODC :

(oh-dee-see) Operational Detachment Charlie, being a C TEAM in the US Army SPECIAL FORCES. [nb: six A TEAMs or ODAs comprise a company (CO), three SF Companies comprise a battalion (BN), and four SF Battalions comprise a group (effective 2007); each active duty SF Group specializes in the languages and cultures of a particular region (ie: 1st SFGA in East Asia; 3rd SFGA in Africa, Mid-East, and Central Asia; 5th SFGA in Mid-East and Central Asia; 7th SFGA in South America; and 10th SFGA in Europe)]

OEF :

OEF

Operation Enduring Freedom, from 7 October 2001, conducted in Afghanistan, South Africa, and the Philippines; compare OIF, see GULF WAR, WAR ON TERROR. [v: Gulf War Supplement]

OER :

Officer Efficiency Report; based on character and efficiency (C&E) rating. See FITREP, ER, DOR, BAYONET SHEET.

OFF-DUTY :

time when military personnel are not assigned to specific tasks, often coincident with personal time, STAND-DOWN, PASS, or LEAVE; a military myth, because servicemen do not have protected working conditions! Nobody in the military is guaranteed anything, except due-process when they disobey. Anyone may be recalled from OFF-DUTY whenever there skills are needed. See DUTY; compare FEDERAL FRIDAY. [v: dog days] [nb: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." Mark 2:27 KJV Bible]

OFFHAND :

the unsupported standing position for firing RIFLE or PISTOL. Also, any abrupt or extemporaneous, casual or cavalier act.

OFFICE HOURS :

in the Marine Corps, a unit hearing for minor offences before the commander at which non-judicial punishment may be imposed; see ARTICLE 15, ADY, DRUMHEAD, YELLOW SHEET, ROCKS 'n' SHOALS, UCMJ, compare CAPTAIN'S MAST.

OFFICER :

(off-ick-cur or ossif-fer) any MIL-PERS anointed by an ACT OF CONGRESS with some form of commission (eg: warrant, direct, regular, reserve, etc) which, the recipient infers, purportedly bestows ineluctable suavity and character, or unimpeachable wisdom and honor, such that he deserves the distinguished title of "sir" (cur) rendered with a SALUTE for the monumental restraint of non-FRATERNIZATION! ... in other words, anyone who sleeps and eats and acts like everyone else and who is mysteriously converted by appointment into believing that his shit no longer stinks! As one distinguished veteran said: "The only reason you are given any special consideration is because you will use your superior ability to take care of your men and lead them into battle." See AIDE, MISTER, WO, WOBBLY, MAVERICK, OCS, CADET, PIP, TRADE SCHOOL, ROTC, BOAT SCHOOL, HUDSON HIGH, RING-KNOCKER, MUSTANG, BLUE BLOOD, OIC, OOD, SDO, CO, OLD MAN, SKIPPER, HONCHO, WALLAH, MOTHER HEN, LDR, RHIP, ROUGHSHOD, GREEN TAB, LINE OFFICER, ENSIGN, LT, LOOEY, SHAVETAIL, BUTTER BAR, BROWN BAR, CAPTAIN, AIMING STAKES, MAJOR, COMMANDER, LIGHT BIRD, FULL BULL, FLAG OFFICER, WHITE WAY, COMMAND ELEMENT, CHAIN-OF-COMMAND, MILICRAT, RANK. [nb: Vietnamese term: Si Quan] [nb: although the USAF phased-out their Warrant Officer ranks in 1979, designating technical personnel as NCOs and command personnel as officers, they did not resume the WWII Army Air Corps program of "Flying Sergeants", inasmuch as pilots and weapons officers are "technicians" ... so a Lieutenant "commands" a one- or two-person aircraft worth $20-million but a Sergeant "commands" a three- or four-person tank crew worth $60-million!] [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 any 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, TACT; cf: HARD-ASS, MACHO] [nb: "Oh he's doing fine, Michael. Nevertheless, he's an officer and a gentleman, and that's no job for a gentleman." by Frank S. Nugent and John Ford in Fort Apache (1948, based on the story "Massacre" by James Warner Bellah); "The worst thing about this war is the chance it gives these dreadful little persons (commoners), the chance to make themselves important." by Arthur Wimperis, George Froeschel, James Hilton, and Claudine West in Mrs. Miniver (1942); "There is no place for a caesar in the army ... I have stood by and watched poor officers rise above me, and I've seen great officers march out their lives in one rank when they should've worn stars. I've seen bribery and favoritism and cheating. I've saluted men I knew to be scoundrels. I've seen officers rot away in some little sagebrush post while others bore gold braid in Washington city without reason. It is unfair. It is hard. It is brutal. But you've got to learn it, and do your duty as you set it, and make that your one consolation. I can't talk to him, and you can't. He's got to sit there and go through every damned bit of it alone. He'll be a great man if he does; he won't be anything you'd want if he doesn't. I don't know whether God hates a political general or a grandstand swashbuckler, but I do. And I cannot take the chance of sending him out with twenty men he'll lead to slaughter for the sake of ambition." by Ernest Haycox The Border Trumpet (1936)]

OFFICER'S CALL :

an early morning meeting of all subordinate officers with their immediate superior, sometimes convened as a breakfast gathering at the commander's discretion, for the purpose of discussing unit problems, checking on work in progress, and assigning new details or duties. This meeting is known as "Captain's Call" on-board ships; and is commonly derided as "morning prayers". See BRIEFING, CONFAB, EAR-BANG, CROSS-TALK, CHATTER, HALF-MAST, CHIN CHIN, POWWOW, SUMMIT. [cf: consistory]

OFFICER'S COUNTRY :

refers to where officers live and work, such as HQ, MESS, BOQ, VOQ, NOB HILL, WARDROOM, and other QTRS, but is especially noted on-board ships, where separation is both functional and social. Compare BELOW DECK; see TOPSIDE, ABOVE BOARD, MUSTANG. [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, TALLY-HO, TACT; cf: HARD-ASS, MACHO]

OFFICER'S WIFE :

a woman who uses her native wit and feminine wile to acquire, by fair means or foul, a military spouse who is sufficiently malleable to be converted into her ideal (ie: the transsexual version of herself) but without the onus of devoting an excess of time or effort in attaining this expectation, and who is almost as monomaniacally ambitious as herself, but can be driven to greater achievements by the promise of several illicit inducements, covert or clandestine, until either high enough rank is obtained or compulsory retirement intervenes, at which point she too retires, never to be nice to anyone again! Formerly a lady and once a frontierswoman, serving in partnership with her mate and sharing in his adversities, but lately a highly polished female, more ornamental than practical, less enduring than brittle, possessing a stainless steel smile and envious eyes in every shade of jealousy. Her rigid spine forgives nothing, her soft bosom comforts only herself, and her moral scale is so finely balanced that everyone is found wanting, and none is better than her. She wears her husband's rank, immodestly goes where she doesn't belong, and no soldier is rude enough to tell her to go away ... not even her sponsor. Although she marries into the military lifestyle, she resents its obligations and resists its impositions, making her sponsor and BRATs pay in myriad and sundry ways for each and every unhappy limitation upon her fickle nature, being at best an asset, and at worst a deterrent to the career of a MIL-PERS. The only difference between her and her sisters strolling the street outside the gate is the price that is charged for services rendered. The gracious and dedicated exception, so fine when rarely encountered, proves the rule. See COW, PETTICOAT COMMAND, DRAG, CAMP FOLLOWER, RING THE BELL, THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT, THE MOTHER-IN-LAW OF THE ARMY, CLASS-B DEPENDENT, CAMPAIGN WIFE, DISTAFF, BITCH, SKIRT, BRAT, GREEN BLOOD, ARMY SOUP. [v: officer's wife syndrome, professional widow] [nb: "They also serve who only stand and wait" by John Milton; "It is women who knit the lamb's wool cloak in which barbarism masquerades as civilization."] [nb: "If the military wanted you to have a wife, they'd have issued you one." serviceman's adage] [nb: until the Vietnam-era, the military did not recognize the spouse or other dependents of enlisted personnel below the non-commissioned officer ranks]

OFF LIMITS :

areas prohibited or denied to unauthorized access, also known as "restricted access" or "out of bounds", such as firing ranges, munitions training areas, weapons storage areas, operational security areas, intelligence briefing areas, prisoner detention areas, communications equipment areas, medical treatment facilities, and the like. Some paternalistic restraints have been selectively prescribed for "the good of the service", such as excluding servicemembers from posted civilian establishments (ie: clip joint, roadhouse, tourist trap, etc), and confining travel by mileage limits calibrated to PASS/Liberty periodicity (eg: 150mi for 36hr, 250mi for 72hr, 300mi for 96hr).

