M I L T E R M S : P : PAPA

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P : abbreviation for Provisional, sometimes cited as "prov"; compare AD HOC. PAC : the Vietnamese term for a midday rest or afternoon nap, also called "pac time". [nb: most cultures in torrid or tropical regions take a break during the hottest part of the day, then work later into the evening after being refreshed ... such as Spanish siesta for "sixth hour" (hora sexta), Chinese shu-she for "afternoon nap", and Indian bhaatghoom for "rice sleep". Only mad dogs and soldiers are out in all conditions.] PACIFIST : a person opposed to violence as a resort in settling disputes. Also, someone who refuses to perform military service, as a conscientious objector or nonresistant. See CO, CORB, SILENT MAJORITY, WARNING SHOT, FIFTH COLUMN, NEW MOBE, HIPPIE, THEY'LL GIVE A WAR AN' NOBODY'LL COME, PROTESTOR, APPEASE, PEACE. [nb: after WWI, many of the Lost Generation took the Oxford oath, which many fascists and communists viewed as implicit appeasement, if not an explicit warrant, for political hegemony leading to WWII; this pacifistic pledge declared: "We solemnly swear that we will never take up arms in defense of our country. We will never take up arms, even in defense of our country."] PACKAGE : indirect term for a captive or prisoner, used most often in SNATCH operations; see TONGUE, POW; compare GOO, BRACELET. [nb: the 5 S's of prisoner handling include: Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, Speed; in that a prisoner and his intelligence value must be protected against escape, injury, and collusion, which means evacuating the captive(s) while the primary mission continues] PACOM : PAcific COMmand, a unified command based in Hawaii reporting directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and successor to General MacArthur's General Headquarters Far East Command in Tokyo during the KOREAN WAR; consisting of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), Pacific Air Force (PACAF), which components were responsible for the entire Asia and Pacific theater, including Oceania and Australasia, from the arctic to the antarctic. PADDLES : NICKNAME for the Landing Signals Officer (LSO) on-board a FLATTOP, due to the instructional wands or directional paddles used to communicate with PILOTs; also called "Landing Safety Officer". The crew of a flight deck includes: "red shirts"= weaponry / ordnance; "white shirts"= safety; "blue shirts"= un-/secure (tie, CHOCK); "purple shirts"= fuel / POL; "green shirts"= launch / catapult; "brown shirts"= plane captain (control); "yellow shirts"= direct movement. See TAILHOOK, BURBLE, NIGHT TRAP, WAVE OFF, WIGWAG, HAND SIGN, FLATTOP. PADDY : designation given to Can Tho / Binh Thuy CRP PAD EYE : a recessed EYE, set flush with the surface of a DECK or BULKHEAD, lifted from its mounting support plate for use as a tie-down or BELAY point; also called "bolt eye". See CLEAT, CLAMP, HOOKUP, BOLLARD, DEADEYE. PAIN : physical suffering or other distressing sensation indicative of severe emotional torment or bodily injury; as derived from "penalty" or "punishment". Also, that agony sufficient to instill hard or difficult lessons, such that their learning will be permanently imprinted upon the individual, his kinesthesia or psychesthesia; encapsulated as "no pain, no gain", relative to his threshold (or limen stimulus). See TORTURE, FIELD EXPEDIENT FACIAL, ROPE TRICK, PLAYING THE XYLOPHONE, NECKLACE, HAIRCUT AND MANICURE, DECAPITATION, BRAINWASHING, REEDUCATION, SQUEEZE, CONCENTRATION CAMP, GULAG, CHL, OVER A BARREL, GAUNTLET, FROGMARCH, KEELHAUL, DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS, GARROTE, TWIST IN THE WIND, ROUGHSHOD, BITE THE BULLET, HARD-ASS, ONIONS, MOXIE, GUTS, DIEHARD, DROP, PUSH-UP, FRONT LEANING REST, SQUAT, SHIT LIST, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BLANKET PARTY, FALL GUY, TS CARD, BUS TRANSFER, SYMPATHY, CANDY, DOPE, STONED, COLORS. [nb: "Of course, behaviorism works. So does torture." by W.H. Auden, A Certain World (1970); "If pain could have cured us, we should long ago have been saved." by George Santayana, The Life of Reason: Reason in Common Sense (1905-6); "Know how sublime a thing it is / To suffer and be strong." by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Light of the Stars in Voices of the Night (1839)] [nb: it has been alleged in the modern era that the dedicated and driven Type-A personality, or compulsive workaholic, is both self-destructive and counterproductive, and this thesis contends that the compassion and sensitivity exhibited in the Type-B Metro-Man persona are preferrable traits; despite this theory, research has shown that an invincible Man of Steel attitude, or the Super-Masculine personality (cf: MACHO), produces positive results: better healing from injury, faster recovery from trauma, increased energy and endurance, more numerous and more flexible coping mechanisms ... in short, being strong and tough makes people more confident and contented] PAINT : to scan or acquire a target with a RADAR or infrared (IR) weapons system; also called "skin paint" or "las" (shortening of LASER). See LASER AIMING DEVICE, SALH, PAVEWAY, LANTIRN, LADAR, MILES, SQUAWK, ECM. PALADIN : M-109A6 self-propelled 155mm HOWITZER. PANAMA : designation given to Da Nang CRC PANCAKE : crash landing of an aircraft, especially a battle damaged BIRD that's lacking the fine controls for a normal arrival. Compare AUGER-IN, NOSEDIVE, GROUND LOOP, ALUMINUM RAIN, TURN TURTLE; see TOUCHDOWN, ALS, AUTO-ROTATE, BOUNCE, 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"] PANTY RAID : slang for an intelligence gathering patrol or a small unit foray into denied territory for physical proof of the enemy's presence, status, or activity, such as photographic or documentary evidence, or other artifacts; as derived from the pre-Vietnam-era collegiate prank that sought trophies as validation of sexual prowess. Compare SNATCH; see SRI, I&R, LRSP, RECON. PAO : (pee-ay-oh) Public Affairs Office/Officer; also called Public Information Office/Officer (PIO). PAPA-SAN / PAPA-SAHN : an elderly Asian man; term borrowed from Japanese. Compare ONG; see MAMA-SAN, BABY-SAN. PAPER BULLET : a derisive reference to the essential REPORTs and necessary FORMs that enable the military to function; also spelled "paper-bullet", and sometimes called a "paper grenade", they've been known as such since the American CIVIL WAR. Although such time-consuming paperwork is disdained by "real soldiers", it is an inescapable evil since documentation is crucial for resupply, allocation, allotment, and every other particular of governmental functioning. In fact, since it requires more than 90% of MIL-PERS to support the less than 10% combat element, it can be reasonably argued that the "real war" is actually fought on paper from behind a desk! See SMOKE 'n' MIRRORS, VOLLEY, PING-PONG, WHITE PAPER, MANIFOLD SET, MR, RBI, FINDING, BUCK SLIP, SNOWFLAKE, RED TAPE, FILE 13, ORIFICE, PENCIL PUSHER, ACETATE COMMANDO, BEAN-COUNTER, CLERKS 'n' JERKS, MILICRAT. [nb: "If it isn't documented then it doesn't exist!"] PAPER TIGER : a nation that has the appearance of power but is actually weak and ineffectual, as attributed to the USA by PRC during both undeclared wars in Korea and Vietnam. Phrase originated by Stalin in reference to atomic bomb deterrents without the will to employ the weapons; later adopted by Mao in similar context. See WHITE ELEPHANT, RICE CHRISTIAN, YELLOW DOG, WHITE MICE. PARACHUTE : T-11 parachute a parabolic or ram-air system, using T-10 28' primary and T-7A 24' reserve canopies [from T-4 @28' canopy w/22' s-lines to MC-1 @35' canopy w/30' s-lines], for vertical delivery of men or equipment; with extensive jargon, including: pack tray, belly band, saddle, quick release with safety fork, capewell, risers, SHROUD or suspension lines, STATIC LINE, DROGUE, CUT-AWAY, STREAMER, Mae West, PLF, STICK, DINGLEBERRY, FLIGHT BAG, JUMP BOOTS, JUMP SPEED, AIRHEAD, DZ, HEAVY DROP, FREE FALL, GANG-BANG, etc. The Jump School in Vietnam was located at Long Thanh, including Military Free-Fall (MFF) and High-Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) training (with steerable "T U" and "Double L" modifications) from 1969 for SPECIAL OPERATIONS. Combat jumps during the VIETNAM WAR include: 173rd Abn Bde ("Junction City"), 5th SFGAbn ("Harvest Moon", "Blackjack", "Blue Max"), and SOG (13 STATIC LINE, 5 HALO). US personnel who participated in these combat jumps are authorized to wear an "arrowhead" on their VSM, and a battle star for each combat jump on their WINGS [nb: informal wear finally approved 25 Oct 1983]. Advisors to ARVN units on "jump status" (see JSD) were usually awarded Vietnamese parachutist's badges equivalent to their own service rating. The US Army parachutist's badge was designed by William P. Yarborough so as not to resemble PILOT'S WINGS (some claim it resembles a "flying ice-cream cone"), approved on 10 March 1941; and was initially intended to be worn only while actively on "jump status", but paratrooper pride persuaded the Army to make the award permanent. The novice or basic parachutist badge was standard until 1949, when the senior (star @30+ jumps) and master (star in wreath @65+ jumps) ratings were appended. After WWII, the Navy RIGGER badge was modified into the USN/USMC gold parachutist badge, and a new RIGGER skill rating device was adopted; both finally authorized on 12 July 1963. The term parachute (parer + chute) derives from "sustain + fall". See OVAL, FLASH, WINGS, BOLO BADGE, TRASH, JUMPMASTER, GOLDEN KNIGHTS, CHUTING STARS, RIGGER, AIRBORNE, IRON MIKE, CATERPILLAR CLUB, SQUAT; compare AIR ASSAULT, PATHFINDER. [v: Parachuting Terms, and Parachuting History] PARA-CORD : contraction of PARAchute CORD, a thin, multi-strand, sheathed suspension LINE used to connect the harness risers to the canopy of a PARACHUTE, but widely adopted for many other utilitarian applications, from tie-downs to boot laces; also called "p-cord", "550-cord", or "Ranger cord". See CORD, SPAGHETTI, SHROUD, GUY, ROPE. PARADE : a public procession or promenade held in honor of an event or person, usually involving the display of military formations; see QUICK TIME, DOUBLE TIME, ROUTE STEP, FUNERAL PACE, MARK TIME, CADENCE, MARCH. Also, the assembly of military personnel for review or inspection; see PASS IN REVIEW, TROOP THE LINE, COLOR GUARD, CLOSE ORDER, MISSING MAN FORMATION. Also, the place or location for such ceremony, called PARADE GROUND, as derived from "stopping place"; compare ASSEMBLY AREA. Also, an ostentatious display or continual passing [v: triumph, ovation]. Also, to tour one's area of responsibility, visiting each post, checking each station, as both verification and assurance; see CQ, OOD, SDO, DETAIL, GUARDHOUSE, EVOLUTION. PARADE GROUND : a large open area used to array military units for display or review by senior commanders and visiting dignitaries; also known as "parade field" or PARADE. Compare ASSEMBLY AREA. [cf: esplanade] PARADE REST : a modified posture of ATTENTION in which the feet are spread shoulder width apart and the unarmed hand(s) is placed behind the back; as introduced during the American CIVIL WAR. See THE BIBLE. [nb: despite its similarity to AT EASE, the "Simon says" rules of drill prohibit unauthorized movements or talking, and troops may not SALUTE or be dismissed from this posture.] PARADISE ISLAND : NICKNAME for the model village created and sustained by Project Humidor on an island near DaNang, and its utopian prosperity was used for DISINFORMATION PROPAGANDA when SNATCH captives were briefly exposed to this Shangri-La by SECRET AGENT actors, before being repatriated to NVN. The "Sacred Sword of the Patriot League" was a simulated anti-communist movement ostensibly living a successful VN lifestyle in the northern homeland while preserving ancient traditions, but was actually a notional deception designed to inspire proletarian rebellion. This PsyWar OP33 project was patterned after the WWII OSS "Morale Operations Division". See URGENCY, PSYOPS, SOG. PARA-DROP : see AIRDROP. PARAMILITARY : designating an organization operating in place of, as a supplement to, or in a manner resembling a regular military force; see STRIKER, IRREGULARs, MILITIA, GUERRILLA. PARASOL : CIA funding program for CIDG PARAMILITARY troops; see SWITCHBACK. PARATROOPER : RVN para A soldier with skills so essential to the objective that he is delivered, with all of his necessary equipment, to the battlefield by air transport; where he must sustain the mission until joined by conventional ground forces. See ABN, AIRBORNE, PARACHUTE, MFF, FREE FALL, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, ROMMEL'S ASPARAGUS, SQUAT, GROUNDED. PARAVANE : a torpedo-shaped device positioned at the BOW of a ship for cutting the moorings of underwater MINEs, allowing them to rise to the surface for collection or destruction; compare ELEPHANT'S TRUNK. PARROT'S BEAK : distinctive Cambodia/SVN border feature near the Song Vam Co Dong river, on the direct route from Saigon to Phnom Penh; see FISHHOOK, DOG'S FACE, ELEPHANT'S FOOT, ANGEL'S WING, BLACK LADY MOUNTAIN. PARTHIAN SHOT : the tactic of feigning a fighting retreat, usually practiced by a smaller force upon a larger, inviting their impetuous pursuit until entrapped or ambushed; this tactic was made famous by the Parthian cavalry, who even learned to sit backwards on their horses so as to better shoot at their pursuers, but this feint was first practiced by the Mongols. Also, a wounding remark or telling gesture made while departing, giving one's adversary neither time nor opportunity to respond; also known as "Parthian dart" or "Parthian shaft" after the arrows dispatched during retreat. PARTISAN'S SECRET WEAPON : a spoon, carried in a boot top or a jump jacket pocket, as a tradition among military advisors, observers, and special operators or agents since WWII; being the only utensil needed, and better than a combat knife for keeping someone alive, since its loss or lack at the common pot risks starvation! The spoon's sanitation is a personal matter, but it's usually well wiped on sock or liner; and the protruding handle is often mistaken for a concealed knife among the uninitiated. See CHOPSTICK, MESS KIT, CANTEEN CUP, SPOON, KFS, P-38, CHURCH KEY, CHOW, BEANS, RATIONS. [nb: the small knife ("sgian dubh") that's tucked into the top of the stocking, below the skirt of the kilt, that's typically