COMBAT MilTerms: R

M I L T E R M S :

R : ROMEO

RA :

(r-a; not "rah") abbreviation for Regular Army, denoting a VOLUNTEER during a DRAFT, or a full-time career professional when reservists are activated for duty; the same distinction (RN) applies to Naval personnel. See AUS, USA, MUSTER, CALL TO THE COLORS.

RAAF :

Royal Australian Air Force; being a branch of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) based upon the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom.

RABBI :

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 PATRON SAINT, SEA DADDY, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN; compare RING-KNOCKER, KHAKI MAFIA, TICKET-PUNCHER. [cf: apparatchik, nomenklatura, nabob, nibs]

RABBIT :

slang for any covert or clandestine operative who must either abandon his LEGEND or assume protective COVER while distancing himself from a mission or operational area (AO); often used with related terminology, such as "bunny" (spouse or dependent), "carrots" (necessities or money), "rabbit's foot" (lucky break or favorable opportunity),"cottontail" (his ass or life), "rabbit hole" (hideout or escape route), "hutch" (former area or point of departure). Such indirection also zoomorphically characterized the enemy pursuit as "bear" (Russia), "dog"/"hound" (Germany), "tiger" (China), "dragon" (Vietnam), or other assignments; and similarly extended to Allied aid, as "eagle" (USA), "kangaroo" (Australia), "kiwi" (New Zealand), "elephant" (Thailand), "bulldog" (England), "wolf" (Canada), and so forth. So a scenario might be described as: "the RABBIT was chased from his hutch without carrots by six dragons; an elephant will make a rabbit hole 'til the eagles arrive". Also, informal CODENAME for a defector who must be extracted or EXFILtrated. See BOLT HOLE, NAKED, LIFTED SKIRT, SPOOK, CRYPTO, SECRET AGENT, TRADECRAFT; compare SAFE HOUSE, SLEEPER, MOLE, THROW-AWAY, DANGLE, HANDLER, SWEEPER, DECOY, STOOGE, PROVOCATEUR.

RACK :

slang for a military bed, bunk, cot, or flop; as "hit the rack". To conserve space on-board ship, especially troop transport vessels, bunks are arranged in a tier or rack; which may be the origin of this usage. See BERTH, BILLET, HAMMOCK, SHAKEDOWN, FART SACK, HOSPITAL CORNER, SLOP, QTRS. [nb: the military was attractive to many poor people because it offered "three hots and a flop" everyday.] Also, the framework for mounting or hanging armaments or munitions, as a bomb load; see POD, compare STICK.

RACETRACK :

to sail vessels or ships at sea and/or fly aircraft in an oval or circular pattern, as a patrol route, for station-holding, for surveillance, for assembly or interception, for returning to an approach or recycling to an execution point; also called "go around". See ORBIT, STACK, UMBRELLA, CAP, HIGH 'n' DRY, CROW'S NEST, ABNCP, AWACS, VATLS.

RADAR :

(ray-dar) a device or system for determining the presence and location of an object by measuring the direction and timing of radio waves; a WWII acronym derived from RAdio Detecting And Ranging. Two dimensional RADAR provides range and bearing; three dimensional RADAR provides range, bearing, and altitude. See BIG EYE, CHAFF, COLLEGE EYE, COMBAT SKYSPOT, ECM, GRASS, CONTOUR FLYING, UNDER THE RADAR, MINI-POUNDER, MSQ, MUSIC, PAINT, PIP, PIRAZ, RED CROWN, IRON HAND, WILD WEASEL, SITE 85, TACAN, SLAR, ANGEL, AIMPOINT, DIRECTOR, SCOPE DOPE; compare LADAR.

RADAR GIRLS :

NavSpeak slang for RADAR operators; this phrase alludes to comfortable duty (which is performed while seated in a relatively quiet, air-conditioned room, requiring more mental than physical effort), and does not refer to the sex of the operators. See SCOPE DOPE.

RADIO :

a receiver or a transceiver with various features and various configurations, including AN/PRC-25, AN/PRC-64, AN/PRC-74, AN/PRC-77, AN/GRC-87, AN/GRC-109, HC-162, RS-1, TR-20, KWM-2A, AN/PRC-6, HT-1, PRC-112, URC-10. See COMMO, NET, AM, FM, HF, UHF, VHF, EHF, ELF, SSB, PUSH, FREQ, HOPSCOTCH, SURF, MUX, HITCHHIKE, STACK, ANTENNA FARM, GUARD, SOS, MAYDAY, PAN, SECURITE, BLIND TRANSMISSION, CSEL, RTO, COMM OP, RADIO PUKE, DITTY-BOP, EARS, RTP, INTERCO, PROWORD, A-OK, COMMO CHECK, SHORT COUNT, LONG COUNT, ZERO BEAT, SSI, SOI, COMSEC, SIGINT, SOTA, CODE TALKER, CRYPER, ENCRYPT, DECRYPT, KAK, SHACKLE, SCRAMBLE, BURST, HAND, CW, EOT, GA, II, FLASH, STATIC, NOISE, CROSS-TALK, SQUELCH, BREAK SQUELCH, BREAK, PTT, RDF, HOT STUFF, ANGRY, PRICK, WALKIE-TALKIE, SINCGARS, BUG, PEANUT; compare COAX, SPAGHETTI, PIGTAIL, LANDLINE, COMM SHACK, RUNNER, WIGWAG / WIGWAGGER.