OFF THE BOOKS :

see WHEN IN ROME, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, OFF THE RESERVATION, OFF LIMITS, OVERSIGHT, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE.

OFF THE GRID :

see WHEN IN ROME, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, OFF THE RESERVATION, OFF LIMITS, OVERSIGHT, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE.

OFF THE MAP :

see WHEN IN ROME, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, OFF THE RESERVATION, OFF LIMITS, OVERSIGHT, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE.

OFF THE RADAR :

see WHEN IN ROME, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, OFF THE RESERVATION, OFF LIMITS, OVERSIGHT, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE.

OFF THE RESERVATION :

used literally to specify persons or regions outside the military COMPOUND, post, or BASE, and used figuratively to represent any unauthorized conduct or unsanctioned action; phrase most often refers to a person or situation which is "unresponsive" to command authority or is "out of control" by improvisation, being more extra-legal than illegal; sometimes known as "off the map" or "off the grid", "off the radar" or "off the books", as being without guidance, unaccountable or undetectable. Also, used as a synonym for overseas (OCONUS), being anywhere outside the Zone of the Interior (ZI) or the continental United States (CONUS), with the clear implication that different rules apply in a "foreign realm" or "alien territory" appertaining to everything from sexual mores and substance abuse to professional accountability and LAWS OF WAR. Compare CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, VFR DIRECT, UNODIR, WIGGLE ROOM, WHEN IN ROME, DOG-EAT-DOG, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES, SLEEPING DICTIONARY, CAMPAIGN WIFE, STRANGE, DUTCH COURAGE, WHISKEY WARRIOR, GROUP TIGHTENER, HOOCH, GROG, BREW, JUICE, STONED; see DEROS, SOFA, SCRIPTURES, OFF LIMITS, OVERSIGHT, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE. [v: "What happens in the field stays in the field!", "What happens in school stays in school!", "What happens in the club stays in the club!", "What happens in Sin City stays in Sin City!"]

OG :

(oh-gee) Olive Green color, as former (and now reinstated) standard military color for ground forces; compare OD. [nb: the human eye can discern more shades of green than any other hue] [nb: except for rifle regiments separate from infantry and dragoons from before the War of 1812, the U.S. Army wore blue uniforms until the adoption of KHAKIS and FATIGUES, so when the CLASS-A uniform was redesigned in 1954, the color Army Green (AG44) was selected for its historical link to the early riflemen and SHARPSHOOTERs; then in 2008, the traditional Continental Army blue color was restored]

OGA :

Other Government Agency, or Other Governmental Agency; often a euphemism for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and the like; compare NGO, QUANGO, GOCO, COCO, BELTWAY BANDIT.

OHRA :

(ohvera) Organization for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance [in the Mid-East].

OI :

(o-i) Operating Instructions

OIC :

(oh-eye-see) Officer In Charge, and sometimes (improperly) cited as Officer In Command; depending upon his personality or command style, may be designated the Big Asshole In Charge (BAIC) or the Big Mother / Motherfucker In Charge (BMIC) [nb: reminiscent of Big Man On Campus (BMOC)]. See NCOIC, OOD, CQ. [nb: Vietnamese term: Si Quan Phu Trach]

OIF :

(oyef) Operation Iraqi Freedom, conducted from 19 March 2002 to 1 May 2003; sometimes called GULF WAR II or "Gulf War Part Two", and is sarcastically called the "Baghdad urban renewal project"; and also refers to the continuing WAR ON TERROR in the SANDBOX after the "mission accomplished" announcement that was supposed to be the "end of major hostilities" (officially concluded by the final withdrawal of American forces on 31 Dec 2011), which is also referred to as "Operation Iraqi Freedom Part Two" or "OIF2" / "OIF II". Compare OEF; see GULF WAR, WAR ON TERROR. [v: Gulf War Supplement]

OILER :

a service TENDER for other vessels; see LIGHTER, BOAT.

OJT :

On the Job Training; see MOS, PMOS, CROSS-TRAINING, Q-COURSE, TRNG, POI, COUNTERINTUITIVE, IA, UP THE HAWSEPIPE, BUDDY SYSTEM, DLI, DUTY, BILLET, BERTH, POST, ON STATION, WATCH, SHEEP-DIPPED, HARDSHIP TOUR, BUMFUCK, TDY / TAD, PCS. [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]

OLC :

Oak Leaf Cluster, a DEVICE denoting multiple awards of the same medal or decoration on different occasions; also represented by a star on Navy and Marine awards, and by numerals on the Air Medal (AM). See V-DEVICE, GONG. [nb: an insignia emblematic of the honors and lineage of a military organization, unlike familial "coats of arms", may be individually enhanced but not personally heritable; v: Heraldry]

OLD BOY'S CLUB :

see BOY'S CLUB, GOOD OLD BOY, RING-KNOCKER, KHAKI MAFIA, THE ESTABLISHMENT, BROWNIE / BROWN NOSE, VET / VETERAN, PROFESSIONAL VETERAN, VETERANS' ASSOCIATION, FRATERNIZATION. [eg: Kit-cat Club]

OLD BREED :

senior soldier (Army or Marines) of any RANK, also known as "sweat" or OLD SWEAT, and "leather face", having a vast experience; as contrasted with progressive "New Breed", "New Centurions", and YOUNG LIONS, who typified elite units like Force Recon and Special Forces. See DINOSAUR, MOSSBACK, OLD SALT, MAVERICK, BROWN SHOE / BOOT.

OLD GLORY :

nickname for the national flag, standard, COLORS, ENSIGN, banner, or pennon; also called STARS 'n' STRIPES or "Union Jack", "Grand Old Flag" or "bloody zebra". The attribution of "Old Glory" was made by William Driver to the ENSIGN flown from his brigantine in 1831; and that same flag, having been hidden in his bedspread against Confederate depredations, flew from the capitol dome in Nashville after Union forces recaptured the city. See HOIST, HALYARD, FLAGSTAFF, BLOCK THE COLORS, HALF-MAST, SHIFT COLORS, COLORBEARER, COLOR GUARD, FLAG DAY, CALL TO THE COLORS, STAR SPANGLED BANNER, STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER, SHOW THE FLAG; compare GUIDON, ENSIGN, STREAMER, BLOOD CHIT. [v: Flag Terms]

OLD GROWLER :

slang nickname for the North American AT-6 TEXAN, a fighter employed during WWII and KOREAN WAR; derived as a result of the distinctive sound made by the propeller on take-off. Compare GROWLER, see BIRD.

OLD HAT :

stale INTEL, unchanged information, or something already known; compare POOP, HEADS-UP, FYI, DOPE, GOUGE, BULLETIN, HOT-SHIT, BOATSWAIN'S PIPE, BUGLE CALL, TANNOY, VECTOR. Also, pertaining to a traditional mode or method, to an outdated style, pattern, or fashion; see FATIGUE, SOS, OLD BREED, BROWN BOOT.

OLD MAN :

slang reference to the unit commander; but became ludicrous during VIETNAM WAR when a 21 year old officer led 25 year old NCOs and 19 year old troops! See CO, COMMAND ELEMENT, LDR, TOP DOG, HONCHO, CHAIN-OF-COMMAND, MOTHER HEN, 10, MC, SKIPPER, CHIEF, CAPTAIN, BREVET, OVERSIGHT. [nb: a female unit commander is not called the OLD MAN nor "old lady", not "chieftain" nor "chieftess", not the HONCHO nor "honchette", not TOP DOG nor "top bitch", but is rather antonomastically identified by the generic "boss" or "boss lady", or by her designated NICKNAME or CODENAME; also see "GI Jane", "Jane Bond", "Acting Jane", "Swinging Dickless", "Dear Jane", SKIRT, ANGEL]

OLD SALT :

senior sailor of any rank having vast experience; also referred to as SALTY (indicating seniority or experience; not bitter or astringent), SALTY DOG, or "sea dog". See HANDY, MOSSBACK, SHELLBACK, OLD BREED, DINOSAUR.

OLD SWEAT :

senior soldier of any rank having vast experience; also called "sweat" (indicating seniority or experience; not bitter or sour), and "leather face", being a MIL-PERS with enough "know how" to be relied upon to get the job done. See OLD BREED, OLD SALT, BROWN BOOT, DINOSAUR, TOP DOG, LIFER; compare SWEAT HOG.