crafted by frugal Scots from broken weapons or scrap metal, is traditionally used when skinning or eating; it is sometimes called a "black knife", not for any sinister or devious usage, but due to its coarse or inferior metal, which contrasts with the brightly polished finer metal used in weapons] PARTY LINE : the authoritatively announced policies and practices of a group, or the tenets and dogma of a political organization; such as the military way of doing things (ie: the right way, the wrong way, and the military way), also known as the "school solution". See PSYOPS, PROPAGANDA, WHITE PROPAGANDA, PLANK, TRUE BELIEVER, TRUTH, BIG PICTURE, NATIONAL SECURITY, BRASS-COLLAR, BRASS EAR, GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK, TOE THE LINE, SCRIPTURES. [v: agitprop] PARTY SUIT : an unofficial FLIGHT SUIT -styled coverall in a distinctive fabric and bearing unauthorized (often rude or ribald) PATCHes as decoration or indication of prowess. Wear restricted to OFF-DUTY periods at DIRTY SHIRT / SLOP CHUTE or off-base establishments. MIL-PERS assigned to a unit waited to be invited to wear the PARTY SUIT, usually after a combat mission or some other initiation, or risk being stripped of the apparel while forceably evicted. See WAR PAINT, CIVVIES, MUFTI, DRESS. [v: glad rags] PASS : authorization for access or departure, with distance and time defined; also known as "Liberty" for enlisted Marine and Naval personnel. Enlisted personnel go on PASS or Liberty, but officers go OFF-DUTY or "go ashore". See CINDERELLA PASS, STEEL BEACH, R&R, I&I, LEAVE, UA, AWOL, OFF LIMITS, OFF THE RESERVATION, DEADHEAD, BUS TRANSFER, PROFILE, USAFI. [cf: break, recess, rest, pause, intermission, lull, hiatus, caesura, lacuna, respite, reprieve] PASSAGE TO FREEDOM : the operational name for the evacuation of Vietnamese refugees fleeing south during the partition of INDOCHINA from 14 August 1954 to May 1955. The pre-departure refugee inspection and processing station, staffed by French and American MIL-PERS in NVN, was known as Camp Cockroach. Compare FREQUENT WIND. PASSING HONORS : a SALUTE rendered between passing vehicles or craft by a flag or horn or other signal, from junior to senior, as between persons; also called "rendering honors". This protocol is also observed among allies ... and although it's rarely expressed, it's also a gesture of respect toward an honorable enemy. See RUFFLES 'n' FLOURISHES, BEATERS 'n' BLEATERS, TOOTER. PASS IN REVIEW : the command-phrase commencing the PARADE of arrayed units past the assembled dignitaries on the "reviewing stand"; as distinguished from TROOP THE LINE, during which the officials review the arrayed units by walking or riding before them along the PARADE GROUND. See COLOR GUARD, MISSING MAN FORMATION. PASSWORD : sign/counter-sign exchange of CODEWORDs or phrases, which are changed daily to permit secure ingress/egress. Such challenge sequences originated with shibboleths, being words with distinctive pronunciation, to distinguish friend from foe. [nb: the 17 March 1776 password for Washington's Continental Army in Boston was "Saint Patrick"; cf: the magic words "open sesame" that were used by Ali Baba to access the treasure of the 40 thieves in "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"] PATCH : distinctive shoulder or pocket patch, made of embroidered fabric or silk-screened material, sewn to the utility or FATIGUE uniform. Official patches were often hung in a plastic protector from the left pocket on KHAKIS, but sewn onto CLASS-A and FATIGUE uniforms at the shoulder. The transition to subdued insignia generated many patch variations. The VIETNAM WAR produced numerous "unauthorized" pocket patches which were tolerated by command authority because they encouraged unit morale and espirit. Patches developed in their present form during WWI, but heraldic insignia had long marked armor and banners. During the CIVIL WAR, the Army of the Potomac adopted distinctive badges for each corps, with colors assigned by division within each corps, as displayed on uniform caps and unit equipment to aid battlefield control and build esprit. The Culpeper Militia, raised for the American Revolution, embroidered Patrick Henry's slogan, "Liberty or Death", onto the left breast of their tunics in white letters. Patches are formally known as "shoulder sleeve insignia" (SSI). The US Army permits individuals to always wear their combat unit PATCHes (SSI-FWTS) on their right sleeve, but all branches recognize the wearing of a unit PATCH on the left sleeve as a current duty assignment. See SANDWICH, SCROLL, FLASH, OVAL, CREST, TRASH, BATTLE CRY, TOAST, SIGNATURE. [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] PATHET LAO : Laotian Communists; compare RLA. PATHFINDER : Army Pathfinder the advance element for an AIRBORNE or HELIBORNE insertion of operational units. PATHFINDER teams were dropped or air-landed at an objective to establish a drop zone (DZ); or air-delivered into enemy territory for purposes of determining the best approach and withdrawal lanes, landing zones (LZ) and AIRHEAD sites for HELIBORNE forces. Special PATHFINDER training was initiated by GEN James Gavin for 82nd ABN Div assaults after the disastrous Operation Huskey results during the WWII Sicily INVASION. Originally integral (compare evolution of I&R into LRRP) to each AIRBORNE or glider unit during WWII, the US Army Infantry School later established a separate training course for this specialty; with authorization to wear the distinctive "winged torch" device (canted on sleeve or pocket) in cloth on 22 May 1964, and replaced as an enameled metal device (set perpendicular beside other badges below ribbon bars) on 11 October 1968. See BLACK HATS, WIGWAG, TRASH, Q-COURSE, RIGGER, WAVE OFF, POINT, SPEARHEAD, JUDAS GOAT. Also, the NICKNAME of the 8th Infantry Division, showing the Arabic numeral impaled on an upward pointing arrow; formed in California, and named after the general and explorer John Charles Frémont. PATRIOT : designation for the MIM-104 medium-range multiple-launch mobile Surface-to-Air MISSILE (SAM) system manufactured by the Raytheon Company, replacing the Nike-Hercules missile for high and medium altitude air defense in the US Army arsenal. PATRIOT ACT : shortening of the legislative title for some ANTI-TERRORISM laws, formally designated the "USA-PATRIOT Act" of 2001; being an acronym ("Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism") for the authority provided to government agents in investigating and apprehending foreign and domestic suspects. This Act, which includes provisions on border security and eavesdropping, money laundering and surveillance, was enacted (PL107-56) on 26 Oct 2001, and was reauthorized 9 Mar 2006. The "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" (FISA) of 1978 has been incorporated into the PATRIOT Act. See GWOT, WAR ON TERROR, TERRORIST, CONSTABULARY. [nb: "Who will watch the watchers?"] PATROL : a military element (eg: detachment, squadron, fleet, etc) detailed for reconnaissance, combat, or other special assignment in an operational area. Also, to surveil or secure an objective by application of professional military skills. Also, to guard someone or something by frequently checking its condition and/or position. See RECON, CLOVERLEAF, BUTTERFLY, CHECKERBOARD, LEAP FROG, ZIGZAG. [nb: "dismounted reconnaissance" is MIL-SPEAK for patrolling on foot] PATRON SAINT : superior who functions as a professional military career guide, counselor, mentor, sponsor, patron, or protector for select and favored subordinates of great potential, also called "godfather"; see RABBI, SEA DADDY, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN; compare RING-KNOCKER, TICKET-PUNCHER, KHAKI MAFIA. [cf: apparatchik, nomenklatura, nabob, nibs] PATTON : the M-46, M-47, M-48, and M-60 series of heavily armored Main Battle Tanks (MBT), variously with 90mm, 105mm MAIN-GUNs; see TANK, TRACK. PAVEWAY : (forthcoming); re: Pave Knife, Pave Penny, Pave Spike, Pave Tack; see LANTIRN, GBU, LGB, LASER AIMING DEVICE, PAINT, LASER. PAVN : (pavin, not "p-a-v-n") People's Army of Viet Nam; unified command under NVA, which included NLF political activists and VC irregulars. The PAVN's three principle staff components were the General Political Directorate (GPD), General Staff Directorate (GSD), and General Directorate for Rear Services (GDRS). See BO DOI, NVAF, VIET MINH, CHARLIE, PRG, PLA, GOMER, LUKE THE GOOK, BAD GUYS. PAY DUES : a qualified person, a member in good standing; eligibility is restricted to those who are willing to PAY their DUES. In its best sense ("He's paid his dues."), it is a sign of respect or mark of recognition bestowed in testimonial tribute by another member; but in its all too common worst sense ("I've paid my dues!"), it's an egocentric declaration of self promotion and self praise. Some veteran's associations do not levy fees under the supposition that everyone already "paid their dues" with service. It's simply an affirmation of entitlement. See GOOD PEOPLE, BTDT, WANNABE, COUNT COUP, CAMP FOLLOWER. [nb: a 'cheat' / 'cheater', being a fraud, deceiver, impostor, swindler, or blackleg, derives from the office of "escheator", the corrupt officer who collected the share of dues (taxes) that members owed to the treasury (exchequer)] [v: corody] PAYLOAD : the WARHEAD or bomb load on an aircraft or missile; as derived from the revenue-weight of passengers or cargo, namely that which produces "the biggest bang for the buck". Also, the explosive energy of a warhead or bomb load. Also, the necessary supplies and equipment essential for the performance of a given mission; see LIFT, AIRDROP, HEAVY DROP. PAY-GRADE : a common redundancy for GRADE or RATING, as "That's way above my pay-grade!"; compare RANK, RELATIVE RANK. [nb: 1968 base pay: CPL @$150/mo, 1LT @$350/mo] PBL : designated US Navy Patrol Boat Light, being a converted Boston Whaler; see SWIFT BOAT, NASTY BOAT, SKIMMER, MRF, JUNK FORCE, BOAT. PBR : designated US Navy Patrol Boat River, being lightly armored, shallow-draft steel vessels; see SWIFT BOAT, NASTY BOAT, MRF, JUNK FORCE. PBX : Private Branch eXchange; an electromechanical internal telephone communications (intercom) facility that connects to an external telecommunications system; also called "switchboard", and also existing as Private Automatic Branch eXchange (PABX). See TELEPHONE. PBY : designated US Navy Patrol Bomber [nb: the "Y" identified the manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft Corporation]; this seaplane was also known as DUMBO or CATALINA; see FLYING BOAT, BIRD. PCPT : Physical Competency and Proficiency Test, being the annual physical fitness test of all MIL-PERS aged under 35 and not of senior RANK; later renamed Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and conducted monthly. See PT, DAILY DOZEN, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, FRONT LEANING REST. PCS : Permanent Change of Station; a military transfer to a new assignment at a different location. Compare TDY, TAD, SHEEP-DIPPED, HARDSHIP TOUR. PDA : abbreviation for Public Display of Affection, which is a violation for uniformed MIL-PERS, for the disrespect or dishonor imputed to the Armed Forces; officers are further constrained by "conduct unbecoming ..." (Article 33). Enforced at command discretion, this restriction prohibits, for example, a parent in uniform from carrying their infant. See CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF THE SERVICE. PDO : (pee-dee-oh) Property Disposal Office; see DX, DRMO, LOGISTICS. PDQ : abbreviation for Pretty Damn / Damned Quick; see ASAP, STAT, FORTHWITH, CHOGI, CHOP CHOP, RIKI TIK, GOYA, SCRAMBLE, HAUL-ASS, JUICE. PDS : (pee-dee-ess) Permanent Duty Station. Also, Personal Defense Specialist for "executive protection"; see BODYGUARD. PDT : Cmd Para Tm Parachute Demonstration Team, as used for public ceremonies and demonstrations; such as the GOLDEN KNIGHTS, CHUTING STARS, "Leap Frogs", "Silver Wings", and the like. PEACE : an agreement that ends hostilities, or a treaty that ends a war, as derived from "pact"; see CEASE-FIRE, TRUCE. Also, a cessation or absence of hostilities between nations; see ENTENTE, DETENTE, APPEASE, RAPPROCHEMENT, BEST AND BRIGHTEST, WISE MEN, PROTESTOR, NEW MOBE, FIFTH COLUMN, YIPPIE, APOCALYPSE, BOMB 'EM BACK TO THE STONE AGE, WAR. Also, public order and security that's free from civil commotion; see CONSTABULARY, PROVOST GUARD, POSSE COMITATUS. Also, a state of harmony between people or groups, as being free from dissension; see DRONE. Also, a state of tranquillity or serenity, as "peace of mind" is freedom from disturbance or perturbation; see HAPPY VALLEY. Also, silence, quiescence, stillness; see AT EASE. ["Peace is the necessary interval of recovery and preparation between wars, for nothing is ever resolved, except that its confrontation is postponed." anonymous] PEACE CORPS : formed in 1961, by legislation that Hubert H. Humphrey based upon the International Volunteer Service (IVS), as an agency of the Department of State (DoS), which sent American advisers and teachers, some young adults and some retirees, with requisite language and technical skills to assist INDIGenous peoples in remote areas around the world. In 1981, the PEACE CORPS was made a separate agency of THE G, and the standard two year overseas tour was modified to also include domestic American fellowships. In 1995, the PEACE CORPS established a cooperative relationship with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in aiding refugees and displaced persons (DP) with education and skill acquisition. This humanitarian service organization, along with IVS and VISTA, qualifies as "alternative service" for conscientious objectors and anti-war PROTESTORs. See ADV, CA, CAP, COUNTERPART, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER, INDIG, SPARTAN, DRAFT LOTTERY. [nb: there is a persistent but unrealized (to date) advocacy for creating a Cabinet-level "Department of Peace" by some effete poltroons; v: DOS; cf: DOD] [nb: civilians go 'abroad' while soldiers go 'overseas'] PEACE DIVIDEND : the beneficial transfer of military technology to the civilian sector; such re-directed applications enhance public safety and security, but also usually re-organizes employment patterns, making many MIL-SPEC jobs redundant. See DARPA, SOTA, RIF. [nb: adaptations or extensions of technological invention have traditionally passed through three phases: gadget