RADIO PUKE :

NavSpeak slang for a radio operator or radioman; compare RUNNER, COMM OP, DITTY-BOP, EARS, RTO; see PUKE.

RADIO WAVE :

an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength between 1 millimeter and 30,000 meters, or a frequency between 10 kilohertz and 300,000 megahertz; see AM, FM, HF, UHF, VHF, EHF, ELF, SSB, PUSH, FREQ, RADIO.

RAGHEAD :

disparaging metonymic slang for an Islamic male, civilian or otherwise, especially in the Near- or Mid-East, used as a generalization for convenient description or identification; also called towel-head, diaper-head, or sheet-head (often said as an exaggerated mispronunciation of "shithead"), based upon the 'kaffiyeh' [v: turban, fez, tarboosh]. See MUJ, ISAAC THE IRAQ, SCARAB THE ARAB, SANDY, HAJJI, ALI BABA, SKINNY, BAD GUYS, INSURGENT, TERRORIST, ALLAH'S WAITING ROOM; compare CHINK, BASKET HEAD, GOOK, JAPE. [aka: camel jockey, camel cowboy, goat roper, snake charmer, carpet pilot, rug rider, sand flea, sand monkey, sand nigger, desert darky, dune coon, tarsh, ali baba, ahab, aladdin, habib, zalama, zol] [nb: the term 'kafir', being Arabic for an infidel or unbeliever (cf: goy/goyim), is probably the origin of 'kaffir', which is a derogatory reference to BLACK people; the term was probably imported into South Africa during the Boer War by British soldiers who had fought in the Sudanese campaign] [nb: a political-correctness memo distributed in 2008 to U.S. federal agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counter Terrorism Center, directed that Islamic extremists were no longer to be described as jihadists, mujahedeen, Islamo-fascists, Islamic terrorists, holy warriors, or Islamists, so that these banned terms would not impugn the Muslim religion; the preferred terms of communication are 'violent extremist' or 'terrorist', which deny them any level of legitimacy without confrontation]

RAIDER :

USMC Raider

a WWII commando-style Marine Corps unit of elite infantry formed in June 1941 by LTC Merritt "Red Mike" Edson from 1/5 Mar Div, designated 1st Raider Bn in Jan 1942; with LTC Evans F. Carlson forming the 2nd Raider Bn, NICKNAMEd GUNG-HO, in Feb 1942. The four battalion 1st Raider Rgt was formed in March 1943. Limited wartime manpower halted formation of the 2nd Raider Rgt, the assets for which were transferred to 5th Mar Div, along with the remainder of the Marine Parachute Rgt. Remnants of the 1st Raider Rgt were disbanded and assigned to 4th and 6th Mar Div for the duration. The battle honors earned by non-AIRBORNE WWII Marine Raiders are now carried in the FORCE RECON heritage. [nb: early combat losses in VN compelled USMC FORCE RECON to alter their "broken contact" doctrine inherited from RAIDER practice: instead of individual and separate dispersion after enemy action, the team will remain connected and act concertedly, whether in defense or evasion, adopting the "Ranger buddy" protocol]

RAIL GUN :

a CREW-SERVED WEAPON consisting of a parallel pair of conducting metal rails, that uses an electromagnetic force field to launch a projectile at great velocity, accelerating to speeds much greater than that achieved by conventional chemical propulsion.

RAILROAD TRACKS :

Captain

slang for the two silver (subdued black) bars of RANK, parallel and connected, designating a CAPTAIN (CPT/Capt; O-3) in the Army (USA), Air Force (USAF), and Marines (USMC), or a Lieutenant (Lt, O-3) in the Navy (USN) or Coast Guard (USCG); so called from its similarity of appearance. See AIMING STAKES.