OLD WRIST BREAKER :

cavalry saber

slang for the short and heavy saber issued to the U.S. Army cavalry (CAV) and mounted infantry (DRAGOON) until WWI, which was made of such inferior metal and so poorly tempered that it was impossible to sharpen; see LONG KNIFE, MAMELUKE SWORD. [v: Knife Terms; The Language of Swordplay]

OLYMPUS :

sardonic reference to the Oval Office in the White House, being short for Mount Olympus, the mythic abode of the gods; that realm where POTUS/CINC (Zeus) meets with the JCS (Titans) and other cabinet members. See GREEN ACRES, NSC, SECDEF, CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. [v: theomachy, gigantomachy, titanomachy]

OMEGA :

a special project that operated during the VIETNAM WAR as Detachment B-50, organized under the auspices of Special Operations Augmentation, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne); the Greek letter designation 'omega' represents the last in a series, and signifies final or ultimate, completion or conclusion. See THE GREEKS, STD, SOG, SPECIAL FORCES, SPECIAL OPERATIONS. Also, as a conceptual tenet (from alpha to omega, beginning to end), an implication meaning "the last word", being complete, whole, and unable to be improved.

OMGIF :

an apocryphal acronym for "Oh My God, I'm Fucked!", which is purportedly the reverse of FIGMO (qv).

OMLT :

Operational Mission Liaison Team, being the companion placement of allied foreign units in partnership with American combat units for exchange training and shared experience during peacekeeping evolutions; see KATUSA, DOUBLE FORCE, STRIKER, BUDDY SYSTEM.

ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH :

this phrase directs the group to make another attempt, especially a final heroic attempt to forestall defeat; originally excerpted from the famous patriotic speech in Shakespeare's play [act iii Henry V (1598)], wherein the brave men are exhorted to close the gap in their defense with their own bodies: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; / Or close the wall up with our English dead. / In peace there's nothing so becomes a man / As modest stillness and humility: / But when the blast of war blows in our ears, / Then imitate the action of the tiger; / Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, / Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; / Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; / Let pry through the portage of the head / Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it / As fearfully as doth a galled rock / O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, / Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean. / Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide, / Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit / To his full height. On, on, you noblest English. / Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof! / Fathers that, like so many Alexanders, / Have in these parts from morn till even fought / And sheathed their swords for lack of argument: / Dishonour not your mothers; now attest / That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you. / Be copy now to men of grosser blood, / And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman, / Whose limbs were made in England, show us here / The mettle of your pasture; let us swear / That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; / For there is none of you so mean and base, / That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. / I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, / Straining upon the start. The game's afoot: / Follow your spirit, and upon this charge / Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!' [nb: not "once more into the breech"]

ONE-BUCK :

designation for STRAC units held in readiness in the United States for deployment to Vietnam on 48-hour notice.

ONE-FINGER SALUTE :

a euphemistic descriptor that's probably based on the "three-finger salute" of the Boy Scouts; see THE BIRD, THE FINGER; compare THE F-BOMB, A-OK, ITALIAN SALUTE, POLISH SALUTE, HIGH BALL, HAND SIGN.

ONE FELL SWOOP :

this expression is usually interpreted to mean "in a single act" or "all at once", but it originally meant "an imprudent but irrevocable act", which is derived from 'deadly' + 'sudden', and was in regard to the murder of Lady Macduff and her children (an act that drove Lady Macbeth insane, whence Macduff revenges himself on Macbeth, and Malcolm succeeds him): "All my pretty ones? Did you say all? Oh Hell-Kite! All? What! All my pretty Chickens, and their Damme At one fell swoope?" [act 4 sc 3 Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1605)].

ONE HAND CLAPPING :

a catch-phrase truncated from the famous Zen koan: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?", which encapsulates the American perception of both the inscrutability and unfathomability of Asian thought processes; although Buddhists employ these illogical koans to inspire unconventional thinking (v: OUTSIDE THE BOX), this expression represents an impasse in cross-cultural communication, such that the American ADVISOR is either stymied or frustrated in the exchange ... a confusion sometimes compounded by language barriers as well as mind-sets.

100 MPH TAPE / ONE-HUNDRED MILE PER HOUR TAPE :

extremely strong and versatile cloth-based MIL-SPEC adhesive tape, normally three inches wide and variously colored; commonly known as "duct tape" (1942) by civilians. Most MIL-PERS believe that 100 MPH TAPE is the greatest of all human inventions! See MUZZLE. [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]

101st ABN DIV (AMBL) :

see ONE-OH-WORST, SCREAMING CHICKENS, PUKING BUZZARDS.

1-MC :

the public-address (PA) system on-board ships, as used for "Now Hear This" and "Do You Hear There" messages, and also known as "loud hailer" and loudspeaker; see TANNOY, SQUAWK BOX, BITCH BOX, BLOWER, HORN, KLAXON, TOCSIN, BOATSWAIN'S PIPE, BUGLE CALL, POOP, HEADS-UP, FYI, DEFCON, ESP, SACON, GQ, AHOY, HOISE.

ONE-OH-DEUCE :

refers to a 105mm HOWITZER (DIME-NICKEL), which actually measures 102mm; including the M-52 SP, M-101, M-102, M-108 SP, M-119, M-202, and L5 at ranges to 11,500m. See TOWED, SP, KILLER JUNIOR, ARTY.

ONE-OH-WORST :

derisive nickname for the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) based upon its numerical designation; also called "Hundred and Worst" and "barfing buzzards". Formally known as Screaming Eagles, from its infantry division mascot during the CIVIL WAR. See SCREAMING CHICKENS, PUKING BUZZARDS.

ONE-SEVENTY-FIVE :

175mm artillery, including M-107 SP at ranges to 32,000m. See SP, HEAVY STUFF, ARTY.

ONE-TIME PAD :

a tablet comprising a quantity of sheets of nitrocellulose paper (FLASH PAPER), identical to others in the same series, each page of which serves as a cryptographic medium for surreptitious messages, being both effective and efficient while ensuring complete and secure disposal; see CODE, KEY, ALPHABET SOUP, TRADECRAFT.

10 / ONE-ZERO :

(won-zeerow) designation for a fully qualified RECON team leader, regardless of RANK [eg: Krait One-Zero Actual]; his second in command is designated "11" (one-one). During the VIETNAM WAR, the Recon Team Leader's Course for special operations patrolling was colocated with the JUMP SCHOOL at Long Thanh from 1968; being completely separate from the MACV RECONDO SCHOOL. See STRATA, SOG, LDR, MC, MOTHER HEN, HONCHO, SKIPPER.

10-CODES :

see TEN-CODES.

ONG / ÔNG :

Vietnamese term for an adult male; a man, equivalent to Signor, Senhor, Herr, Monsieur, Don, Mister. Compare PAPA-SAN.

ON GUARD :

the command for BAYONET drill or hand-to-hand combat, from "en garde"; see AT CLOSE QUARTERS, CQB, BATS 'n' HATS, BUTT STROKE, KNIFE, GABRIEL, MARTIAL ART, JAP SLAPPER; compare GUARD, SENTRY. [v: Knife Terms; The Language of Swordplay] [nb: the "spirit of the bayonet" is "to kill!" ... not only was the word "kill" banned from the training and indoctrination (TRADOC) vocabulary (see SMACK) during the VIETNAM WAR, but bayonet, pugil stick, and hand-to-hand close combat training have since been eliminated from soldierly preparation. Although the "little corporal" Napoleon claimed that three hostile newspapers are to be feared more than thousands of BAYONETs, Voltaire said, as both social and political philosophy, that "You can do anything with a BAYONET, except sit on it!". An old military maxim states: "Deny your soldiers a proper bayonet and you will find a foreign one at your throat."]

ONI :

Office of Naval Intelligence; headed by the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI). See NILO.