creation, improved accommodation, and streamlined production; or, in other words, from the simple to the complex and on to the simplified] PEACOCK : designation for Pleiku CRP PEANUT : CODENAME for "free" portable transistor radios, usually abandoned at innocuous sites or "lost" in plausible ruses, which could not be tuned to the real "Radio Hanoi" broadcast setting, but would automatically select the "black broadcast" of OP33. Some PEANUT radios included transponders, so their location could be tracked after being "found". See PSYOPS, SOG, HOMER. PEARL OF THE ANTILLES : the islands of Cuba situated in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean, scene of the Bay of Pigs INVASION (April 1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (22 Oct - 20 Nov 1962); see SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, MONGOOSE, "Fortified Zones" at STRATEGIC HAMLET; compare URGENT FURY. PEARL OF THE ORIENT : Saigon; abbreviated "SGN". Also, Manila. [nb: a pearl is a smoothly rounded bead, lustrous and finely colored, composed of aragonite or calcite, or of something similar in form and luster; something pearlescent or nacreous; something precious (virginity) or choice (wisdom); known as "angel's tears" by the ancient Romans] PEARLY WHITES : informal slang for teeth, also called FANGs and "snaggles"; see FANG MECHANIC. PECKER TRACKS : slang for trace evidence, especially the residue, residuum, vestage, remnants, leftovers, dregs, leavings of enemy or criminal activity; as derived from semen and/or urine deposits on secondary surfaces, which indicators are also called "spoor", "tracks", "footprints", or "fingerprints". Since some remnants are always left by any intrusion or passage, the use of untraceable (STERILE) or unattributable (CLEAN) weapons or equipment in covert or clandestine (BLACK) operations is mandatory for "plausible deniability". See CASTOFF, TRACE, TRAIL, TRACK, RECON. PEDICAB : a three-wheeled vehicle featuring a bench seat for passengers, normally provided with a folding cover, steered from before or behind while being pedaled by its operator; also known as a "tri-sha". This once common Asian taxicab has become a relic, not unlike the horse-drawn chariot or hansom [v: hackney, fiacre, jingle, tonga, gharry, gig, dogcart, runabout, palanquin/palankeen, sedan chair]. Compare RICKSHA, CYCLO, LITTER, HACK, RICE-BURNER. PEEPERS : any visual aid, vision enhancement system, or sighting device, sometimes called "cheaters", often containing a scale or reticle, including stand-magnifiers, cameras, binoculars / FIELD GLASSES, view-ports, PERISCOPEs, Night Observation Devices (NOD), Night Vision Goggles (NVG), or Night Vision Device (NVD). See STARLIGHT, GREEN-EYE, I2, ENVIS, LRAS3, VIPER, TOW, BORESIGHT, ZERO. PEERS INQUIRY : the Article 32 investigation (the military equivalent of a civil grand jury hearing) of allegations concerning the 1968 My Lai incident as conducted by GEN Ray Peers, former OSS officer, former 4th Inf Div CG, and former IIFFV CG, then forces commander in Korea. The PEERS INQUIRY resulted in a court martial and other punishments. See BUTCHER BRIGADE, MASSACRE. PEGASUS : the 1968 operation that replaced Marine assets at Khe Sahn with the Army's AIRMOBILE 1st Cav Div, coincident with the transfer of all I CTZ units and their functions to the command of the XXIV Corps headquarters (HQ); see LONELY HEARTS. PENCIL PUSHER : any MIL-PERS whose primary function is to write, record, document, catalogue, tabulate, account, or substantiate the issue, training, assignment, movement, or service of other MIL-PERS and their requisite equipment or materiel; also known as a "pen pusher", and formerly known as a "quill driver". The PENCIL PUSHER may be a WONK or WALLAH, HONCHO or BRASS HAT in one or another BOMB-PROOF job, but regardless of how necessary this PUKE or SKIRT may be to operations, GRUNTs always classify them with their relatives: desk jockey, office flier, typing machinegunner ("Remington Raider"), staff warrior, combat briefer, barroom shooter, fire base gunfighter, and Saigon commando. See REMF, CLERKS 'n' JERKS, CANDY-ASS, ACETATE COMMANDO, CHAIRBORNE, BEAN-COUNTER, TAP-DANCER, DOG ROBBER, PUKE, MILICRAT, ORIFICE, RED TAPE, PAY DUES. [nb: a "pencil sharpener" is a do-gooder or BROWN NOSER, but anyone "sharpening his pencil" is either setting a trap, hunting for a victim, or is laying an ambush, aiming to assassinate someone; geeks and dweebs think pencils are weapons, and they have spiked many good careers, and back-stabbed many good soldiers] [nb: the pencil may have been developed as early as 1564, but an eraser was not attached to it until 1858 ... which does not mean that nobody made any mistakes for almost 200 years!] [nb: "Algerism", an eponym for the politico who was probably the worst Secretary of War in American history, became the national byword for bureaucratic sloath, cronyism, and incompetence, becoming a synonym for venality and ineptitude; after Russell A. Alger, attorney and capitalist, Michigan governor and U.S. Senator, CIVIL WAR Major General and Spanish American War Secretary of War] PEN FLARE : a little pyrotechnic signalling FLARE, also spelled "pen-flare", that was used by small units and RECON teams to identify their position to aerial observers when smoke grenades could not be used. The PEN FLARE consisted of a spring-loaded launcher (about the size of a fountain pen) that accepted screw-in flares of various colors, but the signal could not penetrate dense foliage. Compare SLAP-FLARE, VERY PISTOL. PENGUIN : a NICKNAME for non-flying aviation support staff and ground crew, as used since before WWII, by analogy with the flightless bird; also known as WING WIPER. Compare GROUND HOG, GROUNDED; see BIRDMAN, PILOT, JET JOCKEY, AIRDALE, BROWN SHOE / BOOT, ZOOMIE, ROTOR HEAD, WOBBLY, WOP, PROP JOCKEY, CREW DOG. [nb: affectionate name selected due to the negative or derogatory associations with other choices, such as Ostrich, Dodo, Moa, Emu, Cassowary, Great Auk, Kakapo, Kiwi] PENNY-NICKEL-NICKEL : 155mm HOWITZER, may be spelled "penny nickel nickel"; including M-109 SP at ranges to 14,600m. See SP, ARTY. PENTAGONAL : organizational structure designed for potential nuclear conflict, using five divisional elements, also called "pentomic"; supersedes triangular TO&E instituted for WWII, which succeeded the square structure used in WWI. See CARS, OB. PENTALATERAL AGREEMENT : an Agreement, executed on 23 December 1950, by representatives of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, France, and the United States, for Mutual Defense Assistance in INDOCHINA; also called "Mutual Defense Assistance Program" treaty. See ASEAN, SEATO. PENTATHLON : the Modern Pentathlon is an athletic competition comprising five different events that're based upon military skills and scored by teams; the Military Pentathlon displaced the Greek Pentathlon in the 1928 Olympics, after running concurrently since the 1912 Olympiad. The Modern or Military Pentathlon consists of a 300m freestyle swim, 4000m cross-country run, 5000m equestrian steeplechase, épée fencing, and pistol shooting at a 25m target. The original Greek Pentathlon consisted of five track and field events that were scored on an individual basis: 200m run, discus throw, javelin throw, high jump, and wrestling. Compare BIATHLON, TRIATHLON, DECATHLON; see PT, PFT, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, TRUSCOTT TROT, WAR GAMES. PEO : Programs Evaluation Office, being a covert operation established by the US Dept of State in 1959 to develop the Laotian Army; see MILLPOND, WHITE STAR. PEOPLE SNIFFER : the Olfractronic Personnel Detector; a sensor that probed for the presence of enemy personnel by measuring the incidence of ammonia. This farcical and deficient device typified everything that was grossly mismanaged during the VIETNAM WAR! PERIMETER : a defensive enclosure or ambit, a boundry or border; see CORDON, CORDON SANITAIRE, CORDON AND SEARCH, CLEAR AND HOLD, DOUGHNUT, DMZ, MLR, CHOP LINE, STOCKADE, LAAGER, FOB, FSB, SPIKE, NDP, RON, COLD CAMP, BASE CAMP, COMPOUND, RANGE CARD, FRESNEL UNITS. PERISCOPE : an optical instrument for viewing objects in an obstructed field of vision, by an arrangement of prisms in TANKs and by an arrangement of mirrors and lenses in SUBMARINEs; includes a reticle when used as an aiming device (v: SIGHT PICTURE), but not when serving as a view-port. Term is a back formation from periscopic, meaning to view indirectly or obliquely. See PEEPERS. PERMANENT PARTY : personnel permanently assigned to a school or training unit, to distinguish such CADRE and staffers from the students; see PLOWBACK, STAFF, TO&E, SHIP'S COMPLEMENT, HOMESTEADER, CHAIRBORNE. [nb: despite designation, such duty was not considered to be "endless fun"!] PERSCOM : U.S. Army Personnel Command; see NPRC. PERSHING : heavily armored Main Battle Tank (MBT), with M-26 90mm and M-45 105mm MAIN-GUNs, which were grossly underpowered and kept throwing their many fan-belts; see TANK, TRACK. Also, Pershing/PE MISSILE. Also, John Joseph "Blackjack" Pershing, commander of AEF in WWI, whose NICKNAME was obtained from his preference for command of BUFFALO SOLDIERs (while George Armstrong Custer refused such assignments, believing them to be harmful to his reputation and career); see BLACKJACK, OPEN WAR, GASPER, DOG TAGS. PERSIAN GULF YACHT CLUB : an apocryphal social society comprised of the U.S. Navy in operations offshore of the Arabian Peninsula (Near East) in various combat, combat support, and peacekeeping operations. Compare TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB, SPORT HUNTING CLUB; see THE MED, THE GULF, POND, FLOAT. PERSONNEL : aggregate of variously skilled persons employed to make an organization function; see MIL-PERS. PERSPECS : (forthcoming); windshield or view port, derived from "Perspex" tradename PET : keeping pets in personal spaces or working areas, living QUARTERS or BARRACKs, is not authorized, so discovery of a pet or evidence of a pet during inspection warrants a "ding" or demerit for that individual; however, this is typically a ploy for creative harassment when flyspecks, cockroach litter, mouse scat, or snake skins are discovered in such areas ... if a dead fly is found, the individual will be gigged for "improper care and feeding of pet" as well as "unauthorized pet", earning double punishment. See ADY, GIG, TURD, DUTY ROSTER, STRAC, SQUARED AWAY, SHIPSHAPE; compare GHOST TURD. PETER PILOT : co-pilot; the lower-ranking and less-experienced PILOT in an airplane. See IP, CHECK RIDE, UP CHECK. PETITION : a formal request, often signed by its endorsers, addressed to an official or authoritative body, soliciting some benefit or right; such an entreaty or importunity is forbidden MIL-PERS! Active and reserve uniformed servicemembers may utilize an "Appeal For Redress" as a legitimate means of addressing a grievance to their political representatives [v: DoD Directives 1325.6 and 7050.6]. PETROL : fuel; any petroleum mixture, including "av gas" (refined kerosene), diesel, or gasoline. See POL, JP, MOGAS, JUICE, HOT-FUELING, TOP-OFF, FUEL LADDER, BLIVET, POD, BLADDER. [nb: Chinese began drilling for crude petroleum in the 4th Century; but in 1859, the first American oil well was dug near Titusville PA, and the first oil refinery began operation in 1861] [nb: diesel is an eponym from the German automotive engineer, Rudolf Diesel, who invented (1890) the engine that operates on fuel oil] PF : Popular Forces of South Vietnam, recruited and trained security troops employed, as SQUADS and PLATOONS, within their local villages and hamlets; see RF, RF/PF, PRU, PSDF. PFC : Private First Class; also known as MOSQUITO WING. Alternatively, DRAFTEEs and short-timers aspired to become "Potentially Free Citizen", "Privately Funded Citizen", or "Proud Fucking Civilian". PFT : Physical Fitness Training; see PT, DAILY DOZEN, AIRBORNE SHUFFLE, FRONT LEANING REST, TRUSCOTT TROT, BIATHLON, TRIATHLON, PENTATHLON, DECATHLON. Also, Physical Fitness Test, being the monthly exam that replaced the annual Physical Competency and Proficiency Test (PCPT). PHANTOM II : McDonnell-Douglas F-4 (called "Fox-Four") aircraft is a supersonic, twin-engine, all-weather, two-place, tactical jet fighter-bomber; and was one of the principal aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia. It was originally designed as a jet bomber without guns, but CAS tactical necessity dictated later modification. Capable of operating at speeds of more than 1,600 miles per hour and at altitudes approaching 60,000 feet, the first F-4s were deployed to participate in the air war over Vietnam in August 1964 by the U.S. Navy. On 6 August 1964, in response to the GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT, five F-4Bs from the USS Constellation attacked North Vietnamese patrol boat bases. The F-4 aircraft expanded their operations beginning on 3 April 1965, when fifty F-4Bs attacked a road bridge 65 miles south of Hanoi. The first U.S. Air Force F-4s were deployed to Southeast Asia in early 1965 and became involved in significant air operations during the summer. On 10 July 1965, two F-4Cs shot down two MiG-17 fighters over North Vietnam with air-to-air Sidewinder missiles. In October 1965 the first RF-4s, aircraft equipped with reconnaissance equipment, were deployed to the theater. By March 1966, seven USAF F-4 squadrons were in South Vietnam and three were in Thailand. Buildup of F-4 aircraft and operations continued thereafter including F-4s from the Marine Corps. The F-4D carries optical and guided bombs, other air-to-air missiles, and cannon. It features improved avionics equipment for air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. A total of 511 F-4s from all services were lost in Southeast Asia from 6 June 1965 through 29 June 1973. Of these, 430 were combat losses, while 81 resulted from aerial or ground accidents. See WILD WEASEL. PHANTOM OPERATIONS : fictitious commitments and maneuvers designed to deceive enemy intelligence, conducted by skeleton staff simulating orders, signals, and reports (STAREP, SITREP, etc). Operation "Wedlock" employed actual bombing by 11th Air Force assets in preparation for a phantom attack by the non-existent 9th Fleet on the Kurile Islands as a successful diversion for the actual WWII assault on the Marianas. During the GULF WAR, these deception operations were conducted by "Ambiguity Forces" under Task Force Troy, and used a "wheeled camel" symbol. See