RAINMAKER :

a god-like person who is imputed or ascribed sufficient powers to magically "fix things" or to mysteriously "make things happen" by mystical forces beyond mortal ken ... such as causing SLUSH FUND rain to fall, igniting fires under GOLDBRICKs, moving RED TAPE mountains, quelling OLD MAN earthquakes, parting COMMAND ELEMENT floods, if not quite able to turn water into HOOCH, or teach the new SHAVETAIL everything he needs to know! See HONCHO, WALLAH, CHIEF, ACTING JACK, GADGET, BREVET, RHIP, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, DINOSAUR, OVERSIGHT. [nb: "There's no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." by Ronald Wilson Reagan]

RAIN ON PARADE :

to discourage or dissuade, to quell or quench a stratagem or scheme, a proposal or plan, an act or event; as "it rained on our parade" or "I will rain all over your parade". Also used in the sense of deter or sober, deflate or divert by facts or logic; as "he didn't mean to rain on my parade, but". Used in the same sense as to "pour cold water" on somebody or something; to interrupt or terminate by dousing with common sense, by a shock of realism, a reality check. See MIND CANDY, PLAN B, COURSE OF ACTION.

RAINOUT :

the removal of radioactive particles or other foreign substances from the atmosphere by precipitation; compare FALLOUT, CONTAINMENT. [nb: not to be confused with "rained-out"]

RAISON D'ETAT :

that which is for the good of the country; as derived from "reason of state"; also spelled "raison d'état". See ENTENTE, RAPPROCHEMENT, DETENTE, APPEASE, TRUCE. [cf: raison d'être, coup d'etat]

RALLIER :

any VC/NVA who seeks amnesty under the CHIEU HOI "Open Arms" program; see HOI CHANH, KIT CARSON SCOUT, EARTH ANGEL, ROADRUNNER; compare BORDEN.

RALLY POINT :

a predesignated position for assembly or a fallback designation, also called RENDEZVOUS (RV); see WAY POINT, STRONGPOINT, AIMPOINT, IP, POD, LINE OF DEPARTURE; compare RP.

RAMBO :

(forthcoming); John Rambo is a fictional character introduced in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, and the protagonist of the later series of RAMBO films

RAMICS :

(ram-icks) Rapid Airborne MIne Clearance System, being a Navy program utilizing a CHAIN GUN (eg: Mk-38/Mk-46) mounted on a heliborne platform.

RAMJET :

a jet propulsion engine operated by the injection of fuel into a stream of air compressed by the forward speed of the aircraft; also called a "ramjet engine" or "ram air jet engine", it contains neither compressor nor turbine. Compare PULSEJET, SCRAMJET; see JET PROPULSION.

RAMP :

a moveable slope or inclinable platform, for entry or exit, loading or unloading, as the front panel of a LANDING CRAFT, the rear panel of an APC, or the TAILGATE of a cargo airplane; see CLEAT. Also, a movable staircase, also called a "boarding ramp", that provides the passengers and crew with access to the cabin of an aircraft; see AIR STAIRS, LADDERWELL. Also, a peripheral area bordering an airfield or airstrip; see APRON, THRESHOLD, STRIP ALERT, RUNWAY, FOD. [nb: both armored vehicles (especially TANKs) as well as MISSILEs have used RAMPs to increase ELEVATION for PLUNGING FIRE]

RANCH HAND :

tactical defoliation and herbicide operations, including anti-crop spraying; the program's unofficial motto was "Only We Can Prevent Forests!". See AGENT ORANGE, CBR.

RANGE CARD :

a terrain sketch map showing the target area covered by a fortified position, relative to weapon capacities, and interlocked with other positions and indirect fire support. Intended for night reference to a daylight sketch, this map is most useful for orienting new or replacement personnel to an established position. Like so many other "good ideas" that military managers require in training, there is no time to create them during combat operations; inexperienced personnel don't know what to document, and experienced troops don't need them. The "lay of the land" is always part of the proper positioning and alignment of interlocking defensive positions, such that approaches and dead spaces are covered. See AIMING STAKES, FPL, GUNPOINT, AIMPOINT.

RANGER :