ONIONS :

slang for testes, testicles, or gonads of the male, which are also called ballocks [v: bollix], balls, balloons, goolies, dusters, bangers, klackers, dumbbells, danglers, cojones, stones, jewels, nuggets, marbles, pebbles, rocks, acorns, nuts, beans, berries, eggs, apples, tomatoes, plums, turnips, potatoes, tea bags, biscuits, cookies, wheels; being a metaphor for courage, bravery, valor, mettle, fortitude, intestinal fortitude, fearlessness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, intrepidity, daring / daring-do, boldness, audacity, nerve, verve, derring-do, vim, hardihood, gumption, hustle, pluck, spirit, grit, sand. See GUTS, SPUNK, MOXIE, V-DEVICE, BRAGGING RIGHTS, TROPHY, KILL RING, STREAMER, WATCH MY SMOKE, BITE THE BULLET, PAIN, SCAR, COUNT COUP, DIEHARD, MACHO, HERO, SLOW MATCH, WINTER SOLDIER; compare PRICK, CU, SPLIT, STRANGE. [cf: bag, sack, scrot (shortening of 'scrotum'), purse]

ON STATION :

refers to a unit, vehicle or vessel being at its assigned position or in its area of responsibility; see AO, TO, AOR, MOA, TAOR, CHOP LINE, OA, UA. Also, used to mean "on duty" at one's assigned place; see DUTY, BILLET, BERTH, POST, WATCH, HARDSHIP TOUR, BUMFUCK, MOS, OJT, SHEEP-DIPPED, TDY / TAD, PCS, QTRS.

ON THE BEACH :

someone who is not engaged in seafaring or not involved in marine activities; being withdrawn or unemployed; being without a ship assignment or retired from naval service.

ON THE BOUNCE :

see FLARE, JUMP-START, OP TEMPO, GOOD TO GO, MISSION READY.

ON THE LINE :

being on DUTY with an infantry unit in the field; serving at the SHARP END, on the FRONT LINE, or LINE OF BATTLE.

ONTOS :

a self-propelled medium-sized TRACK-driven TANK body mounted with 1 (or up to 6) 106mm recoilless rifle(s), remotely fired and reloaded from dismount, as used as a TANK destroyer and fire-support vehicle by the USMC. Term ostensibly derives from the Greek for "thing". See RR, SCORPION, DUSTER, SPAT, TRACK.

OOBS :

Order of Battle Study; see OB, TO&E/TOE, MTOE. [cf: battalia]

OOD :

(oh-oh-dee) Officer of the Day, and sometimes shortened to "OD"; being the officer charged with responsibility for the guard, prisoners, assigned and casual personnel, and all associated government property on an assigned day at a military installation; equivalent to USAF Air... or Aerodrome Officer of the Day (AOD/AOOD) and to Navy "watch officer" or Officer of the Deck, who, in the absence of the captain, is responsible for the ship while stationed on the BRIDGE at sea and on the QUARTERDECK in PORT. Compare CQ, JOOD, OOG, SDO, CDO, OOW, SOPA, DUTY DOG, DOG ROBBER, DOGSBODY; see BRASSARD, PARADE, DETAIL.

OODALOOP :

Observe - Orient - Decide - Act, being a decision-making process; also spelled "OODA loop", and also known as BOYDLOOP (qv).

OODLES :

a PSYOPS deception project simulating a spy network parallel to the agent teams actually compromised in NVN, with pseudo messages and actual support; see DECEPTION, SOG.

OOG :

Officer of the Guard, being an officer assigned to act for the Officer of the Day (OOD) in the proper instruction of the guard, and is responsible for their performance and discipline when they execute their duties at a post, camp, or station.

OORAH :

(oo-rah, ouhr-rah) Marine Corps version of HOOAH, with the same spirit and meaning; apparently introduced by recon elements during the KOREAN WAR to express esprit, although earlier use of HOISE is a very credible antecedent for both OORAH and HOOAH. According to USMC FORCE RECON history, the 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company, then operating aboard a WWII-vintage diesel submarine in the KOREAN WAR theater, is credited with the invention of the call or salute OORAH, which was then pronounced "Aar-uugah", in imitation of the submarine dive warning alarm; since the 1st and 2nd Amphib Recon Co's were then deployed for raiding and surveillance from submarines, this call was both an alert and an acknowledgement of readiness for action. The veterans of these missions introduced this KLAXON sound to other Marines during stateside training after the war, and it spread ... becoming a PT chant as well as an enthusiastic affirmation. See CHANTEY, AHOY, HEAVE-HO, GUNG-HO, YUT, ESPRIT DE CORPS, BATTLE CRY, WETSU, FIDO, STRAC, GUSTO, JODY CALL.

OOTW :

Operations Other Than War

OOW :

Officer of the Watch, being the officer who's primarily responsible, in the absence of the captain, for the navigation of the ship during a certain WATCH; see OOD, CDO, SOPA, WATCH BILL, WATCH-AND-WATCH, BELLS.

OP :

Observation Post, sometimes called "Oscar Papa", "lookout", or "overwatch position"; not "outpost" nor "operations post". A daylight position setup outside the perimeter and beyond perimeter defenses to give advanced or early warning of enemy action. Situated so as to enable the calling and adjustment of supporting ARTY or TAC AIR missions. The OP is in telephone or radio contact with the perimeter, is lightly armed and manned, and is not intended for defense. Compare LP, COP, VISOBS, FO, OPN, CROW'S NEST. [cf: picket, vedette] Also, Operations Post, an informal designation for a BASE CAMP, JUMP CP, CP, FSB, FOB, AOB, MOB, or other BASE.

OP BOX :

OPerational BOX, being a container, sized from FOOTLOCKER to CONEX, that's packed with all mission specific weapons and equipment for the unit's initial deployment, including radios and optics, maps and manuals, medicine and relevant clothing; also called TEAM BOX.

OPC :

Out-Processing Company; compare REPL' DEPOT.

OPCON :

(op-kon) OPerational CONtrol.

OPEN DOOR :

the establishment of equal commercial access to certain territories by the major economic powers, variously applied to the Congo and Manchuria, but was initially based upon the "most favored nation" clause in the treaty terms imposed on Imperial China after the Opium War (1839-42); terminated after WWII by the People's Republic of China (PRC). See NINE-POWER TREATY.

OPEN WAR :

any overt and demonstrative combat employing conventional forces and legitimate resources, as opposed to covert or clandestine operations by irregular forces; compare UW, SHADOW, SHROUD, UNDER THE RADAR. Also, a style of combat, promulgated by John J. "Blackjack" Pershing, marked by irregularity of formation, comparatively little regulation in space and time, the greatest possible use of infantry firepower, variable intervals and distances between units and individuals, brief orders, and the maximization of individual initiative by all troops engaged; compare TRENCH WARFARE, see WAR.

OPFOR :

OPFOR

contraction of OPposition FORce(s); designation of appropriate opponent or simulated "enemy" elements in WAR GAMES and MOCK-COMBAT field exercises. Displaying a circled triangle motif and wearing ridged helmets with black uniforms, the OPFOR aggressors utilize foreign doctrine and known enemy tactics to make training more genuine and testing more realistic. OPFOR elements are named in conformity with the foreign doctrine they are implementing (such as "Krasnovyans" for Soviet practices). See JRTC, NTC, RED FLAG, MILES, EXERCISE; compare GRAY FORCE, GREEN FORCE, BLUE FORCE, RED TEAM, PURPLE FORCE, ORANGE FORCE, RED FORCE, BANDIT, BAD GUYS, BELIEVER.

OPINION :

any view or estimate that's based on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty; that personal attitude or appraisal to which CIVILIANs are entitled; alternatively, that judgment which acquires greater import and credence in direct correlation with the increased authority of the express believer. A dismissive military maxim states that "Opinions are like assholes; everybody's got one, and they all stink!" See BIG PICTURE, PARTY LINE, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS, BRASS EAR, PEANUT GALLERY, TOE THE LINE, SCRIPTURES, TRUE BELIEVER, WAR CORRESPONDENT, RUMOR, SYMPATHY, RUNNING DOG, TERGIVERSATE, JUDGMENT CALL, TRUTH. [nb: "The more opinions you have, the less you see." by Wim Wenders; "The trouble with most folks ain't so much their ignorance as knowing so many things that ain't so." by Josh Billings; "Men are disturbed not by things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen." by Epictetus; "People with opinions just go around bothering others with them." attributed to Siddhartha Gautama; "An army can lose its best leaders, but the lowest soldiers will never lose their opinions." ancient Chinese proverb]

OPIUM DEN :

slang for a Naval Air Operations Center (AOC), situated at an air station (NAS) or on-board a vessel (eg: FLATTOP). See COMMANDO INDIAN, FOC, TAOC, OPN; compare THE CAVE, WAR ROOM.

OPLAN :

(op-plan) OPerations pLAN; later designated "o-plan" (oh-plan). Compare ATO; see DANCE CARD, PLAN B, FIELD EXPEDIENT, WARNING ORDER, FRAG ORDER, SIOP, CAPABILITY, COURSE OF ACTION, TACTICS, STRATEGY.