GHOST UNIT, DECEPTION. PHASE LINE : a line utilized for control and coordination of military operations, usually an easily identified terrain feature in the operational area (AO); see FEBA, FLOT, FCSL, IP, POD, LINE OF DEPARTURE, AIMPOINT, WAY POINT, STRONGPOINT; compare STAR WARS, MAGINOT LINE, SMEZ, IRON CURTAIN, BAMBOO CURTAIN, BAR LEV LINE, CACTUS CURTAIN, McNAMARA'S WALL, McNAMARA LINE, CHINESE WALL, DEW LINE. [cf: Hadrian's Wall, Antonine Wall, Great Wall of China] [nb: "The strength of a wall is neither greater nor less than the men who defend it." by Genghis Khan] PHI : in Laotian ontology / pneumatology, unseen spirits which inhabit all things; compare OAN HON. PHIL CAG : PHILippine Civic Action Group; beginning in 1953, medical and rural development teams were sent to assist South Vietnam, then in 1966, PHIL CAG was instituted, establishing a base camp in Tay Ninh (III CTZ) consisting of 1500 personnel who conducted pacification operations in Tay Ninh, Binh Dong, Hau Ngia, and Dinh Tuong provinces. Due to political pressures, PHIL CAG was withdrawn in January 1970, leaving behind a small contingent of medical and rural development teams, similar to those originally sent before the establishment of PHIL CAG. See CA, CAP, FWF. PHILIPPINE SCOUTS : an official unit of the U.S. Army (1901-46) composed of native Filipinos under the command of American officers, and were designated with a "PS" suffix (43rd, 45th, and 57th Infantry Regiments (PS), 24th and 25th Field Artillery Regiments (PS), 91st and 92nd Coast Artillery Regiments (PS), 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS), 14th Engineer Regiment (PS), 12th Quartermaster Regiment (PS), including medical, and military police formations), separate from Philippine Commonwealth units. PS companies were initially organized to combat bandits and INSURGENTs (including Moro tribesmen on Mindanao) as a result of the SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR; and after WWI, the PS infantry and artillery units were operationally grouped with the U.S. Army's 31st Infantry Regiment (commonly known as the "Thirsty First" for its bibulous reputation) to form the U.S. Army's Philippine Division. The first three Medals of Honor (MOH) awarded to soldiers in WWII were presented to PHILIPPINE SCOUTS [ie: Sergeant Jose Calugas for action at Culis, Bataan on 6 January 1942; Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger for action near Abucay, Bataan on 12 January 1942; and Lieutenant Willibald C. Bianchi for action near Bagac, Bataan on 3 February 1942]. When the Philippines were recaptured, surviving PHILIPPINE SCOUTS and Filipino GUERRILLAs rejoined the unit, reconstituted as the U.S. Army's 12th Infantry Division, including the 43rd, 44th, 45th, and 57th Infantry Regiments (PS), 23rd, 24th, and 88th Field Artillery Battalions (PS), and the 56th Engineer Battalion (PS). Some of the PHILIPPINE SCOUTS were assigned CONSTABULARY duties, while others were scheduled for occupation service in Japan after the war. When the Republic of the Philippines became independent on 4 July 1946, many of the PHILIPPINE SCOUTS accepted American citizenship, and continued their service with various units of the U.S. Army in the KOREAN WAR, VIETNAM WAR, and other COLD WAR stations. President Truman disbanded the PHILIPPINE SCOUTS as an official element of the United States Army in 1946, and all of their unit COLORS were retired. see ARMY SOUP. PHOENIX : Phoenix crest covert program to identify and neutralize VC political leaders, as terrorist reciprocity for the communist death toll of eleven (11) SVN/GVN officials murdered daily throughout the war; see PHUNG HOANG, VCI, compare ICEX, PRU. Also, designation for the active RADAR-homing AIM-54 Air-to-Air MISSILE (AAM). PHOUGAS : drums of jellied gasoline, setup canted at an angle and fired defensively as a fixed-position anti-personnel weapon; also spelled "phu-gas", "foo-gas," and "fougasse". See NAPALM. PHUNG HOANG : the Vietnamese name for the PHOENIX program, formally known as "Chien Dich Phuong Hoang" (mistakenly cited in numerous sources as "Chien Vich Phuong Hoang"), as derived from a legendary bird endowed with magical powers; which was part of the Accelerated Pacification Program (Le Loi), announced by South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu on 1 July 1968, and directed against the VCI. See PHOENIX, PRU, ICEX. PIASTER : the basic monetary unit of currency in French INDOCHINA; also spelled "piastre", with the term derived from "silver plate". During the VIETNAM WAR, the South Vietnamese DONG was commonly called PIASTER or "P" to distinguish it from the North Vietnamese DONG; having an approximate conversion rate of: VNP100 = US$0.85 ca1966; VNP100 = US$1.15 ca1970, VND15,800 = US$1.00 ca2005. See DONG, HAO, XU, MPC. Also, a monetary unit of currency in Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria; see LEGAL TENDER. PICKLE : PILOT slang for the armament controls mounted on the steering STICK; see CAS, GUN RUN. Also, PILOT term for releasing the bombload on the target; see SPLASH, SMOOGE, INTERVALOMETER. THE PICKLE FACTORY : slang name for the headquarters complex of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) near Langly Virginia; this phrase has traditionally represented a predicament. Compare THE FARM, COUNTRY CLUB, SHANGRI-LA; see SPOOK, SECRET AGENT, TRADECRAFT. PIDGIN : an auxiliary non-native language, that has developed from the need of speakers of different languages to communicate, and is essentially a simplified and short-lived form of a prominent language, with a reduced vocabulary and grammatical structure; origin may be a variant of "business talk" in Chinese pidgin English. A pidgin evolves into a creole when it acquires syntax (eg: Krio). Both "baby talk" (preconstructive) and "telegraph speech" (deconstructive) may be classified as pidgin due to their discordance. See HOOCH, JUNK, JOSS STICK, COOLIE, BUDDHAHEAD, CHOP, CHOP CHOP, CHIN CHIN, SAME-SAME, SIN LOY (XIN LOI), CREOLE, LINGUA FRANCA, JARGON, VERNACULAR, PIG LATIN, MIL-SPEAK. PIE : a quick method for subdividing an area or segmenting a range for complete observation and coverage during SEARCH AND CLEAR or SEARCH AND DESTROY operations; as based upon a survey pattern of wedges radiating from the attacker or fire team, as if positioned at the center of a sliced pie. May be expressed as "pie the field", "pieing the hill", or "pied the room". See RANGE CARD, WATCHER, RACETRACK, UMBRELLA. PIECE OF CAKE : slang for going into hostile ground operations with confidence of success; some special operations in INDOCHINA were ostensibly called a "piece of tofu", but this is probably apocryphal. See NO SWEAT, LAUGH A MINUTE, WALK IN THE PARK, CAKEWALK, DUCK SOUP, TURKEY SHOOT. PIERCE ARROW : designation given to air operations against North Vietnam in August 1964. PIG : the belt-fed M-60 light machinegun, also called NUMBER SIXTY, was classified as CREW-SERVED, having a gunner and loader assigned, but was normally operated on a post (PINTLE) or bipod by one person; in consequence of which, and in consideration of the terrain, the barrel was shortened to increase its effective manipulation. See MG, LINK AMMO. PIGGYBACK : anything, as a device or apparatus, that's attached to or mounted on something else, especially a vehicle carried on another larger vehicle; also called "pickaback". See MOTHER SHIP, MINISUB. PIG LATIN : an informal or juvenile language derived from ordinary English by the metathetic movement of the first consonant or consonant cluster of each word to the end of the same word, and adding the sound (long-a) [eg: Eakspay Igpay Atinlay = Speak Pig Latin]. See PIDGIN, CREOLE, VERNACULAR. PIGTAIL : a short length of cable used to connect electrical terminals or to splice a transmission wire; see SPAGHETTI, LANDLINE, COAX. Also, slang for a thin twisted roll of tobacco, a hand-made instead of a ready-made smoke; see GASPER, BUTT, FAG, FIELD STRIP, POLICE CALL, STICK, GRASS, CAN SA, HAY, HUBBLE-BUBBLE. [nb: according to George Orwell, a "hard-up" is a cigarette improvised from the tobacco garnered from castoff stubs and BUTTs hand-rolled in tissue, Bible paper, or newsprint] [nb: the MEXICAN WAR changed American smoking habits, from a preference for pipes (typically clay) to cigars and cigarettes] PIKE HILL : a 1969 INTEL project utilizing BODEs to surveil enemy activity in Cambodia; see DANIEL BOONE. [nb: SOG issued these agents homing pigeons instead of radios for secure reporting, without fear of being compromised by possession of unexplainable equipment.] THE PILL : the birth-control pill, which is credited with the "sexual revolution" as an adjunct to the "women's liberation movement" and the "Counter Culture"; see BIRTH CONTROL DEVICE, HIPPIE, YIPPIE, PREEVERT, SHORT ARM, PRO KIT, BLUE PETER. Also, the anti-MALARIA pill (M-11), commonly called a HORSE PILL. PILLBOX : a small or compact fortification, similar to a BUNKER, housing machineguns (MG), antiaircraft (AA), or anti-TANK (AT) weapons. Compare BRIDGEHEAD, CASEMATE, STRONGPOINT. PILOT : a person qualified to operate an airplane, helicopter, balloon, glider, or other aircraft, originally designated a "chauffeur"; which skill is recognized by military badges, gradated basic, senior (@1500hrs), and master (@3000hrs). The WWI "winged propeller" aviation badge was redesigned for WWII as the "winged shield" (Army) and "winged anchor" (Navy); and subsequently extended to medical flight crew and other aircraft crewmembers. Sometimes called "aviator", "fly boy", "left-seater", "aeronaut", or "pilot PUKE"; a Warrant Officer (WO) PILOT is designated a "flight officer". See AC, ACE, AIRDALE, BARNSTORMER, BLUE ANGELS, THUNDERBIRDS, SKYBLAZERS, SILVER EAGLES, HAWC, TOP GUN, RED FLAG, DREAMLAND, IP, CHECK RIDE, UP CHECK, Q-COURSE, FUF, FAG, GIB, BIRDMAN, PETER PILOT, BIRD DOG, "Flying Sergeant" at OFFICER, PROP JOCKEY, WOBBLY, WOP, ROTOR HEAD, JET JOCKEY, CHOCOLATE BOMBARDIER, GOOD STICK, SUICIDE JOCKEY, MAP, DIRTY THIRTY, CHAPAKAO, SEAT TIME, HELMET FIRE, WINGS, BUSH PILOT, GROUNDED. [v: An Aerobatics and Aviation Lexicon] [nb: a BULLETPROOF pilot's braggadocio is often expressed as "big sky, little bullet"] Also, a person qualified to steer ships through certain difficult waters; compare CHIEF, BOATSWAIN. Also, a guide or leader; see SKY PILOT. PILOTHOUSE : an enclosed structure on the deck of a ship from which it can be navigated; also known as "wheelhouse"; compare COCKPIT, BRIDGE, FLYING BRIDGE. PILOT'S SURVIVAL KNIFE : survival knife a smaller and more refined version of the M-2 fighting utility knife (KABAR) made by various contractors, having a 5" clip-point carbon-steel blade with sawteeth on back and fuller (BLOOD GROOVE) on the side, a crossguard with holes bored for lashing, a stacked leather haft, a heavy hex-hammer pommel, and finished with a zinc phosphate coating. The sheath features a whetstone pocket, and a metal plate to help prevent injury from the blade point, that may also be used as a reflector. It can be worn in several places, from vest to belt, or simply stowed in a leg pouch of the FLIGHT SUIT. Issued to Army and Air Force PILOTs and CREW DOGs, it is variously identified as the "Air Force Survival Knife", "survival knife", or "emergency knife". See KNIFE. PINCER : a simultaneous attack on both sides of an opposing force, with the aim of turning or dividing the enemy for a defeat in detail, a double envelopment or double FLANK engagement; also known as "pincers", "pincer movement", or "pincers movement". Compare BLOCKING FORCE. [nb: not 'pincher' or 'Pinscher'] PING : informal term for ask, query, question, investigate, interrogate; also expressed as "pulse", as by mechanical analogy. PING-PONG : to move, shift, toss, or transfer something (eg: a problem, dilemma, accusation, decision) without alteration or resolution, as a "hot potato" or "musical chair" that will damage the person "left holding the bag" more than the true culprit; this seemingly pointless action (comparable to "passing the buck"), that's substituting for responsible leadership, serves to winnow the MILICRAT competition in a perverse form of bloodless Russian roulette. In continuation of the tennis metaphor, a sustained rally of the subject or object without resolution is known as a VOLLEY. This exercise is also known as "tossing the hot potato", "handing-off the turd ball", or "passing the paper grenade". PING-PONG DIPLOMACY : although VIETNAMIZATION (ACTOV) was underway, allied troops were still engaged on the battlefield, and POWs were still captive, the notorious anti-communist and current U.S. president, Richard M. Nixon, sought a change in America's outmoded "two China policy" by repairing foreign relations with an enemy (PRC) currently supporting the PAVN, by abandoning another wartime ally (ROC) and trading partner, and redirecting the focus of the electorate to a different arena with the exchange of traveling "athletes", ping-pong players, who would act as "ambassadors of good will" without portfolio on a carefully supervised 2-week tour of Red China during April 1971. The tour invitation, which admitted 15 players and 10 journalists, was extended at the World Table Tennis Tournament in Japan, and has been characterized as "the ping heard 'round the world" in an allusion to the "shot heard around the world" that inaugurated the American Revolution, implying something momentous from something insignificant. This visitation, the first since 1949, broke the news blockade of mainland China, and the U.S. lifted its 20 year old trade embargo against the PRC. Almost a year later Nixon and Kissenger continued the VOLLEYing as they established triangular relations with Russia and China. Compare BIG STICK DIPLOMACY, GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY, DOMINO THEORY, DECENT INTERVAL, VIETNAM SYNDROME. PINK TIME : the period of diffused light, during sunrise or sunset, when the sun is below the horizon, which periods of daybreak ("false dawn" / dawn) or nightfall (evening / dusk), formally known as "nautical twilight", are optimal for navigation and military operations; normally classified as: Beginning Morning Nautical Twilight (BMNT), Ending Morning Nautical Twilight (EMNT), Beginning Evening Nautical Twilight (BENT), and Ending Evening Nautical Twilight (EENT). For the observer, darkness seems to rise from the ground at nightfall, and light seems to descend to the ground at daybreak. Compare GREEN