WWII Ranger

75 Rngr Rgt scroll

elite light infantry; a highly trained and motivated special operating force (SOF) used in assaults, SPEARHEAD advances, and difficult terrain. Originating as "ranging units" with tactics developed by Benjamin Church, Robert Rogers, Thomas Knowlton, Dan Morgan, Francis Marion, Samuel Herrick, Seth Warner, and other militia leaders from the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. Motto of "Rangers Lead the Way" derives from WWII D-Day directive from Norman D. Cota, CG, 29th Inf Div. The RANGER scroll, which antedates the Q-TAB, was designed by a unit member because the official shoulder PATCH, a yellow on blue lozenge, resembled the logo for a national brand of petrol, for which RANGERs were mocked as "gas passers" and ridiculed as "pump jockeys", resulting in great discord and unnecessary dissension. During WWII, Army RANGERs and Marine RAIDERs were not AIRBORNE qualified, and after the Atomic Bombs were used to end the War, such units were considered unnecessary, and so were disbanded. AIRBORNE RANGER Companies were reinstituted for the KOREAN WAR, assigned separately to conventional units for I&R without forming a "Ranger Battalion" to protect the separate assets, so were squandered on "enfants perdus" and "forlorn hope" missions; resulting in the units being again disbanded. The Ranger School, under the auspices of the Infantry School, remained open to provide 9-weeks of excellent small unit field training ... considered by many to be the most arduous Army program[nb: "Winter Rangers" often sew their Q-TAB onto their uniform with blue thread as a signifier], but not resulting in high ranking officers who could integrate RANGER-style tactics into conventional strategy. After integral LRP units were formed by separate commands in the VIETNAM WAR, the 74th Inf Rgt was activated as the superior LRP unit command to prevent a recurrence of the KOREAN WAR devastation. The 74th Inf Rgt was given the heritage of MERRILL'S MARAUDERS (5307th Composite Unit / 5332nd Mars Task Force) because the RANGER lineage had already been passed to Army Special Forces (SF) in 1952 to prevent it from disappearing. The 74th was redesignated the 75th Airborne Ranger Infantry Regiment, and was not deactivated after the VIETNAM WAR; consequently, when SF was reorganized under the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the RANGER lineage was rightfully returned to the 75th Inf Rgt. Vietnamese version: Biet Cach, Biet Kich, Biet Dong Doi, Biet Dong Quan. See BORDER DEFENSE RANGER, AIRBORNE RANGER, LRRP, LRSP, SHARPSHOOTER, SCOUT-SNIPER, MERRILL'S MARAUDERS, MARS, RAIDER, AIRBORNE, PARACHUTE, SPECIAL OPERATIONS, RAT RACE, SPEARHEAD, SUICIDE SQUAD. [nb: U.S. Army officers and enlisted men (NCO/EM) served as the initial custodians for the nascent National Parks from 1872 until 1920, when they were superseded by the National Park Service (NPS); the assigned soldiers wore campaign hats, silver identity badges on green uniforms, and were at first called "scouts", but were later called "rangers" ... hence the adoption of the RANGER identity by Park Rangers]

RANK :

specific name of a serviceman's grade-level; corresponding skill/PAY-GRADE levels are alphanumeric (E-1...,WO-1...,O-1...). Formerly, some RANKs were job specific and not RATINGs, such as "First Sergeant" or "Sergeant Major" being an appointment to a selected Master Sergeant; but this changed by the addition of SUPER GRADEs during the VIETNAM WAR; other job titles (eg: squad leader, platoon sergeant, drill instructor, platoon leader, company commander, ship captain, chief of staff, etc) are still RATING specific but not yet designated as RANKs. Except for the naval COMMODORE (a wartime posting equivalent to Brigadier General, bestowed as a brevet upon the senior Captain in command of several ships), officer branch ranks have long been unchanged, and include direct, reserve, regular, and battlefield commissions. Officers may be promoted to higher authority by "brevet" without changing their PAY-GRADE. Compare RATING, RELATIVE RANK; see OFFICER, FLAG OFFICER, ADMIRAL, GENERAL, COMMODORE, MISTER, FULL BULL, LIGHT BIRD, COMMANDER, MAJOR, AIMING STAKES, CAPTAIN, LOOEY, BROWN BAR, BUTTER BAR, ENSIGN, ROCKER, BUCK, BIRD UMBRELLA, MATING MOSQUITOES, MOSQUITO SMILE, MOSQUITO WING, SLICK SLEEVE. Also, the enlisted men (EM) collectively, except officers, or the body of any group without officers; as "in ranks", "other ranks", or "rankers". Also, in formation, RANK is any LINE abreast or row standing beside one another; see TOE THE LINE, compare FILE.

RAPPEL / RAPPELLING :

descent by rope, down a hillside or building and from an aerial platform; most often conducted by use of some descending device (eg: carabiner/SNAP-LINK, figure-8, brake-bar). Originally a method of body or "hasty rappel" (more formally called "abseil") which, after doubling around an anchor and woven around the body, permitted the rope to be retrieved and reused. Numerous tied "Swiss seats" and sewn harnesses were later invented, culminating in the full-body STABO rig; which is suitable for both ascent and descent, including recovery of wounded or unconscious teammates. A specialized downward-facing or inverted descent (often called "Australian" because it is upside down) is used with caves and buildings. RAPPEL training normally includes methods for ascending attached rope, including Prussik loops, etriers, anchors, and cam-ascend devices. Term derives from "recall", as to recover or retrieve the descent line. See BELAY, LINE, ROPE, KNOT, HIGHLINE. [v: Climbing Terms]