O-PLAN :

(oh-plan) operations plan; see OPLAN.

OPLAN 34A :

USMC LTG Victor Krulac was designated by McNamara to elicit covert targets of "plausible deniability" for combined operations, producing this directive, dated 15 December 1963, authorizing MACV to establish SOG, which became operational 24 January 1964, commencing direct operations against North Vietnam on 17 March 1964; see CAS, CSD, LEAPING LENA, OSO.

OPLAN 37-64 :

a three element phased plan of GRADUATED RESPONSE intended to interdict SVN insurgency and to militarily compel an NVN diplomatic remedy; see RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE).

OPLAN 7500 :

the military's global counterterrorism plan of training partner nations and of utilizing civil affairs to gather intelligence in a classified strategy of eliminating safe havens and attacking TERRORIST ideologies, as an expansion of simple manhunting tactics by Special Operations Forces (SOF). See CONSTABULARY, IRREGULARS, UW, COUNTER-GUERRILLA, COUNTERINSURGENCY, ASYMMETRIC WARFARE GROUP, TIWG, NSPG, PROVOCATEUR.

OPN / OPNS :

abbreviation for OPeratioN or OPeratioNS, also known as Plans and Operations, being the proverbial "3 shop", as S-3/G-3/J-3 (v: J-CODES); a military operation is the use of tactics to attain the strategic objective. This abbreviation is pronounced as a whole word, but may be conversationally shortened to "op" or "ops" (ah-pss), which is not a legal abbreviation for this term; also called BALL GAME. See TOC, CMOC, JDOC, JOC, CTOC, MACCOC, WAR ROOM, AOC, FOC, TAOC, ADOC, ASOC, COMMANDO INDIAN, OPIUM DEN, ACV, CP. [nb: Vietnamese term: Hanh Quan] [nb: at DoD/SecDef level, the planning element (J-5) is separated from the operations element] [nb: "To fail to plan is to plan to fail!" military maxim]

OPORD :

OPerations ORDer, also spelled "op ord"; see SMEAC, ORDER.

OPPOSITE NUMBER :

informal reference to an equivalent position or assignment, DUTY or RATING, as in advisory or joint service elements with a dual or parallel organizational structure; see COUNTERPART, ADV, CAP, MATA, MATS, CO VAN MY, OUC DA LOI, TAN TAY LAN, GONE NATIVE, INDIG, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER.

OPSCHED :

(op-sked) OPerations SCHEDule.

OPSEC :

(op-sek) OPerations/-al SECurity; see NEED TO KNOW, EYES ONLY, PASSWORD, CODENAME, CODEWORD, FOUO, NOFORN, RIG, BLACKOUT, GAG ORDER, COMPARTMENTALIZATION.

OP TEMPO :

OPerational TEMPO, being the rate, pace, or pattern of unit deployment, hence unit preparedness and/or unit member readiness for any given frequency of effective commitment; see STRAC, GOOD TO GO, COMBAT LOADED, MISSION READY, SADDLE-UP, LOCK 'n' LOAD, UNLIMBER, SLOW MATCH, MOVE OUT, JUMP-START, HOOPLA, BATTAILOUS.

OP 'TIL YOU DROP :

rhyming slang satirizing continuous field operations in contrast with piecemeal relief and replacement; being a method that contradicts the COMBAT EFFECTIVEness of whole unit rotation, necessary refit, and integrated replacement training ... a catch-phrase that probably inspired the later civilian expression: "shop 'til you drop". See OPTEMPO, WETSU.

OPTION IV :

US plan to evacuate Saigon.

OR :

Operating Room in a hospital. Also, ORDERLY ROOM. Also, Operational Readiness.

ORANGE FORCE :

designation for an opposition force (OPFOR) in U.S. or allied WAR GAMES or MOCK-COMBAT training exercises. See CPX, FTX, JTFEX, JRTC, NTC, GQ, WAR GAMES, OPFOR, RED TEAM, PURPLE FORCE, RED FORCE, BANDIT, BAD GUYS, BELIEVER; compare GRAY FORCE, GREEN FORCE, BLUE FORCE, ALLY, FRIENDLIES.

ORBIT :

to fly aircraft in a circular or oval (RACETRACK) pattern, as a stable platform for surveillance and interception, as a method of holding station (STACK) for availability, or as a method of returning to an approach or recycling to an execution point; also called "go around". See UMBRELLA, CAP, HIGH 'n' DRY, CROW'S NEST, AWACS, VATLS; compare SHORT ORBIT.

ORDEAL :

a test or putting to the proof, as someone subjected to distress, suffering, or grievous experience; also known as a "trial by ordeal", a "trial by fire", or a "trial by combat". In the time before the reign of the anti-hero in this modern era of "God is dead", people believed that ultimate truth would be revealed, that it could not be hidden or obscured, distorted or obliterated, hence the quest for spiritual fulfillment and the moral basis for proper conduct. People sought to propitiatewhat they could not control, and subjected each other to tests as verification of worthiness; the mediums of fire and water employed in these ordeals does not condemn, but enables the sinner to condemn himself. Before its degeneration into a contest to settle a private quarrel, the DUEL was a consecrated ORDEAL representing the spiritual embodiment of metaethical forces engaged in "trial by combat", wherein divine judgment would decide the "single combat" issue, and "God's Will" would be represented by victory. See ACT OF TRUTH, DUEL, GANTLET, OATH, SNAKE PIT, HOLD ONE'S FEET TO THE FIRE, GAUNTLET, CUTTHROAT, PAIN, MARATHON. [v: Ivanhoe by Walter Scott (1819); Vathek by William Beckford (1786)(re: the lost souls in the Hall of Eblis)] [nb: a "gage" is something, such as a glove, that was thrown down by a medieval knight in token of his challenge to personal combat] [nb: a 'stickler' was the second in single combat, and so was very punctilious about the minutest points of etiquette, then later becoming an umpire or referee in competitive tournaments, and finally being any person who persistently demands absolute adherence or unyielding conformity]

ORDEAL TREE :

any of several trees having poisonous seeds, leaves, bark, roots, or the like, that are used in primitive "trials by ORDEAL".

ORDER :

an authoritative instruction, being a directive, command, or commission to execute, fulfill, provide, or make something resulting in conformity or obedience to established law(s); including Army Regulation (AR), Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Verbal Order of the Commanding Officer (VOCO), Special Order (SO), Letter Order (LO), General Order (GO), Technical Order (TO), Fragmentary Order (FRAG ORDER / FRAGO), Field Order (FO), WARNING ORDER, MARCHING ORDERS, Operations Order (OPORD). See CHARGE, DELEGATE, COMMAND ELEMENT, UCMJ, LAWS OF WAR, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), SMEAC, LOI, LON, BILLET, RIOT ACT, UNODIR, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, WIGGLE ROOM, OFF THE RESERVATION, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES, SCRIPTURES, LINE OF DUTY, TS CARD, SOP, BLUE BOOK, ROCKS 'n' SHOALS. Also, a formalized two part command consisting of the preparatory order and the execution order (eg: forward march, PARADE REST, AT EASE, eyes right, etc), as used to direct or control unit elements or formations; see CLOSE ORDER, MANUAL OF ARMS [nb: although the CADENCE of commands is stipulated in THE BIBLE, all subordinates learn not to anticipate the command's execution order, because uniformity is paramount].

ORDERLY :

an enlisted soldier assigned to perform various chores for a commander or group of officers, as a steward, seneschal, reeve, manciple, cellarer, chamberlain, factor, horse-holder, shield-bearer, spear-carrier, water-hauler, stamp-licker, agent; see DOGSBODY, STRIKER, MAN FRIDAY, GOFER, HOUSE MOUSE, DRO, AIDE. Also, a hospital attendant having general, non-medical duties; compare MEDIC, CORPSMEN, PECKER-CHECKER, BAND-AID, BABY DOC, BAC SI, Y SI, BONE CUTTER, RAMP TRAMP, ANGEL, FUZZY-WUZZY ANGEL. Also, pertaining to or charged with the communication or execution of ORDERs; compare RUNNER, AIDE, HOUSE MOUSE. Also, according to established order or law; characterized by, observant of, or governed by system or method, by rule or discipline, protocol or procedure.

ORDERLY ROOM :

the "business office" of every COMPANY-sized unit, and the domain of the FIRST SHIRT, who administers this office on behalf of the OLD MAN for the subordinate platoons (PLT) and sections (eg: SUPPLY, MESSHALL); compare DAYROOM, see CQ, ORIFICE.