FLASH. [nb: the word "nautical" means 'navigation' in this phrase, and is utilized by aviators, sailors, and soldiers alike] [cf: half-light, Purkinje shift, crepuscule, eventide, evenfall, gloam, gloaming, sunset, sundown, cockshut, vespers, prime, matin, cockcrow, dawning; v: chromosphere, spicule, plage] PINTLE : (pin-tull, not "pint-ley") technically, a pin or bolt that supports something that turns, as in a socket (gudgeon), however, this strong but simple coupling, which may be locked or rotated, is most often used to directly mount an automatic weapon onto a monopod/monopode stanchion, or to connect a large gun or cannon to a vehicle for towing, so by metonymic extension, the entire pedestal mount has acquired the name of its principal element. When the same coupling is used in a SPONSON or RING MOUNT, the coupling does not define the mount, as it does with pedestal or monopod stands. When the word PINTLE, derived from penis, refers to the connecting pin or hook that constitutes a trailer hitch, this coupling is pronounced differently (pint-ley), and so is considered a non-military or civilian usage. Compare BIPOD, TRIPOD, TRUNNION. PIN-UP : Vargas pin-up a large photograph, as a fold-out or layout spread of a sexually attractive person, that's suitable for pinning on a wall, tacking onto the underside of a FOOTLOCKER lid, or taping inside the door of a WALL LOCKER. Erotic art became manifest in this format, especially calendars and periodicals, during WWII, but became so explicit during the Vietnam-era that its display, once regulated, is now forbidden. Sometimes called "centerfold" or "eye-candy". PIO : (pee-eye-oh) Public Information Office/Officer; also called Public Affairs Office/Officer (PAO). PIONEER : a surveillance DRONE or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), able to vector assault craft and/or fire missions onto enemy movements and positions. Also, slang for an engineer (ENG), but not a Combat Engineer (CE); compare SAPPER, SEABEES, PRIME BEEF, SNIPE, CHIPS, RED HORSE. PIP : a nominal gradation or emulated RANK given to CADETs or subalterns in military training; some ADVISORs mistakenly referred to their ENSIGNs of equivalent insignia by this term. Also, any small mark, blip, or bleep, as on a RADAR screen, or on the back of patrol HEADGEAR. PIPPER : aiming dot on PILOT's gunsight. PIPSQUEAK : a small intermittent transmitter that, when situated in a pre-WWII airplane, would broadcast a short signal at regular intervals, which would cue RADAR detection, and enable its location to be plotted; see IFF, SQUAWK, ELT, HOMER. PIR : Patrol Indigenous Rations, also known as "PIRs" or "PIR rations"; being compact and lightweight meals, often dehydrated and requiring preparation, issued to Asian troops working with American ADVISORs. These low-cost meals, prepared under contract with CISO in Japan, were often supplemented by village produce or by C-RATIONS. The sesame-honey candy included in PIRs was disparaged by Americans as RAT BAIT, but became part of the "health food" craze among HIPPIEs. PIRATE'S DREAM : sailor's slang for a woman with insignificant breasts, as a "sunken chest" or "buried treasure"; then in the later co-ed politically-correct military, it referred to any "hollow chested" person, especially CLERKS 'n' JERKS. Compare BAM, see HANG LOOSE, HIGH POCKETS, MAE WEST, THE BRA. [aka: assets, endowments, advantages, bosom, bust, breasts, dynamic duo, terrible twosome, double trouble, boobs/boobies, knockers, dingers, bangers, shock absorbers, hooters, tooters, honkers, whoopies, howlers, whammies, woofers, dumbbells, bumpers, zoomers, jigglers, wobblers, bouncers, knobs/knobbers, nodules, bumps, mounds, hills, peaks, baubles, cupcakes, dumplings, gumdrops, lollies, yum-yums, jugs, dugs, droopers, floppers, flopdoodles, saggies, baggies, glad bags, huffies, balloons, air-bags, wind bags, cuddlies, pillows, softies, huggies, cushions, mooglies, bazooms, babaloos, baloobas, hubba-bubbas, zingers, whoppers, headlights, hubcaps, twins, friends, cubs, puppies, hush puppies, snuggle pups, tats/tatties, tits/titties, lungs, mammary, udder, teats, nipples, tippers, mammilla, falsie] [nb: the first US patent for the brassiere occurred 1910, despite the 1913 claim by Mary Phelps Jacob for its invention; Ida Rosenthal introduced the "Maidenform" bra in 1923; the "sports bra" was introduced in 1977; gelatin-filled bras have been available as an alternative to implants since 1978; the "ideal" bra size is 34-B, a standard established by clothing designers, and from which the other sizes are volumetrically extrapolated; the commercial size range is from 28-AAA to 55-DD; bra size is measured with a tape across the top of the chest, then across the bust, such that if the difference in girth is 1" then the cup size is A, if 2" then B, if 3" then C, if 4" then D] PIRAZ : Positive Identification and Radar Advisory Zone. PISSING CONTEST : as the name indicates, any childish or insignificant competition, analogically based upon the perverted or homosexual act of urinating or ejaculating farther than others; often involving DUTCH COURAGE, BRAGGING RIGHTS, COUNTING COUP, PAY DUES, ATFU, BTDT, and the settlement of wagers. As with most games, the people who like to play them are usually successful, by fair means or foul; so the best strategy is: never play the other guy's game! Compare FIRING LINE; see CIRCLE JERK, TURN IN THE BARREL, SPUNK, POGUE, PO, CHALLENGE COIN, COINING, SHORT SNORTER, CHIT, HARD TIMES TOKEN. PISTOL : a short firearm intended to be held and fired with only one hand, as derived from a "fife" or "pipe" as a colloquial term for a type of light harquebus employed during the Hussite wars; including M-1911A1 .45cal; GYROJET; ; . See MAGAZINE, MUZZLE, SILENCER, TUPPERWARE, JOHN WAYNE RIFLE, ZERO, OFFHAND; compare RIFLE, SMG, MG, BLOOPER, SAW, STONER. [nb: Chinese invented first handgun ca1250] [v: Firearms Glossary] PISTOL BELT : a wide canvas belt with hook-closure and numerous grommets for attaching pouches, accessories, or hip holster for SIDEARM. During Vietnam, a quick-release T-buckle closure for one-hand operation was first introduced to paratroopers; later becoming a Delrin plastic one-hand closure. Compare CLUTCH BELT; see WEB GEAR, LBE. PITA : informal abbreviation for Pain In The Anatomy, or Pain In The Ass. Also, a round, layered, flat bread originating in the Middle East that may be filled to form a pocket-like sandwich (cf: taco); see HARDTACK, SINKER. Also, a fiber, obtained from Agave, Aechmea, and other desert plants, used for cordage, mats, and similar products; see ELEPHANT GRASS, SAW GRASS, KUNAI, NIPA PALM, TULE. PITCH : the up or down nosing of a ship or airplane about its transverse axis; see ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. Also, longetudinal oscillation or linear plunge, as a ship's alternating BOW and STERN rocking; see PITCH-POLE, compare ROLL, YAW, HEAVE, ATHWART. Also, the distance that a given propeller would advance in one revolution; see FEATHER, SPOOL-UP. Also, a sloping or angled place. Also, to pave or revet with small stones; see BANK, compare SPALL. PITCHED BATTLE : a battle that has been planned beforehand to occur in a particular place at a particular time; compare MEETING ENGAGEMENT; see CONTACT, AMBUSH, BATTLE, LAW OF AVERAGES. Also, any intense battle at close quarters. PITCH-POLE : a vessel capsizing lengthwise, due to waves cresting higher than the keel length; see FOUNDER. PJ : Para-Jumper, NICKNAME for the USAF "pararescuemen", all of whom are PARACHUTE, SCUBA, SERE, medical, and close-combat trained flight crewmembers. Officially established as a USAF specialty (AFSC 1T2X1) in July 1947, the linage of this occupation began with search and rescue (SAR) operations conducted during WWII, evolved through the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS), and became members of Special Tactics Teams in the USAF Special Operations Command. Although the original mission of pararescue was saving the lives of military aircrews downed on battlefields, often in enemy controlled territory, their retrieval and recovery capabilities led to pararescue forces being utilized in other emergency or disaster situations. Qualification training to become a PJ begins with a selection process, which continues through a 12-month training schedule that includes aircrew, parachute, swimming, survival, and medical certifications. Successful completion of all this training, an ordeal known as the "pipeline", entitles the individual to wear the distinctive maroon BERET with pararescue crest and bloused JUMP BOOTS. Although bloused trousers and PARA badge have been part of the PJ uniform since its inception, the maroon BERET (symbolizing blood sacrifice) with pararescue crest was only approved for wear on 26 May 1966. Other specializations have been added to PJ eligibility, including SCUBA / Combat Swimmer qualification in 1964, and HALO/MFF (freefall) qualification in 1985. Always a small cohort (less than 300 BILLETs), PJs earned ten of the 21 Air Force Crosses awarded for gallantry in Southeast Asia during the VIETNAM WAR; with the 11 April 1966 AFC for A1C William H. Pitsenbarger being upgraded to the MOH in 2000. The Air Force Cross has also been awarded to TSgt Timothy A. Wilkinson for 1993 heroism in Somalia, and to SrA Jason D. Cunningham for 2002 heroism in Afghanistan. The PJ motto is: "that others may live". See CSAR, SAR, JSARC, RCC, JPRC, BRIGHT LIGHT, BLOOD CHIT, GUARD, HOT HOIST, JUNGLE PENETRATOR, KINGBEE, HUSKY, JOLLY GREEN GIANT, SAFE, TRAP. PLA : People's Liberation Army; also known as "People's Liberation Armed Forces" (PLAF), and "People's Liberation Committee" (PLC); being the operational arm of the NLF/VC/PRG. PLAIN OF JARS : (Plaine des Jarres) the ancient site of traditional burial in the Laotian panhandle, near Long Tieng; also called "PDJ" and THE J. Laos requested US support when the PATHET LAO seized the Plaine des Jarres region on 17 May 1964. PLAIN OF REEDS : a flat grassy basin located in the northeastern part of the Mekong Delta, in the provinces of Kien Phong and Kien Tuong, that served as a Viet Cong base area. PLAN B : the alternate or contingent scheme that is spontaneously improvised when the primary schedule (Plan A) fails. See COURSE OF ACTION, CAPABILITY, OPLAN, FIELD EXPEDIENT, CONFUSION. [nb: It is a Murphy Law of Combat that: "No operations plan ever survives intact after the initial enemy contact."!; "Before a war begins, the plans read like astronomy, but afterwards, like astrology." by Rebecca West (Cicily Isabel Fairfield Andrews)] PLANK : a long flat piece of timber, that's thicker than a board, as when laying, covering, or furnishing with same; see STRAKE, GUNWALE, HULL, DECK, BROW, GANGWAY. Also, a support upon which to stand or to which to cling; see FLOTSAM. Also, any of the principles or objectives that compose the platform of a party or organization; see PARTY LINE, SCRIPTURES. [v: "walk the plank"] PLANK OWNER : sailor who's been on-board since ship was commissioned into service; also called "plank holder". Compare HOMESTEADER. PLANTATION : a model or "showplace" Prisoner of War camp, that was later succeeded by the ZOO; see CITADEL, ALCATRAZ, POW. PLAY BALL : slang term from WWII for US Naval ships to open fire upon the enemy, to commence firing or to fire at will; see BATTER UP, PLAY THE GAME; compare SCRAM, TALLY-HO. PLAYING THE XYLOPHONE : (forthcoming); see BRAINWASHING, FIELD EXPEDIENT FACIAL, ROPE TRICK, TORTURE, CODE OF CONDUCT, POW PLAY THE GAME : to participate, well if not enthusiastically, in the proceedings without violating the defined parameters, as to exemplify or manifest the basis, mainspring, linchpin, crux, cardinal point, keystone, cornerstone, root, foundation, bottom line, or gravamen of something, hopefully significant. See WAR GAMES, FLOWER WAR, BALL GAME, VIETNAM SYNDROME, PISSING CONTEST, HAT TRICK, WHIPSAW, TALLY-HO, PLAY BALL, BATTER UP, BODY COUNT, TRAIN HARD FIGHT EASY, KNOCK IT OFF, TS CARD, POWER WALL, PAY DUES, TOY SOLDIER, THEY'LL GIVE A WAR AN' NOBODY'LL COME. PLF : Parachute Landing Fall, being a tumbling method of controlled impact upon six points of the body to avoid injury. PLIMSOLL MARK : a contrasting line or band painted on the exterior HULL of a merchant ship indicating its load level or depth level from cargo; being an eponym from Samuel Plimsoll, and also known as "Plimsoll line", LOAD-LINE MARK, "load-line", or "waterline". Compare GRAYBACK, COUNTERSHADING; see DRAFT, FREEBOARD. PLOWBACK : any recent graduate from a training program, usually an outstanding student but not the honor graduate, who is retained by the facility as an instructor, to teach what he has just learned, or as CADRE, to sustain the integrity and continuity of the training program. See PERMANENT PARTY; compare RETREAD, RECYCLE, GOAT. PLS : Palletized Load System, requiring special load-handling or container-handling equipment for movement, as prescribed in FM 55-80 Army Container Operations; see CONTAINERIZATION, CONEX, LOW-LEVEL EVACUATION DROP, DAISY CHAIN; compare CARGO NET. PLT : abbreviation for platoon; a platoon is an organizational unit composed of three or more SQUADS, containing approximately 45 men, commanded by a Platoon Sergeant and a Platoon Leader; three or more platoons normally comprise a company-sized unit, such as INF CO, ARTY BTY, or CAV TRP. A platoon, derived from ball, which normally functions as a single unit, is the fundamental organization that implements all the basic military operations, and has the highest ratio of direct command relations. The leader of a USMC platoon is called a Platoon Commander. Vietnamese term for platoon: Trung Doi. PLUNGING FIRE : indirect fire, as from a mortar or cannon (ARTY), that strikes the ground at a steep angle, being the result of firing at very high ELEVATIONs; also called HIGH ANGLE HELL. Also, direct fire from an elevated position or platform upon lower level targets by depressing the MAIN-GUN or GUN TUBE below the level of its position, as from a hilltop fortification against valley targets, or ships shooting at boats or low flying aircraft. [nb: both armored vehicles (especially TANKs) as well as MISSILEs have used RAMPs to increase ELEVATION for PLUNGING FIRE] PM : Preventive/Preventative Maintenance, being a euphemism for "make work", invented by military managers to bureaucratize the Armed Forces. There is so much regular maintenance on CHOPPERS and TRACKS (about three hours for