RAPPEL MASTER :

(forthcoming); see AIR ASSAULT, RECONDO, PATHFINDER

RAPPORTEUR :

a person responsible for compiling reports and presenting them, as to an authority or a governing body; see REPORT, FINDING, WHITE PAPER, MR, ANNEX, RBI, SNOWFLAKE, PAPER BULLET, BRIEFING, STAFF, PENCIL PUSHER, MILICRAT. [v: rapport]

RAPPROCHEMENT :

the act or state of coming together or of being drawn near, as in establishing cordial relations or in renewing harmonious ties; see ENTENTE, DETENTE, RAISON D'ETAT, CARTE BLANCHE, COUP D'ETAT, DIKTAT, APPEASE, TRUCE, PEACE. [nb: the phrase "peaceful co-existence" seems to have originated as the expression "peaceful and friendly co-existence" at the Ninth All-Russian Congress of the Soviets, then was used in a 30 June 1954 press conference by Dwight D. Eisenhower, but was made famous when uttered by Nikita Khrushchev in a 6 January 1961 speech]

RAPTOR :

the Boeing F-22 fighter aircraft

RAT BAIT :

NICKNAME for the sesame-honey candy packaged with Patrol INDIGenous Rations (PIR), which was insufficiently sweet for American taste. This candy became very popular as part of the "health food" craze in the hippie's Counter-Cultural Revolution.

RATING :

specific skill level or PAY-GRADE of a serviceman expressed as an alphanumeric notation; RANKs equivalent to RATINGs are unique to each branch of service (USAF E-4=SGT, USA E-4=CPL, USN/USCG E-4=PO3, USMC E-4=CPL). RATINGs and RANKs remained distinct for temporary or ACTING JACK (BREVET/GADGET) assignments. The proficiency or skill RATING system was first documented in 1866, with continuing updates and changes, to regulate established usage and practice. See MOS, PMOS, STRIKER, OJT, CROSS-TRAINING, BILLET, BERTH, ACASP, CONAP, DEP, SUPER GRADE, EOD, DIVER, OVAL, RIGGER, TRASH, CHECK RIDE, FITREP, EER, OER, BAYONET SHEET, SPEC, WO; compare GRADE, RANK, RELATIVE RANK. Also, a seaman or other enlisted man (EM) in Naval service, as a sailor who is not yet attained the RANK of Petty Officer; see SLICK SLEEVE, STRIKER, BOATSWAIN, YEOMAN, BELOW DECK.

RATIONS :

see BEANS, CHOW, THREE SQUARES, C-RATIONS, LRRP-RATIONS, PIR / PIRations, MRE, KITCHEN IN A CARTON, FIRST-STRIKE RATION, IRON RATIONS, SOLDIER'S BREAKFAST, GI JOE, BUG JUICE, SOUP, BULLY SOUP, HARDTACK, STONE SOUP, FORAGE, CHOKE, HAM 'n' MOTHERS, SLOP, WASH, WAD, SLIDER, SOS, SINKER, CHOWING DOWN, POGY BAIT, RAT BAIT, PITA, LIP SMACKING, NUOC MAM, HEAT TABS, MERMITE, P-38, CHURCH KEY, PARTISAN'S SECRET WEAPON, SPOON, KFS, CHOPSTICK, MESS KIT, CANTEEN CUP, MESS TRAY, CANTEEN, EVAPORATOR, MESS, GALLEY, COOKIE. [v: beanfeast, wayzgoose] [nb: K-Rations were named for Ancel Keys (1942)] [nb: the "Army Food Lab" (Food Engineering Laboratories, U.S. Army Research and Development Command, Natick, MA) continues to evolve nutritious and convenient meals for MIL-PERS, such as "no waste steak" (72% animal vs 30%), "pouch food" (Mylar wrapped food), "air-dried food" (compressed compact food), etc] [nb: since the era of the CIVIL WAR, American troops have mockingly mislabeled salt pork as "Cincinnati chicken" just as ground or smothered entrees are now called "mystery meat"] [cf: "battels" (probably a corruption of the obsolete 'battle', to feed) meaning the expense of board and provisions, or the board and provisions themselves; housing and meals, shelter and rations] [v: field cookware includes MESS KIT, CANTEEN CUP, billy/billy-pot/billy-can] [nb: it requires more time and fuel to cook at higher altitudes because the boiling point (212F/100C) of water is more difficult to attain as the atmospheric pressure decreases, leaving the food desiccated and partially cooked, so a small sealed container is needed to increase the pressure (which also increases the boiling point) for efficient food and beverage preparation, enabling a higher temperature to be reached before boiling occurs (water at 15psi boils at 252F/125C); although pressure cookers (aka: waterless cooker) reduce cooking time by a factor of three, they also prevent the escape of air and liquids below a preset temperature, which conserves their contents from evaporation ... one of the earliest models was called a "steam digester", invented by physicist Denis Papin in 1679; commercial kitchens use large volume "pressure canners" ... WARNING: as with boiling, the use of contaminated water in pressure cooking will not cleanse its impurities, since distillation requires evaporation (and condensing) to achieve potability] [nb: high-muckety-muck and high-muck-a-muck are corrupt Americanisms from Chinook jargon ("hayo makamak") meaning plenty to eat or much food, from the layer of whale meat between blubber and flesh]