ORDER OF BATTLE :

see OB, OBE, OOBS; compare TO&E/TOE, MTOE. [cf: battalia]

ORDER OF THE SPUR :

(forthcoming); see SPUR RIDE, CAMPAIGN HAT, INITIATION, LONG KNIFE, PONY SOLDIER, YELLOWLEG, TOAD, TANKER, ARM, ACR, AIR CAV, AIRMOBILE, AMBL, AM, AA, AIR ASSAULT, CAV, HELIBORNE, CAVALRY WHISKERS, STIRRUP CUP, YELLOW RIBBON.

ORGANIZE :

to assign men and materiel, personnel and other assets to an ACTIVATEd unit, making it operational; also called "constitute" or "commission". Compare REFLAG, RECONSTITUTED, DEACTIVATE. [nb: 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]

ORIENTEERING :

a paramilitary training and civil affairs activity practiced by MIL-PERS, including CADETs and CRUITs, that promotes teamwork, leadership, physical fitness, and navigational skills, which are useful to military components ... ORIENTEERING is a recreational pastime, not unlike sport parachuting, that appeals to military servicemembers. As with fencing and polo, this sport originated as a military exercise, and was first open to competition in 1897 near Oslo Norway, then the first large scale meet was organized in 1918 near Stockholm Sweden. The sport developed (being the impetus for the 1933 invention of the Swedish protractor COMPASS) and expanded worldwide; and although Silva co-sponsored an event at Dartmouth College in 1941, ORIENTEERING was not established in America until the Vietnam-era. The International Orienteering Federation (IOF), which sets rules and regulates competition, was founded in 1961; and the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF) was founded by members from the Quantico Club in 1971. ORIENTEERING is an activity in which cross-country trekkers use a detailed map and a compass to locate control sites (WAY POINTs) in the landscape. A standard ORIENTEERING course consists of a start (triangle), a series of demarcated control sites (circles), and a finish (double circle). The control sites, numbered in the order that they are to be visited, are marked by circles connected by lines on a map, and by distinctive panels ("markers") on the ground. The control sites are positioned at features that are to be found, and include a control description (or "clue") that clearly identifies the site. The route between control sites is not specified, so the selection of the best navigational pathways is the essence of this sport. ORIENTEERING exists in two basic forms: accuracy and timed events; it is also undertaken by individuals or teams that compete from staggered, relay, or mass starts. Although the timed events have an element of accuracy, with competitors checking through a series of remote stations, they are primarily speed races, from sprints to overnighters, conducted on foot ("foot-o"), mountain bicycle ("bike-o" / "MTBO"), X-C ski ("ski-o"), or boat ("canoe-o"). Other timed events include hash marking ("hash-o" / "blaze-o"), hill climbing ("billy goat"), extreme terrain ("extreme-o"), Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance ("ROGAINE"), timed-out scoring ("score-o"), and Amateur Radio Direction Finding ("ARDF" / "radio-o"). The accuracy events ("trail-o") are untimed and are typically much more difficult to navigate. In trail-o competitions, it is not uncommon for the course to have false goals at pivotal control sites to increase the challenge. Trail-o courses are also open to handicapped persons, such as disabled veterans, where canes, crutches, and wheelchairs are not inhibiting factors. ORIENTEERING, which can also be conducted in urban areas, uses a variety of maps (eg: 1:15,000 magnetic, road map, MOSAIC, TOPO, etc), prefers a wrist or thumb COMPASS, but does not use the military GRID COORDINATES system ... use of a GPS or other electronic locator is prohibited. Other than suitably rugged outdoor attire, there is no ORIENTEERING uniform, and team equipment costs are low. For those unable to participate in an organization's shooting team or drill team, ORIENTEERING can be an alternate sponsored activity. [nb: "ROGAINE" actually derives from the names of its originators in Australia: Rod Gail and Neil Phillips; cf: STABO] [cf: hide and hunt, scavenger hunt, LETTER BOX hunt, treasure hunt]

ORIENTAL FAN :

slang reference to an enthusiastic Western convert to the exoticism of Asian customs and peoples; the partisan expressions of such a proselytizing aficionado is commonly known as YELLOW FEVER; see GONE NATIVE, EXILE, BAMBOO ENGLISH, SLEEPING DICTIONARY, POINTIE TALKIE, BRACELET, JOSS STICK, SPIRIT MONEY, RICE BALL, BUSH HANKY; compare RICE CHRISTIAN, YELLOW PERIL.

ORIFICE :

intentional mispronunciation of 'office', with allusion to peristalsis for processing RED TAPE and other HEADSHED STATIC (aka: CONFETTI, SNOW, SMOKE 'n' MIRRORS, MICKEY MOUSE, CHICKEN SHIT, BRAVO SIERRA), and being the realm of the desk jockey, PENCIL PUSHER, office flier, typing machinegunner ("Remington Raider"), staff warrior, combat briefer, barroom shooter, fire base gunfighter, and Saigon commando. The term 'office' derives from service or DUTY. See REMF, CLERKS 'n' JERKS, CANDY-ASS, ACETATE COMMANDO, BEAN-COUNTER, TAP-DANCER, BOMB-PROOF, MILICRAT, PAPER BULLET, RED TAPE, ANNEX, SATELLITE. [v: official office, public office, registry, officiary, chamber, embassy, chancery, chancellery, prefecture, legation, yamen, duumvir, triumvir] [nb: rubber band (elastic) invented 1852; paper clip patented 1899; stapler coined 1909; earlier papers were either tied or were secured with a ribbon through a hole]

ORLOP :

the lowest DECK above the space at the bottom of the hull of a ship; also called "orlop deck"; see HOLD.

ORION :

Lockheed P-3 propeller-driven aircraft, used for electronic and anti-submarine warfare; see ASW, MAD, DASH, compare LIGHTNING.

ORV :

Off-Road Vehicle, being an enclosed four-wheel drive (4WD) automobile used to transport passengers; also known as an "off-highway vehicle" (OHV) or "sport utility vehicle" (SUV), as opposed to a sedan, JEEP / HMMWV, or TRUCK. Fleet purchase of the International "Scout" in the 1950s began the procurement trend away from vehicles built to MIL-SPEC (like the JEEP and HUMVEE) that were later "civilianized" for sale to the general public, and toward the purchase of commercial models that only needed to be painted in military livery.

OSCAR :

the word assigned to represent the letter "O" in the international phonetic alphabet; at various times in different spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented as Oboe and Opal; it is sometimes spelled "oskar". This is a "governing flag" in US Navy signals that also represents "optional". See ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags]

OSD :

Office of the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF).

OSI :

Office of Special Investigations; Air Force directorate equivalent to Navy NIS and Army CID. See BUTTON, FBI, POLICE.

OSO :

Office of Special Operations, directly subordinate to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD); see JCS. Also, Offensive Systems Officer, being the navigator-bombardier on an Air Force strategic bomber (eg: B-52, B-1, etc); compare DSO.

OSPREY :

the Boeing / Bell CV-22 tilt-wing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, used for medium transport, being one of the first to employ computer-assisted flight control to aid PILOTs with the complex mechanics of maneuver; also called "tilt-rotor". The amphibious MV-22 OSPREY is scheduled to replace the CH-46 SEA KNIGHT.

OSS :

OSS

(oh-ess-ess) Office of Strategic Services; sometimes called "Donovan's Dilettantes" and "Oh So Social". Evolving from the Coordinator of Intelligence (COI) in July 1941 and the JCS Office of War Information (OWI) in June 1942, the OSS was developed from 13 June 1942 to engage in "unorthodox warfare" (eg: subversion, espionage, counter-espionage, intel, psy-war, guerrilla warfare, sabotage, economic warfare in support of military operations); and was patterned on the British Special Operations Executive (SOE, formed 19 July 1940, which was known as the "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare"). OSS subdivisions specialized in processing information and direct action;including sections: Research & Analysis (RA), Secret Intelligence (SI), Special Operations (SO), Operational Groups (OG), Maritime Unit (MU), CounterIntelligence Branch (X2), Morale Operations (MO), School & Training Branch. OSS teams operated in Southeast Asia at the end of WWII, and recommended Vietnamese autonomy under Ho Chi Minh. OSS was disbanded Sept 1945, and was a forerunner of both the CIA and Special Forces (USSF). See SACO, JACK, SECRET AGENT, CRYPTO, TRADECRAFT, PROVOCATEUR, SPOOK, SHANGRI-LA, COUNTRY CLUB, FINISHING SCHOOL.