every hour of operation), that additional maintenance in the form of PM during combat operations is ridiculous! ... but when something fails, it gives the BRASS HATS something to blame. See ZD, CANNIBALIZE. Also, abbreviation for PROVOST MARSHAL; see POLICE. PMCS : Preventive/Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services, being those maintenance tasks performed by the vehicle's operator. PMOS : Primary Military Occupational Specialty; see MOS, CROSS-TRAINING, Q-COURSE. PNG : Persona Non Grata, an alien resident who's diplomatically expelled from a foreign country; such irrevocable expulsion is in lieu of prosecution under local laws for the precipitating incident, which could interfere with larger national issues. PO : (pee-oh) Petty Officer, rated E-4/PO3 to E-6/PO1 in the Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine; similar to NCO promotion in other service branches. See GUNNY, BLOOD STRIPE, TOP GUN, TOP, SARGE, MISTER, BUZZARD; compare CPO, CHIEF. Also, the universal abbreviation for Pissed-Off, sometimes represented as "PO'ed"; see PISSING CONTEST, WTFO, SOL, BOHICA, CHICKEN SHIT, MICKEY MOUSE. [nb: classic wisdom suggests that "It is better to be pissed-off than pissed-on!"] POB : Place Of Birth; see DOB. Also, Personnel On-Board a vessel or aircraft; see SANDBAG, BLOB, STRAP-HANGER, SPACE A, DEADHEAD. POC : Point Of Contact. POCKETKNIFE : MIL-K-818D a knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle, which is suitable for carrying in the pocket or on the belt; of the several styles of military POCKETKNIFE made for electricians or mountaineers or other specialists, the most popular is the all stainless steel, scout patterned utility folder (MIL-K-818D) that was first introduced in 1944. Contrary to the stereotype of the well-armed warrior charging into battle with a KABAR clenched in his teeth, the POCKETKNIFE is the most common knife carried by MIL-PERS ... during the VIETNAM WAR, it was the heavy-duty "Buck 110 Hunter" lockback featuring a single blade. The POCKETKNIFE is more functional and less expensive than a combat knife, and in the modern era of super technology and high mobility, a POCKETKNIFE is less likely to be abandoned as an encumbrance. Although the combat knife will always be a highly cherished symbol of warfare, the humble POCKETKNIFE is the unassuming device that really gets the job done for most people most of the time. See KNIFE. POCKET LITTER : personal oddments or accouterments that are time specific and region appropriate for LEGEND consistency on a covert mission, such as pen, pocketknife, handkerchief, wallet, currency, receipts, tokens, and keys. See CLEAN, COVER, TRADECRAFT. POD : an enclosed housing or container, usually streamlined and detachable, for use on an aircraft, on watercraft or other vehicle, as a RACK mounted DROP-TANK; see ENDURANCE, PETROL, POL. Also, a rubberized 500-gallon container, also called "seal bin"; compare BLADDER, BLIVET. Also, abbreviation for Point Of Departure; see IP, RV, FEBA, PHASE LINE, LINE OF DEPARTURE, WAY POINT. POGUE : dick, cock; dickhead, PRICK, putz; PUKE, DUD, GOLDBRICK, SOS, YARDBIRD, FIELD REJECT; REMF, CLERKS 'n' JERKS, CANDY-ASS, ACETATE COMMANDO, BOMB-PROOF. Similar AUSSIE usage is "wanker" or "whanker" for a contemptible or objectionable person, a jerk-off, from "wank" or "whank" for masturbate; compare "wankered" at STONED. May also be spelled "poag" or "poge"; see POGY BAIT, PINTLE, PUNK, CANDY-ASS, FAG. [nb: 'hooey', allegedly an Americanism used as an interjection for nonsense or tripe, is actually a corruption of the Russian vulgarity ("khuy") for penis, and is commonly used alone (eg: dick, dickhead, dick-wad) or in phrases (eg: dumber than dick; he doesn't know dick; don't dick around; don't stir your tea with your dick)] [cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff] POGY BAIT : CONTRABAND or prohibited food, especially candy or "junk food"; derived from any homosexual enticement, also spelled "poagy bait". See GEDUNK, JAWBREAKER, SINKER, RAT BAIT, POGUE, SNAKE SKIN, CANDY-ASS, PUNK, FAG. [nb: 'hooey', allegedly an Americanism used as an interjection for nonsense or tripe, is actually a corruption of the Russian vulgarity ("khuy") for penis, and is commonly used alone (eg: dick, dickhead, dick-wad) or in phrases (eg: dumber than dick; he doesn't know dick; don't dick around; don't stir your tea with your dick)] [cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff] POI : Program Of Instruction, being the standardized training doctrine utilized to adequately teach all military subjects. Training centers and schools followed lesson plans, augmented by official manuals (FM or TM), employing hortatory pedagogy: "Tell 'em whutcha gunna tell 'em; tell 'em; then tell 'em whutcha told 'em!". See MOS, PMOS, Q-COURSE, CROSS-TRAINING, TRNG, OJT, IA, ROTC, TRADE SCHOOL, TRADOC. [nb: the most revered truths gleaned from "lessons learned" on the battlefield are: quality is always better than quantity; expertise cannot be mass produced; competence results from practice, not desire or funding; no emergency response can repair a mistake or restore an opportunity; humans are more important than hardware; experience takes time, and judgement takes maturity] POINT : the lead soldier or forward element in an advancing unit, being responsible for selecting the route of travel relative to the mission direction, and vulnerable to the dangers of BOOBY-TRAPS or first contact with the enemy; also called "point man". See SPEARHEAD, SHOTGUN, JUDAS GOAT; compare SLACK, DRAG, SENTRY, SUICIDE SQUAD. [v: van, vanguard, vedette] POINT-BLANK : straight close-range fire, not indirect or curved, as when the axis of a firearm or cannon barrel is parallel to the aimed line of sight, and discharges directly into the center of the TARGET; phrase derives from the white center or BULL'S-EYE of an archery target ("point blanc"); see POINT OF IMPACT, AIMPOINT, SIGHT PICTURE, ZERO, BORESIGHT, SHARPSHOOTER, DEADEYE, KISS THE MISTRESS, KNOCK THEIR SPOTS OFF, DEFLECTION, BOLO, MAGGIE'S DRAWERS. [v: Aunt Sally, Jack-a-Lent, cockshy, clay pigeon, sitting duck, mark, gull, dupe, pigeon, prey, quintain, wand, hit list] Also, straightforward, plain, explicit, blunt or frank. POINTIE TALKIE : originating as a bilingual word booklet developed for the aircrew of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), and issued with a BLOOD CHIT, to enable escape and evasion (E&E); becoming the prototype of all future phrase books issued to MIL-PERS on combat assignment or occupation duty in foreign countries. The POINTIE TALKIE arranged words, grouped by subject (eg: food, medicine, shelter, security, signals, weapons, enemy, contacts, places, numbers, directions, etc), in columns so that a rudimentary form of basic communication could occur between persons without fluency in the other's language. In addition to English/Chinese, the POINTIE TALKIE booklet also contained sections for Burmese, French, Annamese (Vietnamese), Siamese (Thai), Lolo (Tibeto-Burmese), Shan, and Lao. Different versions were used in other WWII theaters, and some mission-specific versions (eg: in Russian for B-29 bomber crews enroute to Japan). The greatest problem with this technique was illiteracy. Another problem was the confusion of meanings among the several Asian languages using similar pictographic scripts, sometimes at the risk of wrongful affiliation (as mistaken for being pro-Japanese instead of being pro-Chinese). Another problem was the limited stock of available terms. Later versions of the POINTIE TALKIE incorporated some illustrations to assist with the illiteracy problem, but these images proved more entertaining than informative. Most of the downed aircrew found simple "dumb show" pantomime to be as good or better than the booklet. Some of the POINTIE TALKIE booklets included a "carrot and stick" version of the BLOOD CHIT, promising reward for cooperation and threatening punishment for noncompliance, as signed by Chiang Kai-Shek ("Shanker Jack"). In phrase books later issued to occupation forces in Germany and Japan, a summary of polite regional customs was added as an introduction, and the civilian subject headings were expanded. The booklet issued during the VIETNAM WAR used complete phrases for expressions, making it less effective for the non-linguist, and did not include French or ethnic languages as an alternative, and therefore was widely ignored. A wallet-sized card of "helpful hints" or "dos and don'ts" on Vietnamese customs was distributed, along with the CODE OF CONDUCT, but was also widely ignored by parochial Americans. A playing card deck featuring a single word per card in the several languages of a region, so that they might be easily arranged into a question or statement, would probably be a more efficient alternative to the booklet format. See DLI, SEATIC, E&E, SERE, SAR, CSAR, BLOOD CHIT, HOME RUN. [v: blood chit] POINT OF IMPACT : the actual coordinates of projectiles fired or munitions released at the same AIMPOINT under a given set of conditions, adjusted by deviation and/or dispersion pattern; also called "mean point of impact" or "point of burst". See BULL'S-EYE, POINT-BLANK, AIMPOINT, DEFLECTION, SPOTTER, TOT, IMPACT AREA, ZONE OF FIRE, KILL ZONE. POISON IVY : 4th Inf Div NICKNAME of the 4th Infantry Division, from pronunciation of the Roman numerals "IV". The Ivy Division patch shows four ivy leaves; also called "Funky Fourth" and "Fighting Fourth". POL : Petroleum - Oil - Lubricants, a military "gas station"; see PETROL, JP, MOGAS, JUICE, CHERRY JUICE, TOP-OFF, HOT-FUELING, BLIVET, BLADDER, POD, FUEL LADDER. [nb: Chinese began drilling for crude petroleum in the 4th Century, but in 1859, the first American oil well was dug near Titusville PA, and the first oil refinery began operation in 1861; kerosene patented 1854; paraffin patented 1859; WD-40 (Water Displacement) invented 1953] POLICE : cleaning the living and working areas of a military post, camp, or BASE; see POLICE CALL. Also, an organized body for public safety and law enforcement; see CONSTABULARY, MP, SNOWDROP, PM, PROVOST GUARD, AP, SP, MASTER-AT-ARMS, BUTTON, CID, BABY 007, OSI, NIS, NCIS, DNI, CGIS, DIS, DCIS, FBI, DEA, REVENUER, DHS, CIA, QC, NPFF, NPSS, FLAPS 'n' SEALS, 10-CODES, BODYGUARD, FPS, SENTRY, GUARDHOUSE, STOCKADE, CROSSBAR HOTEL, HOT HOUSE, BRIG, THE CASTLE, LBJ, CHL, DEAD-TIME, UCMJ, POSSE COMITATUS, BAT MAN. [aka: police, policeman, police officer, peace officer, sheriff, shrieve, bailiff, beadle, reeve, tipstaff, catchpole, marshal, lawman, patrolman, cop, bluecoat, copper, pig, narc, fuzz, bear / Smoky Bear, bull, flatfoot, heat, The Man, The Law, John Law, state trooper, Texas Ranger, plainclothesman, inspector, gumshoe, dick, detective, constable, rookie, meter maid, security guard, square badge, nab, peeler, bobby, mountie, flic, gendarme, carabiniere, Cheka, Gestapo] POLICE CALL : the DETAIL or FATIGUE duty of cleaning and restoring a military area, especially the collection of LITTER and cigarette BUTTs (which, when filter-tipped, are called "mini-tampons"); also called simply "police", as "police the area" or "police up". See FAG, FIELD STRIP, GI PARTY, SQUARED AWAY, SHIPSHAPE, FOD. POLITICIAN : an alleged public agent, having no qualification other than egotistic hubris, and no restraint other than fickle unpopularity, who is privileged to be more equal than ordinary voters, who wields power based upon beneficial reciprocity, who conducts community affairs for private advantage, who compromises truth and principle at every opportunity, and who disclaims any responsibility for the results of his maladministration ... in short, a lying cheating parasite on the back of the citizenry who believes he knows what's best for everyone else (excluding himself!), but doesn't have the courage to actually do anything more than talk about it! When soldiers die in wars they were sent to fight, these yellow-bellied dastards take credit for their battle honors. And when these mollycoddled cravens have botched every negotiable opportunity and bungled every diplomatic relation, soldiers are sent to redeem their ineptitude. Also known as poseur, dissimulator, dissembler, pretender, imposter, charlatan, deceiver, fake, split- / double-tongue, double-talker. Although some lexicographers may disagree, "pol", as the short-form and root of POLITICIAN, is the true basis for "poltroon"! See CIVILIAN, MANDARIN, YANKEE, UNCLE SAM, BELTWAY BANDIT, PORK BARREL, ACT OF CONGRESS, THE NATIONAL JOKE FACTORY, FOGGY BOTTOM, THE G, RED TAPE, THE EAGLE SHITS, WISE MEN, DOMINO THEORY, WAR POWERS ACT, PETITION, DECENT INTERVAL. [v: know-it-all, besserwisser; realpolitik, machtpolitik] [nb: "Politician: an eel in the fundamental mud upon which the superstructure of organized society is reared. When he wriggles he mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive." by Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce; "Congressmen who willingly take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." by Abraham Lincoln; "A dead politician is the noblest work of God." by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens); "Politicians and economists always offer a 'change of history' as their motivation, but history always emphasizes terminal events ... and it is the military, on both sides of the alteration, that generates the final conclusion." paraphrase of Albert Speer] POLLYWOG : any novice sailor, especially someone who has not "crossed the line" (equator) aboard ship, also spelled "polliwog", "pollywag"; see SHELLBACK, CHUM, NUGGET; compare TADPOLE, FROGMAN, UDT, PUP, LEG. [nb: according to legend, a sailor acquired a pierced EARRING when "crossing the line" (equator), which was alleged to improve his eyesight] POLYGLOT : a mixture or confusion of several languages; see PIDGIN. Also, facility or fluency in several languages, being multilingual; see CREOLE. Also, a book containing the same text composed in several languages, as a bilingual edition or scholarly translation, as derived from "many + tongued"; [v: edition, vulgate]. POMPOM : an automatic, 40-millimeter antiaircraft (AA) gun, usually quad-mounted on ships; a "Bofors Gun", first made in Sweden. This analogic rebus and onomatopoeic term is related to both the sound of firing, and to the flower-like ("pompon") appearance of the exploded FLAK; also spelled "pom-pom". Also known as "archy" / "archie" being WWI British slang that probably derives from the pattern