RATLINE :

any horizontal ropes or rigging lines used as steps when ascending or descending; from the small ropes crossing the shrouds on a sailing ship that sailors used to go aloft. Compare FOOTROPE, SHROUD; see JACOB'S LADDER, DEBARKATION NET, NET, LINE, ROPE, CORD, GUY, PARA-CORD, HAWSER. [v: escalade]

RAT RACE :

a blindly headlong frontal assault upon an enemy of unknown size, strength, or distribution [v: enfants perdus, forlorn hope]; see SPEARHEAD, SUICIDE SQUAD, CANNON FODDER, WASTED, DIDDLY, BITTER END, BELL THE CAT, SNOWBALL. Also, any repetitive or routine activity that's exhausting due to its stressful or competitive nature.

RAZOR WIRE :

a sharp-edge wire with spaced barbs that may be strung or coiled for use as a barrier; also called "razor ribbon", "wire-tape", or "barbed tape". This lighter weight alternative to BARBED WIRE is available with a reinforced core, in galvanized or stainless steel, and in various strengths with different lengths of barbs. It is constructed by punching barbs into a steel band that's then tightly cold-crimped around a high tensile strength core. First used during WWI by Imperial Germany due to a shortage of materials, and to its ease of manufacture, it was introduced domestically after the VIETNAM WAR for security fencing, and once improved with reinforcement, was adopted by the American military before the GULF WAR. See CONCERTINA, BANGALORE TORPEDO.

RBI :

Reply By Indorsement; distinguished from "endorsement" (approve or acknowledge) as the requirement to explain or justify in correspondence by a stipulated SUSPENSE DATE. See RAPPORTEUR, NLT, TICKLER, REPORT.

RC :

radio control, as in radio control models.

RCC :

Rescue Control Center; see JSARC, JPRC, SAR.

RCT :

Regimental Combat Team; a highly mobile infantry regiment (RGT) that's often autonomous and augmented by task-oriented combat and support elements; typically reinforced with integral artillery (ARTY), armor (ARM) or armored cavalry (ACR), and engineer (ENGR) elements. Compare BCT, SBCT.

R-DAY :

Redeployment-Day; the unnamed day on which major combat, combat support, and combat service support forces are operationally redeployed. See TIME.

REACTIVE ARMOR :

properly called Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), as distinguished from passive or inert armor or armor-plating; and commonly called "armor tile(s)". REACTIVE ARMOR consists of a defensive system of shaped-charge panels that are tiled over the surface of the armored vehicle so as to cause predetonation of the striking munition, and to prevent vehicular crewmember deaths from penetration, impact, or SPALLing. As a concept, ERA is an extension of SPACED ARMOR predetonation methods, but these explosive panels must be removed during transshipments and airborne/seaborne assaults, thus delaying any intervention sequences. See TRACK, APC, TANK, SKIN.

READ-BACK :

the directive to recite, repeat, or recount the exact orders or explicit commands received, especially operational instructions, so as to verify their precise understanding; although often misused by MILICRATs to harass subordinates, it is intended to function as a form of authentication to prevent confusion in the field. Compare BRIEF-BACK; see BRIEFING, SOP, SCRIPTURES, UNODIR, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, WIGGLE ROOM, VFR DIRECT, OFF THE RESERVATION, OVERSIGHT, MICROMANAGEMENT, NO EXCUSE, ZERO TOLERANCE.

REAGAN DOCTRINE :

the foreign policy proclaimed in 1980 by Ronald Wilson Reagan that the United States has an obligation to intervene anywhere in the world where there is political insurrection so as to counter the Soviets' "Evil Empire"; see URGENT FURY, THE ROOT, MONROE DOCTRINE, ROOSEVELT COROLLARY, GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, TRUMAN DOCTRINE, MARSHALL PLAN, CONTAINMENT, NIXON DOCTRINE, CARTER DOCTRINE, NATION BUILDING.