OSUT :

One Station Unit Training; being a combination of basic (BCT) and advanced (AIT) training, where a soldier remains in the same unit for both portions of instruction; similar to the CADRE system employed during WWII where the parent unit was responsible for training all of its members.

BILTMORE OSWALD :

a humorous character created by James Thorne Smith Jr., son of a U.S. Navy commodore and WWI veteran, who was then editing the Navy newspaper "Broadside"; the stories about this accident-prone would-be sailor were collected into a book, "Biltmore Oswald: The Diary of a Hapless Recruit" (1918), whose misadventures proved so popular after the war that another volume of stories was published, "Out 'o Luck: Biltmore Oswald Very Much at Sea" (1919). Thorne Smith, who also published a book of poetry, is best known for writing "Topper: An Improbable Adventure" (1926) and "Topper Takes a Trip" (1932), "Night Life of the Gods" (1931), "Turnabout" (1931), "The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous" (1939), and two posthumous releases "I Married a Witch" (1941) and "Bats in the Belfry" (1943), which spawned the TV series "Bewitched", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "My Living Doll" during the 1960s. Smith said of his work: "Like life itself, my stories have no point and get absolutely nowhere. And like life they are a little mad and purposeless. Quite casually I wander into my plot, poke around with my characters for a while, then amble off, leaving no moral proved and no reader improved." See FICTIONAL CHARACTER.

OTH :

an Other Than Honorable discharge from military service; see DISCHARGE.

OTTER :

DeHavilland U-1 fixed-wing light cargo aircraft, STOL capable by wheels, skis, or floats; compare TWIN OTTER, see BIRD.

OTV :

the "Interceptor" Outer Tactical Vest, replaced by the lighter and more protective Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV); see SAPI, ESAPI, CHICKEN PLATE, HAPPY SUIT, FLAK VEST, FLAK JACKET. [cf: flexible 'mail'; v: doublet]

OUA :

Outstanding Unit Award, being the US Air Force version (red, white, blue stripes) of the Army / Navy / Marine Corps Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC); compare JMUA, see UNIT CITATION, GONG.

OUC DA LOI :

Vietnamese phrase for Australian; sometimes represented as "Uc Dai Loi" or "Uc Da Loy". Compare CO VAN MY, TAN TAY LAN; see ADV, COUNTERPART. [v: Down Under Military Glossary]

OUT :

a procedure word (PROWORD) meaning 'transmission complete' that's used in radio/telephone procedure (RTP) to make voice communications more concise and clear; it implies that the station is shutting down or changing channels so that further communication is not possible, and it is mutually exclusive with OVER. [nb: 'clear' means that communication is finished but the station is standing-by for more traffic (finished sending, able to receive); 'break' means that this communication is finished but this station is changing channels for further communication (still sending, unable to receive)]

OUT COUNTRY :

the Southeast Asian conflict outside South Vietnam (ie: North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and sometimes Malaysia, Thailand, Burma [Myanmar], and China); also spelled "out-country". Compare IN COUNTRY.

OUTGOING MAIL :

indirect fire aimed at enemy positions, as in COUNTERBATTERY FIRE when "sending them a message"; compare IN-COMING.

OUTGUN :

to exceed in FIREPOWER; see UP-GUN, MAD, OVERKILL, BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, KNOCK INTO A COCKED HAT, NOT ONE STONE LEFT UPON ANOTHER. Also, to outdo or overwhelm, as by superior forces.

OUTPOST :

a distant station or POST that's been established to protect the main force (or the nation) from surprise attack, generally situated in a foreign environment; see COP, OP, CP, FOB, FSB, LSA, BASE CAMP, COMPOUND, CROW'S NEST. [nb: "But the turning and surrounding a small fraction of the enemy, and particularly in the darkness of night, is also more practicable for this reason, that whatever we stake upon it, and however superior the force used may be, still probably it constitutes only a limited portion of our army, and we can sooner stake that than the whole on the risk of a great venture. Besides, the greater part or perhaps the whole serves as a support and rallying-point for the portion risked, which again very much diminishes the danger of the enterprise. Not only the risk, but the difficulty of execution as well confines night enterprises to small bodies. As surprise is the real essence of them so also stealthy approach is the chief condition of execution: but this is more easily done with small bodies than with large, and for the columns of a whole army is seldom practicable. For this reason such enterprises are in general only directed against single outposts, and can only be feasible against greater bodies if they are without sufficient outposts, ...." by Karl von Clausewitz]

OUTRIGGER :

slang for the supporting and balancing TRAIL on a TOWED cannon or other artillery piece when LIMBERed for travel or UNLIMBERed for firing; also called "outrigger legs"; see ARTY.

OUTSIDE THE BOX :

outside the box

(forthcoming); compare BRASS-COLLAR, BRASS EAR, BOX HEAD, MILITARY MIND, PARTY LINE, TOE THE LINE, PRIMROSE PATH, ONE HAND CLAPPING, SCRIPTURES; see ASYMMETRIC WARFARE, UW, COUNTERINSURGENCY, COUNTER-GUERRILLA, ANTI-TERRORISM, SPECIAL OPERATIONS. [v: David and Goliath; cf: color outside the lines] [nb: "If you want to think outside the box, then you need to know how the box was made." paraphrase of Poncho Diaz-Pons; "A spider nestled inside a coconut shell thinks his world is the whole world." Thai allegory]

OUTWORK :

an earthwork or other defensive structure established outside the limits of a larger fortification; see REDOUBT, BARBICAN, EMPLACEMENT, BAILEY, DEFILADE, ZIGZAG, STOCKADE, PERIMETER. [v: Military Earthworks Terms]

OVAL :

background trimming for para wings

the informal term for the background trimming for PARACHUTE WINGS, being a distinctively colored and patterned PATCH worn behind the parachutist's badge when the PARATROOPER is assigned to a unit on jump status. Originating during WWII to increase the perceived size of para-WINGS, which was commonly believed to be too small by contrast with PILOT's WINGS, it became a designator for active jump status when permanent wear of the WINGS was permitted, regardless of AIRBORNE standing. The OVAL is sometimes "humped" to include the gradations of Senior and Master ratings; and the entire badge (OVAL and WINGS) may sometimes be a single embroidered PATCH (especially in the Far East where custom tailoring was inexpensive). Depending upon historic tradition and unit evolution, the OVAL will not always match the color or pattern of the same unit's beret FLASH (eg: 5th SFGAbn). The distinctive OVAL and FLASH patches are collectively known as "FLASHing". AIRMOBILE units are not authorized "FLASHing". Navy and Marine personnel on jump status do not wear OVALs. Compare JSD; see Q-COURSE, Q-TAB, TRASH. [v: Flashing Sampler]

OVER :

a procedure word (PROWORD) meaning 'transmission temporarily completed' that's used in radio/telephone procedure (RTP) to make voice communications more concise and clear; it implies that the station remains atuned and waiting so that further communication is possible, and it is mutually exclusive with OUT. [nb: 'clear' means that communication is finished but the station is standing-by for more traffic (finished sending, able to receive); 'break' means that this communication is finished but this station is changing channels for further communication (still sending, unable to receive)]

OVER A BARREL :

an awkward or untenable position, being one from which extrication is difficult or impossible; as derived from a corporal punishment practiced in earlier times, where the offender was bound across the barrel of a cannon (not a staved container, but the tubelike part of a gun) preliminary to lashing for an infraction of military regulations. See PAIN; compare GAUNTLET, KEELHAUL, GARROTE, DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS, TWIST IN THE WIND, BELL THE CAT. [nb: apparently civilians adopted variations of this punishment, including humiliating college hazings, where victims were bound helpless to a wooden barrel (a staved container) for assorted torments, not unlike being locked in a pillory or stocks for public derision] [nb: a 19th century Navy expression for a formal flogging with the cat-o'-nine-tails as ship's punishment was: "dance at the gratings"; while a Navy version of the pillory or stocks, known as "kiss the wooden lady", bound a sailor facing the mast for fatigue punishment and intermittent or random kicks to his buttocks by shipmates]

OVER 'n' UNDER :

XM-148

despite this phrase being indicative of a SHOTGUN configuration, it is slang for the XM-203, introduced as XM148 into the field in 1970, which hung a single-shot 40mm "bloop tube" grenade launcher barrel under the foregrip of the M-16 rifle, which impaired the balance and accuracy of both weapons. An experimental style "pump M-79", with a five-round tube-magazine below the barrel, was selectively issued to LRRP and SPECIAL OPERATIONS teams in Vietnam. In 2006, all versions of the single-shot grenade launcher were superseded by the M-32 Multiple-shot Grenade Launcher (MGL) for infantry operations. See BLOOPER, THUMPER, BLACK MAGIC, WIDOW MAKER, POODLE SHOOTER, TUPPERWARE, ACTIV. Also, any double-barreled shoulder arm, configured one barrel above the other, as with shotguns or combination guns; see the Aircrew Survival Weapon (ASW) or M-6 SCOUT.