of its trajectory. See AA, ACK-ACK, FLAK. [nb: another proposed derivation for "archy" / "archie" is the hindrance caused by German antiaircraft fire which supposedly reminded some WWI airmen of the refrain in a popular 1915 music hall song: "Archibald, Certainly Not!"] PONCHO : a pull-on waterproof garment, with hood and closures, made of rubberized cloth or treated nylon, that's worn instead of a raincoat, fitting over field gear and individual weapon; used as a ground sheet beneath a sleeping bag. [nb: during the VIETNAM WAR, it was popular to take a poncho and poncho liner to a local tailor shop to commission a custom-made rain parka, with a snap-closure front and large collar (showing the camouflage-pattern lining), sometimes with pockets ... possession of such an unofficial rain jacket marked the wearer as an "old hand"] [cf: cape, pelisse, gown, pall, robe, mantle, cloak, cote/coat, tunic, doublet, roquelaure, capote, anorak, ruana, manta, burnoose, kaross, chlamys, mantilla] PONCHO LINER : nylon insert to the military rain PONCHO, used as a blanket in Southeast Asia, which kept the user warm even when soaking wet. POND : ironic or sardonic reference to any large body of water, such as a sea or ocean; as "across the pond" or "crossed the pond". See THE MED, THE GULF, FLOAT, YANKEE STATION, DIXIE STATION, THE DRINK. PONTOON : an inflated or floating support for any structure, such as a landing stage or temporary bridge, a dock or seaplane; also spelled "ponton", as derived from "punt", a flat-bottomed BOAT; see SCOW. Also, in NavSpeak, a float for raising a deeply laden or sunken vessel in the water; also known as a "camel" or CAISSON. PONTOON BRIDGE : a temporary watercourse bridge supported by floats or boats; derived from punt (bateau), a flat-bottomed BOAT, and used in China before AD714. See AVLB, BAILEY BRIDGE, BRIDGE RATING, ROUTE STEP, TREADWAY BRIDGE. PONY : USAF 21st Special Operations Squadron; based at Nakhon / Nhakon Phanom (NKP) Air Base Thailand from Jan 1967, flying HH-53 transport and gunship helicopters for special operations. See GREEN HORNET. PONY SOLDIER : slang for a mounted rifleman (designated green) or a dragoon (designated orange), as a mechanized infantryman (designated blue), an air or armored cavalryman (designated yellow) or their forces; see AIR CAV, AIRMOBILE, AIR ASSAULT, HELIBORNE, YELLOWLEG, DRAGOON, LONG KNIFE, ACR, MECH. POOP : accurate information or candid facts, current news or a true account, as the "latest scoop", "straight skinny", "real low-down", or "POOP sheet"; see HEADS-UP, FYI, DOPE, GOUGE, THE WORD, GREEN GREASE, BULLETIN, HOT-SHIT, BOATSWAIN'S PIPE, BUGLE CALL, TANNOY, VECTOR. [nb: at West Point and Annapolis after WWI, the courses on physics and navigation or astronomy were called "skinny" due to the intramural tutoring needed for satisfactory completion; which may be the origin of that slang term for reliably current information] Also, feces, excrement, SHIT, DUMP, as to defecate. Also, tired or exhausted, as to "crap out", be "tuckered" or "POOPed"; see RING THE BELL, KNOCK IT OFF, TS CARD. Also, a wave breaking or taking seas over the STERN of a vessel. Also, a superstructure or POOP DECK at the STERN of a vessel. Also, a fool, dolt, DUD, or DOPE, as a nincompoop. POOP DECK : a weather DECK on the superstructure at the STERN of a vessel, may have bulwarks; compare QUARTERDECK, FANTAIL, FORECASTLE. POOPIE SUIT : slang for the protective cold-water immersion FLIGHT SUIT required for wear by PILOTs whenever a mission takes them over open water, in case of ejecting or ditching into the sea/ocean; also spelled "poopy suit". See FEET WET; compare G-SUIT, SUCK 'n' PUFF, DRESS. POP : generically, to 'initiate', 'execute', or TRIGGER, as in "pop SMOKE", "pop a FLARE", or "pop-off!" (SOUND-OFF). POPEYE : expression used by a pilot to indicate that he was flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC); compare VFR, VOR, VECTOR. POP SMOKE : activating a smoke grenade, to conceal movement, to mark a target or sighting, to indicate the location of ground elements for aerial observation, or to identify a secure Landing Zone (LZ). The SOP for AIR-ASSAULT, EXTRACTION, DUSTOFF, or airlift resupply consisted of the CHOPPER crew identifying the color of smoke used, which would be confirmed by the ground element before landing; because the enemy attempted to lure CHOPPERS into an AMBUSH by POPPING SMOKE whenever possible. Masking and marking smoke was usually yellow, purple, or green; since most units reserved red smoke for GUNSHIP or TAC-AIR targets. See MIGHTY MITE, SMOKY BEAR, SOUP CAN, GRENADE, WATCH MY SMOKE, BRING SMOKE. PORK BARREL : a government appropriation derived from earmarked bills that supply funds or jobs, especially defense contracts, designed to ingratiate legislators with their constituents by "bringing home the bacon"; see ACT OF CONGRESS, THE G, SOG, THE NATIONAL JOKE FACTORY, FOGGY BOTTOM, UNCLE SAM, POLITICIAN, YANKEE, GSA, GAO, THE EAGLE SHITS, SAND CRAB, BELTWAY BANDIT. PORT : the left side of the craft or vessel when facing forward, formerly known as larboard (larborde) or loadboard for the "loading side" set against the WHARF, and opposite the "steering side"; designated by the color red, and displaying a red navigation light, single or combined, showing in an unbroken arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees, ranging from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on the side. Compare STARBOARD, see BOW, PROW, STEM, FORECASTLE, STERN, AFT, IR MARKERS, CHRISTMAS TREE. [nb: the whaler, being the ship's GIG, is traditionally rowed with two oars on the PORT side and three oars on the STARBOARD side, which is the origin of the naval association of "even" with PORT and "odd" with STARBOARD; see SKIMMER] [cf: "stage left" and "stage right", being references to theatrical viewpoints, are civilian comparisons for naval PORT and STARBOARD] Also, a place with docking facilities for ships to load or unload passengers or cargo, as "port of entry" or "port of call"; see WHARF. Also, an exterior opening or aperture on a craft or vessel for various uses, including portal and PORTHOLE; see HATCH, EMBRASURE, POSTERN. PORTCALL : designation given to Hon Tre Island CRP PORTHOLE : a small, round, window-like opening, usually covered with a hinged watertight glass closure, set into the side of a vessel for admitting air and light; see PORT, HATCH, compare BULL'S-EYE. Also, an opening or aperture in a wall, a BULKHEAD or HULL, used for aiming or shooting, as a gun port or loophole. PORTSIDER : naval slang for a left-handed person; southpaw. POSSE COMITATUS : literally, to have or use the power of the county; as in a body of persons summoned by legal authority to assist a peace officer or sheriff during an emergency. Under the provisions of Art 1, Sec 8.15 of the US Constitution, and of Title 18 USC, Pt I, Ch 67, Sec 1385 of federal criminal procedure, the military acted domestically as a posse comitatus during civil rights and anti-war riots; with tragic results on the Kent State Ohio campus in protests about the Cambodian INCURSION. See CONSTABULARY, PROVOST GUARD, RIOT ACT, WAR POWERS ACT, ROE, UCMJ, LAWS OF WAR, TREASON, SILENT MAJORITY, NEW WORLD ORDER, APOCALYPSE, ANTI-TERRORISM, IRREGULARS, UW. [nb: the law on "insurrection" (Title 10 USC, Subtitle A, Part I, Chapter 15) includes provisions for using the military for enforcing Federal authority and for aiding State governments with civil disturbances] [nb: a right-wing militia identified as Posse Comitatus was formed in 1969 (or 1972) by William Gale, a retired U.S. Army colonel and former guerrilla fighter in the Philippines during WWII, as a Christian Identity counter to left-wing activities by HIPPIEs and YIPPIEs] POSTERN : any access or entrance other than the main one, as a private gateway or back door; refers to the "people sized" door (also called "pocket door") in a large portal or HATCH cover. Compare EMBRASURE. POTUS : POTUS flag acronym for President Of The United States, being the Chief Executive Officer and Head of State; see CINC. POUND : the basic monetary unit of currency in the United Kingdom, which was formerly equal to 20 shillings or 240 pence, and became equal to 100 new pence after decimalization in 1971; also known as "pound sterling", and derived from weight (pondus), as by shortening of the troy unit of weight for precious metals. Also, the basic monetary unit of currency in Cyprus, Egypt, Ireland, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria. Also, a former monetary unit of currency in various countries, such as Israel, Libya, and Nigeria. See LEGAL TENDER. POV : abbreviation for Privately Owned Vehicle; for which special permission to own/operate or travel in same was required. Many Vietnam servicemen ordered discounted automobiles for stateside delivery near the end of their tour by using their accumulated back-pay. POW : Prisoner of War; sometimes abbreviated "PW". Despite the Geneva Accords, North Vietnam (DRV) refused to treat captured allied military personnel as "prisoners of war", and also incarcerated volunteer workers from religious or humanitarian aid organizations (eg: Betty Olsen and Eleanor Vetti). NVN declined all offers of prisoner exchange for the so-called "criminals" that they held captive. As was true during the KOREAN WAR, selected American POWs with technical skills were transferred to China (PRC) or Russia (USSR) for further exploitation. Subsequent to the Son Tay INCURSION, prisoners were generally consolidated, and living conditions improved. Notorious prisons (1964-73) include: ALCATRAZ, BRIARPATCH, CITADEL, DIRTY BIRD, DOGPATCH, FARNSWORTH, FAITH, HANOI HILTON, HOPE, MOUNTAIN, ROCKPILE, SKIDROW, ZOO. Many temporary way-station collection points and jungle camps, such as "Camp Bao Cao" (literally Camp Report) near the beginning of the HO CHI MINH TRAIL, were also used as POW camps at various times. See GULAG, REEDUCATION, CONCENTRATION CAMP, E&E, SERE, SAR, CIA, SAFE, BLOOD CHIT, POINTIE TALKIE, HOME RUN, CODE OF CONDUCT, BRAINWASHING, ROPE TRICK, PLAYING THE XYLOPHONE, TORTURE, TAP CODE, HOMECOMING, MIA, POW MEDAL, POW-MIA DAY. [nb: the 5 S's of prisoner handling include: Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, Speed; in that a prisoner and his intelligence value must be protected against escape, injury, and collusion, which means evacuating the captive(s) while the primary mission continues] [cf: after the surrender of the Apaches, the surviving tribesmen, including women and children, all officially classified as POWs, endured a 30-year imprisonment on various remote Army posts (eg: "The Long Walk")] [nb: the CSA's Libby Prison, in Richmond Virginia, was reserved for Federal officers (with enlisted men sent to Andersonville) who named the eight rooms on three floors according to its ranking officer (eg: Streight's room, Milroy's room, etc), the dominant unit or battle of its occupants (eg: Chickamauga room, Gettysburg room, etc); from which 109 officers escaped by tunneling through "Rat Hell" on 9 February 1864 under the leadership of COL Thomas E. Rose, with 48 being recaptured] POWER WALL : a wall, bookshelf, or display area devoted to military awards, service mementos, combat souvenirs, and related esoterica, which is designed to impress visitors by displaying evidentiary trophies; also called "ego wall" and "I love me shrine". Such displays, especially when containing photographs of influential personages, were officially discouraged as "political statements" under the Hatch Act after the VIETNAM WAR; so these displays have since been confined to SAFE ROOM dens or libraries in private homes. See ATTABOY, GONG, TRASH, Q-COURSE, BRAGGING RIGHTS, TRENCH ART, FEATHERS. POW MEDAL : POW medal the Prisoner of War Medal was authorized 8 November 1985 to be awarded to any MIL-PERS held captive by enemy forces, retroactive to 5 April 1917; civilians who have been credited with military service encompassing the period of captivity are also eligible. Hostages of terrorists and persons detained by governments with which the United States is not actively engaged in armed conflict are not eligible. Anyone classified as Missing-in-Action (MIA) is not eligible for award of the POW MEDAL. The Purple Heart (PH) medal is also presumptively awarded to anyone eligible for this decoration. See GONG. POW-MIA DAY : also POW/MIA DAY; properly identified as the "National POW-MIA Recognition Day". On 10 August 1990, Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, designating the third Friday of September as National POW-MIA Recognition Day, and ordered prominent display of the POW-MIA flag. The POW-MIA flag, developed in 1971 by Mrs. Michael Hoff (the wife of a U.S. military officer listed as Missing-in-Action during the VIETNAM WAR) and designed by Newt Heisley (a former WWII pilot, and father of a young soldier who died during training for Vietnam), depicts the gaunt silhouette of a prisoner, a strand of barbed wire, and an ominous watchtower in stark black-and-white images. Congress and the president proclaimed the first National POW-MIA Recognition Day in 1979 to acknowledge the concerns of POW-MIA families, and to resolve that the American people shall never forget them. The POW-MIA flag first flew over the White House in 1982, as the symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing, and unaccounted for in every theater of operations. The POW-MIA flag shall also be flown (below or adjacent to the United States flag as second in order of precedence) over the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Korean and Vietnam Veterans' War Memorials, the offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, offices of the Director of the Selective Service System, every major military installation, every post office, and all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and national cemeteries on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veterans' Day. See BRACELET, MIA, POW MEDAL, POW, TAPS, TROPHY, BUGLE CALL, TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS, MEMORIAL DAY, VETERANS' DAY, FLAG DAY. POWWOW : a conference, council, or meeting; also spelled "pow-wow", and derived as an English back-formation of the AmerIndian pronunciation of French usage of Portuguese 'palaver' (to talk). This AmerIndian adoption also includes ceremonial gatherings, and can designate the leader (shaman) thereof. See BRIEFING, CONFAB, CROSS-TALK, CHIN