REALPOLITIK :

policy based on power, rather than ideals, as practical politics or political realism; see ALLY, CLIENT STATE, MIGHT MAKES RIGHT, THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS, GARRISON STATE, THE G. [v: machtpolitik]

RECEPTION STATION :

the initial point for in-processing, as into military service (Reception Center) or into medical evacuation (Receiving Station). The place where recruits report for duty was formerly identified as the Armed Forces Examination and Entrance Station (AFEES), but is now called the Military Enlistment Processing Station (MEPS).

RECOIL :

the distance through which a weapon moves backward after being discharged; commonly called KICK, to rebound ("every action has an equal and opposite reaction"); see BASS, SPOT WELD, BURST, DOUBLE TAP, FIREPOWER, SILENCER, PROLONGE. [v: Firearms Glossary] Also, to undergo a change in momentum as a result of either a collision or of emission; as derived from rump or buttocks.

RECON :

reconnaissance, to reconnoiter; slang, to recce (reck-key). See LRP, LRRP, RT, FORCE RECON, RECONDO, HAWKS, STINGRAY, I&R, LRSP, SRI, SNATCH, PANTY RAID, PECKER TRACKS, TRACE, CSAR, SAR, INFIL, EXFIL, FLIP-FLOP, FALSE INSERTION, SHELL GAME, CHASE, SKYHOOK, POINT, SWING, DRAG, 10, RON, LZ, CLZ, PZ, RZ, DZ, BRIEF-BACK. Vietnamese terms: Loi Ho, Trinh Sat.

RECON BY FIRE :

the practice of shooting into probable concealment sites, potential AMBUSH positions, or other suspected locations so as to provoke an enemy response, as by movement, return fire, or other disclosure; RBF is not a valid or reliable method of reconnaissance. Compare MAD-MINUTE, BLIND FIRE, H&I, RIF, MARCHING FIRE, RUNNING FIRE.

RECONDO :

MACV Recondo

a person trained in advanced scouting techniques, or the training center where this MIL-CRAFT is taught; such as during the VIETNAM WAR at the MACV Recondo School, established 16 September 1966 under commandant MAJ A.J. Baker, consisting of a three week course of instruction in reconnaissance, patrolling, and other infantry skills for jungle operations. Open only to Allied soldiers with six-months of service in country, and with assignments to some LRRP-type unit. The final FTX exam was a supervised patrol in enemy territory called "You Bet Your Life". The motto of the MACV Recondo School was "Smart, Skillful, Tough, Courageous, Confident" (SSTCC), and was given with the name "Recondo" by GEN W.C. Westmoreland. The word "recon-do" is supposed to be a contraction of "RECONnaissance-DOughboy", but most staff and students associated the term with the Japanese "do" for 'way', as in judo, aikido, kendo, bushido. The course had an approximate 40% attrition rate. Graduates received a certificate and were authorized to wear an arrowhead patch on their right-side pocket while IN-COUNTRY; many unit patch variations of this arrowhead existed. The MACV Recondo School was officially transferred to ARVN administration 15 April 1971. See JUNGLE EXPERT, GABRIEL. [nb: as commanding general of the 101st Abn Div and as commandant of West Point, GEN W.C. Westmoreland setup RECONDO training for each institution before authorizing the new RECONDO School in NhaTrang; each with a downward arrow bearing either 101-numerals or USMA-letters, at which time the term "recon-do" was originally claimed to be a contraction of RECONnaissance commanDO, but was later changed in Vietnam to mean "recon+doughboy"] [v: Recondo Schools pocket-patch sampler]

RECONSTITUTED :

to recompose or reconstruct a unit (not just "reorganize" extant elements) by the addition of replacement men and materiel, and by the application of new or refresher training; notable examples include 1st Ranger Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, 6th Army ALAMO SCOUTS, 6th Ranger Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (MERRILL'S MARAUDERS), 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL), 11th Air Assault Division, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). Reconstitution often restores a DEACTIVATEd unit, but more than restructuring or rejuvenating, it is rededicated, usually to a new or different mission. Compare ACTIVATE, ORGANIZE. [nb: the term "composite" (put together) indicates a compound of disparate elements forming a whole, while the term "component" (put together) indicates constituent elements of a greater whole] Also, to rehydrate concentrated or desiccated food by adding water or other liquids; see LRRP-RATIONS.

RECOVER :

the order or instruction to interrupt an exercise and to resume the start or beginning position for that activity, as in PT or bayonet drill; compare AS YOU WERE, CARRY-ON, BELAY.