OVERCOAT :

a protective coat, knee-length and lined, designed to be worn over ordinary clothes during the cold of winter; see FISH FUR, compare GREATCOAT, FIELD JACKET.

OVERHEAD :

a ceiling-like covering of the exposed support members for the above compartment; see DECK, BULKHEAD, HATCH.

OVERKILL :

to extirpate more of the enemy, or to cause more destruction, than is absolutely necessary for a military victory; this term implies wanton devastation and needless COLLATERAL DAMAGE. Term seems to have originated after the atomic bombings of WWII, but utterly fails to note historic examples of greater devastation and annihilation; see CBR, WMD, NUKE, BOMB 'EM BACK TO THE STONE AGE, BOUNCE THE RUBBLE, UP-GUN, OUTGUN, ROMAN HOLIDAY, NOT ONE STONE LEFT UPON ANOTHER, KNOCK INTO A COCKED HAT, MASSACRE, HEADHUNTING, TURKEY SHOOT, KILL 'EM ALL, ATROCITY, GENOCIDE, HOLOCAUST [eg: Albi, Atlanta, Baharestan Square, Beziers, Carthage, Chatham Islands, Columbia, Covington, Dresden, Glencoe, Guernica, Hiroshima, Lidice, Meroë, Nagasaki, Nanking/Nanjing, Shanghai, Sybaris, Tiananmen Square, Veii]. [v: vernichtungsgedanken] [nb: "Most of the world's ills would be cured with one three-day open season on people." by Ernest M. Hemingway] Also, the capacity to exterminate or obliterate the opposition, as with plans for Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD); see BRINKMANSHIP, BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, DOOMSDAY. Also, any great or unsuitable excess, as to overwhelm or vitiate by misjudgment or zeal.

OVERPRESSURE :

the pressure resulting from the blast wave of an explosion; passage of this wave is referred to as "positive" when the resulting pressures exceed atmospheric pressure, and "negative" when less than atmospheric pressure. See CONCUSSION GRENADE; compare EXPLOSIVE PRESSURE.

OVERSEAS BAR :

a service stripe worn on the lower right sleeve of the CLASS-A uniform, each representing six-months of foreign duty served in a combat zone; this service stripe, commonly known as a HERSHEY BAR(qv), replaced the WWI-era overseas chevron that was worn in the same manner. See OCONUS, DEROS, WHEN IN ROME, DUC, PH. [nb: an OVERSEAS BAR should never be confused with exotic drinking establishments outside CONUS or with foreign legalities, no matter how much the former involves the latter] [nb: civilians go 'abroad' while soldiers go 'overseas']

OVERSEAS CAP :

the GARRISON CAP or garrison hat that was adopted for troops in France during WWI as a more convenient replacement for the CAMPAIGN HAT when not wearing a helmet; also known as a "Go To Hell" cap, fore 'n' aft cap, flight cap, boat cap, flat cap, envelope cap, pisscutter, or CUNT CAP. Compare BILLED CAP, SAUCER CAP, CRUSHER; see HEADGEAR. [nb: a Balmoral hat, which somewhat resembles a beret, and is traditionally blue (from the campaigning dress of the Blue Bonnets), and is often accented with a surrounding "diced" pattern (called "checky" after an accounting process of the Stewarts or High Stewards, from which "exchequer" derives) that symbolizes guardianship and protection; the boat-shaped Glengarry hats are of 19th century military origin]

OVERSEXED WEEKLY :

nickname of the "Overseas Weekly", an unaffiliated newspaper that was published from 1950 to 1975 in various theater editions [ie: Europe (c1950), Asia (c1966), America (c1970)] as a representative of the alternative press. Being "the enlisted man's newspaper in contemporary times", and calling itself "the only overground-underground paper", it appealed to a youthful readership with sensational reportage, but attracted the ire of officialdom (eg: banned by SecDef Robert S. McNamara; ban later rescinded by the Supreme Court) for the accuracy of its exposés. This populist weekly supported the rights of servicemembers, regardless of race or religion, against the abuses of power inflicted by crazed or bigoted officers (eg: the lieutenant colonel who dressed his twelve-year-old son in a military uniform to help conduct troop inspections). The métier of this independent tabloid was titillation, from lurid court martial testimony and come-on headlines to ribald humor and pin-ups, which were leavened by sports and lifestyle features for the edification of its servicemember readership. Founded by Marion von Rospach, a companion publication ["Overseas Family" (c1959)] was also produced in Germany. The "Overseas Weekly" is proud of never having lost a libel suit, and never having been charged with any act harmful to the United States [cf: Pentagon papers in NYT (1971)]. Compare STARS AND STRIPES, YANK, JOURNAL. [nb: "We have Communists and we have the Overseas Weekly. Neither is one of God's blessings to the American people or their soldier sons overseas. Immoral, unscrupulous, corrupt and destructive are words which could be applied to either." by MG Edwin Walker (1961)] [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]

OVERSIGHT :

(forthcoming); supervision, responsibility for conduct/result; see READ-BACK, SCRIPTURES, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, WIGGLE ROOM, CROW'S NEST, C&C, ABNCP, UMBRELLA, GOD'S EYE VIEW, LDR, JUDGMENT CALL, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, EXTRAORDINARY POWERS, HIGHER, RHIP, EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, MICROMANAGEMENT, CASTRATION ANXIETY, NO EXCUSE, ZERO TOLERANCE, ROUGHSHOD; supervision by overseer, see HONCHO, CHIEF, OLD MAN, TOP DOG, MOTHER HEN, 10, MC, WALLAH, RAINMAKER, SKIPPER, CO, LDR, GADGET, ACTING JACK, BREVET, MILICRAT, COMMAND ELEMENT, CHAIN-OF-COMMAND, HEADSHED, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE; contranym alternative, to be overlooked during inspection, as WIGGLE ROOM or OFF THE RESERVATION

OVER THE FENCE :

slang for cross-border operations, which are typically covert or clandestine, except during HOT PURSUITs, interventions, or other INCURSIONs; also called "across the fence", "cross the line" (or "line crossing"), "over the wall", and "hop the fence". See DMZ, DEMILITARIZE, THE GREEKS, UNPFK / UNPIK (CCRAK), JACK, STD, SOG, SPECIAL OPERATIONS. [nb: Vietnamese term: Hanh Quan Vuot Bien] [nb: unlike the CIA and similar agencies, the military operates in foreign territory only under Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State (DoS) sanctions, with operational security (OPSEC) providing "plausible deniability" for any classified operations]

OVER THE HILL :

an act of flight or abandonment, as to go or to have gone OVER THE HILL, with figurative or symbolic reference to any boundary; see AWOL, UA, DESERTER, MUTINEER, UCMJ, AWOL BAG. Also, informal reference to anyone too old or too unfit to "cut the mustard" (MUSTER), being a poor or pathetic example, an unworthy specimen, past one's prime; as a metaphor for someone who has reached his peak and is now on the downhill side of life's hill.

OVER THE TOP :

rash or impetuous, excessive or gross, extravagant or reckless behavior; ostensibly derived from the brave CHARGE of WWI troops advancing out of their trenches toward the enemy ... perhaps this attribution and re-interpretation has been made by a mistaken confusion between "dutiful courage" and "unfettered wildness" ... in any case, the modern meaning has completely distorted its origin.

OVERWATCH :

a supportive base of fire from heavy weapons during a maneuver.

OWI :

(oh-w-eye) the JCS Office of War Information, being the former federal agency (1942-45) responsible for disseminating information about changes in Allied military policy or casualty statistics; the predecessor, along with the Office of the Coordinator Of Intelligence/Information (OCOI), of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII. Also, abbreviation for the charge of Operating (a motor vehicle) While Intoxicated /... Impaired; see DUI. [v: Punitive Article 111 (operation of a vehicle, aircraft, or vessel while impaired by alcohol or drugs)]