CHIN, HALF-MAST, EAR-BANG. [cf: back-formation of "calumet" for AmerIndian "peace pipe"] PRAB : Phan Rang Air [Force] Base PRANG : WWII slang used by RAF and introduced to American fliers, which means to successfully bomb a target, or to bring down an enemy aircraft, as derived from the sound of an explosion. Also, expressive of the crashing metal noise made by any ground collision, such as an airplane striking a vehicle, or an aircraft plowing into a barrier. May be amplified as a "wizard prang" for a particularly accurate strike. This expression may also be related to the Malay word for 'war' ("perang"); or it may be a blend of the words 'paste' and 'bang'. [cf: parang] PRAYER : a religious observance consisting mainly of devout worship or sincere invocation, as in hope or aspiration, to God or some other agent of divine intervention, including TAC-AIR, BIG STUFF, HEAVY STUFF, ARTY, or any other massive fire support whenever critically needed; also called orison; see FOXHOLE CONVERSION, ARMY CHRISTIAN, GOD SQUAD, SKY PILOT, WARNING SHOT; compare SYMPATHY, "morning prayers" at OFFICER'S CALL, "Evening Prayers" at FIVE O'CLOCK FOLLIES. Also, a spiritual communion with God, the Supreme Being, the Deity, or some other agent of divine intervention, as in supplication, thanksgiving, glorification or adoration. Also, a specific formula or ritualized sequence of words (litany) used in a request or appeal, plea or petition, entreaty or beseechment; compare OATH, HONOR CODE, CREED, CODE OF CONDUCT, DUTY, PROMISE, RED TAPE. Also, a negligible hope; see DOG'S CHANCE, SNOWBALL, TAR BABY, BITTER END, SHIT HIT THE FAN, DEEP SHIT. [nb: "God is With Us" (Gott Mit Uns) was the motto of the Prussian Emperor, and was used by German soldiers during WWII; v: the Edict of Milan issued by Emperor Constantine the Great (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus) caAD313; cf: "whited sepulcher" (Matthew 23:27)] PRAYING MANTIS : a US Naval INCURSION of Iran 18-20 April 1988; subsequent to Iranian harassment of neutral shipping in the Arabian Gulf, commencing 19 Oct 1987 during the Iran-Iraq War, USN warships began escorting merchant ships through the Persian Gulf, then on 14 Apr 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine, which launched Operation PRAYING MANTIS, wherein three American warships attacked armed Iranian oil platforms, ships, and boats, resulting in a restoration of free passage under international laws, and an armistice between Iran and Iraq in July 1988. PRC : People's Republic of China, also called "Mainland...", "Red...", or "Communist China" (CHICOM), established in 1948 by Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) after protracted CIVIL WAR; their military is formally known as the People's Liberation Army and Navy (PLAN). Compare ROC, CHINAT, PAVN; see CHINK, BAD GUYS. PREDATOR : a long-endurance reconnaissance DRONE (MQ-1, RQ-1) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the USAF, and later adapted for unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) targetting by on-board HELLFIRE air-to-ground missiles (AGM) using color daytime and IR nighttime sights. Also, the designation for the short-range AT-4 (M-136) shoulder-fired anti-tank MISSILE, which supersedes the M-72 (66mm) and M-80 (94mm) Light Anti-tank Weapons. PREEVERT : military (mis-)pronunciation of "pervert", which broadly refers to any immoral or craven deviant, especially homosexuals but also extending to political extremists; see FAG, HIPPIE, THE PILL, compare STRAIGHT ARROW. PREP : short form of PREParation, being any preliminary set of necessary actions to be completed or activities to be initiated prior to an operation, especially ARTY or TAC-AIR PREP (pre-strike) on a target or objective before a combat assault. Also, a preparatory school or training course setup to ensure qualification and reduce attrition in the formal or advanced program, such as the Army's Leadership Preparation Course (LPC) preliminary to NCOA and OCS, West Point Prep School, Pre-Recondo course, Pre-Q course for both SF and SEAL training. PRE-POS : (forthcoming); see DUMP, NSD, DEPOT, GODOWN, MOTHER SHIP, MAGINOT LINE, BAR LEV LINE, LOGISTICS. [cf: a large resupply submarine, called "Milch Cow", provided fuel, ammunition, and provisions to patrolling Nazi U-boats during WWII, enabling them to remain on station in their sector for extended periods] PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDAL : the second highest civilian award, established on 13 November 1969, may be granted to any United States citizen who has performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens; and may be awarded posthumously. The medal is a disc of gilt and blue enamel, based on the presidential seal, with the eagle surrounded by a wreath of leaves, and suspended on a neck ribbon, dark blue with a light blue central stripe and white edge stripes. See MEDAL OF FREEDOM, DSM, LOM, MSM, GREEN WEENIE, AAM, GONG. PRESS-GANG : a body of persons, under the command of an officer, who gather or collect (impress) suitable individuals for involuntary naval or military service; compare COMMANDEER, DRAFT, DRAFT LOTTERY, MILITIA, DETAIL, DET, AD HOC, DRAGOON, SHANGHAI. PRESSURE HULL : the inner, pressure-resistant HULL of a SUBMARINE or other submersible; the crush depth of a submersible is affected as much by the buoyancy of a submersible as by the physical resistance of its pressure hull. See GIGGLES 'n' BANGS, GUPPY, BOOMER, SRV, SUBMARINE. PRG : the Provisional Revolutionary Government (NLF or VC/VIET CONG), also known as "Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam" (PRGVN); being the political organization from 1969-75 for the surrogate insurgency conducted in South Vietnam. See VCI, PLA. PRICK : slang for any of the lightweight, compact, portable, field RADIO transceivers designated "AN/PRC-"; name will also include numeric denotation, such as PRICK-25 or PRICK-77 (which incorporated encryption features for secure communication). See RADIO, RTO. Also, slang for penis, phallus, peter, schlong, schwanz, pud, putz, pizzle, dauber, tallywhacker, wang, wanker, dick, dickey bird, cock, BIRD, pecker, bipper, zipper snake, pants python, lizard, worm, boy toy, JOYSTICK, pocket rocket, skin flute, lollipop, creamcicle, banana, snap bean, string bean, pole bean, pickle, HOT DOG, wiener, salami, sausage, baloney, bone, boner, ramrod, BAYONET, ding-dong, dong, dork, dingus, dipstick, crank, shaft, drill, knob, tool, equipment, organ, root, HOSE, pipe, pole, ridgepole, rod, STICK, SPAR, YARDARM, winking wizard, magic wand, scepter, pencil, and the like; see SHORT ARM, POGUE, POGY BAIT, CU, compare ONIONS, SPLIT, STRANGE, LITTLE PRICK. [nb: 'hooey', allegedly an Americanism used as an interjection for nonsense or tripe, is actually a corruption of the Russian vulgarity ("khuy") for penis, and is commonly used alone (eg: dick, dickhead, dick-wad) or in phrases (eg: dumber than dick; he doesn't know dick; don't dick around; don't stir your tea with your dick)] [cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff] PRIME BEEF : PRIM[E]ary Base Engineer Emergency Forces, being the civil engineer (CE) unit that's trained and equipped to respond to natural disasters and emergency situations around the world; this combat support element is composed of carpenters , electricians, plumbers, masons, truck drivers and heavy equipment operators to assist in recovery. compare PRIME RIBS, SNIPE, SMART, ENGR. PRIME RIBS : PRIM[E]ary Readiness In Base Services, being the combat support element designated to provide temporary cooking, shelter, and sanitation facilities during natural disasters and emergency situations around the world. Compare BILLET, QTRS, COMFORT STATION, PRIME BEEF, SNIPE, SMART, ENGR. PROFESSOR : slang reference to a comrade possessed of "greater than normal" education or erudition, which is anomalous in the empirical environment of combat arms; term may be complimentary or derogatory, depending upon context and personalities. This same individual is often derisively known to his supervisors as "college boy", "bookworm", or "egghead", because he does not aspire to advancement in the military system. See BEAN-COUNTER, CHIEF, WONK, WIZARD, GUNNER, WALLAH, PUKE, POGUE. PROFILE : a medical profile delimiting an out-patient's impairments, and restricting their assignments (eg: LIGHT DUTY). Some DUDS sought "permanent profiles", and some GHOSTS tried to counterfeit PROFILES, PASSes, and other documents. Anyone with a temporary PROFILE, legitimate or not, was relegated to being "sick, lame, or lazy". The military periodically purged its ranks of personnel under persistent PROFILE, despite the fact that over 90% of military services are noncombatant or supportive, requiring less than the WHOLE MAN concept. See LINE OF DUTY, MILLION DOLLAR WOUND, GI BILL. PROJOS : Howitzer projectile - term used by pilots transporting same. PRO KIT : in its simplest form, a prophylactic condom used as protection against venereal disease (VD/STD), and as an incidental contraceptive, but also existed as a packet containing antiseptic solution and/or disinfectant wipes with the condom; being a required possession before departure on PASS or liberty. Condoms, formerly made of intestinal membrane or coated fabric and now made of latex or polyurethane and polyethylene, are believed to be among the first mass produced products when rubber vulcanization was perfected in the mid-19th Century. Prophylactic condoms are also called "safe", "safety", "rubber", "sheath", "skin", "Merry Widow", "French letter", "French tickler", "British overcoat", "little shirt", "snakeskin", "Long Island white fish", and "scum bag". Condoms are used to waterproof matches and tinder or kindling, radio handsets and film or data containers, as well as holding potable water or other substances. See SHORT ARM, CLAP, ARC, ANTIBIOTIC, THE PILL, BIRTH CONTROL DEVICE, BLUE PETER; compare MOPP. [nb: when units requisitioned condoms during WWII, the reason given was for muzzle capping of SMALL ARMS rather than prophylaxis] PROLONGE : to withdraw or extract a cannon during recoil; see ARTY. PROMISE : a pledge, usually civil or diplomatic, as distinguished from a "threat" as a posture or intention; compare OATH, CREED, DUTY. Also, "Operation PROVIDE PROMISE", the name of aid/relief mission in Bosnia. PROPAGANDA : the methodical broadcast or distribution of ideas and information intended to injure a cause, movement, nation, or bloc; to propagate DISINFORMATION, which is sometimes called "information warfare". Not as simplistic as "anything the enemy claims to be true must be false"; since almost nothing about human affairs is either uncomplicated or unanimous, and conflict merely silences some objections for a while. In ancient Greece it was known that "the first casualty of war is truth", so information as a manipulative medium (strategy) or an adjunctive device (tactic) is a principal part of every battlefield. What is absolutely essential is that each side be able to recognize its own PROPAGANDA, so as not to be persuaded or misdirected by the rebound of its own lies. For one side to prevail in combat, it must not only accept its mission, but also trust the accuracy of its weapons, tools, data. For example, the notorious Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado Territory on 30 November 1864 reported 500 dead hostiles, but only 123 villagers (including women and children) actually died in the attack; which inaccuracy exaggerated the conflict, enhanced the military's reputation, placated civilian settlers, redistributed funding commitments, degraded and demoralized the opposition ... the story was integral to the fight. During WWII, the U.S. military proclaimed that the Imperial Japanese were short, bandy-legged, nearsighted cowards and poor jungle fighters; while the Imperial Japanese asserted that American Marines had to kill their parents and eat their children before becoming qualified, and were so crazed that they would rape and murder all civilians ... both were quite wrong but many never lived long enough to discover the truth. See INTEL, PSYOPS, ICAP, SECRET AGENT, VECTOR, PARTY LINE, TRUE BELIEVER, FALSE FLAG, DECEPTION, RUMOR, BIG LIE, CONTROLLED INFORMATION, WHITE PROPAGANDA, BULLSHIT BOMB. [nb: as a COI/OSS volunteer, John Steinbeck composed "The Moon is Down" (1942), which Shakespearean phrase symbolizes the descent of evil upon innocence, as a means of instilling morale among civilian refugees and occupied populations; for which he was immediately criticized, and later honored] [v: agitprop] [nb: the neologism "pollaganda" / "polloganda" (poll + propaganda) has been coined to identify the representation of biased samples, slanted surveys, special pleading arguments, and ex-parte news depicted as authentic or authoritative] PRO PAY : PROficiency PAYment that is supplemental to base pay in technical and specialty MOSs in order to increase retention of skilled personnel while attempting to compete with civilian employment; also known as "bonus pay". The extension of PRO PAY to non-tech ratings became essential to sustain morale after it was initially introduced during the pre-Vietnam era; not to be confused with a re-enlistment bonus. PROP BLAST : a paratrooper induction ceremony, named after the propeller backwash that jumpers encounter upon exiting an aircraft, and following the traditions of the first induction ceremony performed by the 501st Para Inf Bn, Dec 1940, to solemnize the fraternal bond of paratroopers. Just as the pinning of WINGS is only done with new graduates, so the PROP BLAST ceremony is only performed at the first AIRBORNE unit of assignment following qualification. Newly reporting novices (PROP BLASTER) are assembled by manifest, assigned sponsors, informed of the PROP BLAST rules, uniform inspected, equipment checked, STICK aligned, mock-door exited, PLF graded, TOASTed with the unit "cup", act in skit or lampoon, perform AIRBORNE PT or run an obstacle course, and admitted to the fraternity. Mock-door and PLF errors are rated as canopy "malfunctions", and the general harassment is indiscriminate. Each unit normally has a unique drinking "cup", such as a helmet, boot, or shell casing, from which a mixed drink is swallowed as unit observers chant the "4000 count" to full chute-opening. The original "Airborne Spirit" was champagne and vodka with lemon juice; but any concoction is acceptable. Non-alcoholic punch (containing grape, prune, and lim