RECYCLE :

to send a trainee through a second training course or program after a review of the reasons for his unsatisfactory or substandard performance (eg: illness/injury, skill deficiency) as long as the student is willing; may also refer to the recycled trainee himself. The alternative is either a military hearing for unsuitability or retraining in another specialty. See CRUIT, MAGGOT, YARDBIRD, CADET, GOAT, GI; compare RETREAD, PLOWBACK.

RECRUITER :

a military representative assigned to enlist persons into the Armed Forces by various inducements or incentives; a crimp or procurer. See CRUIT, BOOT, SLICK SLEEVE, BUDDY SYSTEM, RETREAD, RE-UP, RECEPTION STATION, YARDBIRD, MAGGOT, DRAFT, RECYCLE, FTA, GOTCHA, TOTAL FORCE; compare BORDEN.

RED :

a radical Leftist in politics, especially a communist; compare PINKO, see RED FLAG, RED FORCE, IVAN, BULLSHITVIK, BAD GUYS, PROTESTOR, YIPPIE, BLACK BLOC, FIFTH COLUMN, DISINFORMATION, BIG LIE, PROPAGANDA. [nb: communism is not different or separate from socialism, but is one of the several forms of socialism, although they compete when not united against capitalism] [nb: following the theme of "a rose by any other word would smell as sweet", Walter P. Reuther noted how communists could often be identified: "If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it just may be a duck."]

RED BALL :

a high-priority resupply system, instituted from 15 March 1967, which guaranteed delivery of items to the field within one-hour after receipt of the request. Phrase probably derives from "get moving", but the WWII supply/resupply TRAINs running constantly along the Communication Zone (Comm-Z) routes of the ETO were known as the "Red Ball Express" ... likewise, during the same period, the Imperial Japanese resupply system was called the "Tokyo Express". See COMBAT LOADED, MSR, AIRDROP, DROP-TANK, LOW-LEVEL EVACUATION DROP, DUMP. [nb: derivation of lade/laden, as in "bill of lading", is load or burden; not carry or transport; v: fardel] Also, by extension, any high-priority or high-speed CONVOY, as in running hot and heavy by "red-balling". Also, by extension, the highway or road conditions that are solid and secure enough to permit urgent traffic.

RED CROWN :

designation given to RADAR picket ship off the coast of Vietnam; see PIRAZ.

RED EYE :

infrared (IR) guided Surface-to-Air MISSILE, superseded in 1979 by AVENGER.

RED FLAG :

a notice of importance or a warning of danger that may be signified as "red banner" or simply marked as "flagged"; it formerly indicated "no quarter" but now cautions "danger"; compare BLACK FLAG, see SHOW THE FLAG, FALSE FLAG, WHITE FLAG, YELLOW JACK. [nb: the so-called "Jolly Roger", featuring a skull with crossed bones on a black field, that was purportedly flown by pirates, as a declaration of "no quarter" and "non-alliance", originated as the "Jolie Rouge", a plain red flag] [nb: baucans (or bauccedillian) was a plain red streamer, flown from a ship's masthead, signifying that "no quarter" would be given; which antedates the "flag of defiance" or "colors of defiance", also known as the "bloody flag", a practice abandoned after 1800] Also, a red burgee designating the letter "B" in the International Code of Signals; and when any solid red signal flag is flown alone, shows that highly inflammable materials or EXPLOSIVEs are being handled, carried, loaded, or discharged, as by vessels or at firing ranges and impact areas; also known as "powder flag"; see FLYING BRAVO, WIGWAG, compare BRAVO ZULU. Also, designation for a six-week period of advanced aerial training exercises that simulate air warfare, or live-fire war gaming scenarios, that has been hosted several times each year since 1975 by the USAF 414th Combat Training Squadron of the 57th Fighter Wing at Nellis AFB Nevada, so as to train personnel and practice doctrine in realistic mock combat operations; this name is derived from the "Red Baron" study of Vietnam performance which showed that combat effectiveness improved dramatically after surviving the tenth sortie; training includes "Blue Flag" U.S. components, "Green Flag" electronic countermeasures (ECM), "Copper Flag" U.S. air defense forces, "Checkered Flag" rapid deployment to U.S. bases overseas, and "Black Flag" combat maintenance; compare TOP GUN, DREAMLAND, AREA 51, HAWC, JRTC, NTC, JTFEX, BLUE FORCE, OPFOR, WAR GAMES, BOOMER, ZOOMIE. Also, any warning, alert, incitement, provocation, arousal, caution, mark, notice, or emphasis, as when drawing attention.

RED FORCE :

designation for an opposition force or enemy component, especially when war gaming or during training exercises. See CPX, FTX, JTFEX, JRTC, NTC, GQ, WAR GAMES, OPFOR, RED FLAG, BANDIT, BAD GUYS, BELIEVER; compare GRAY FORCE, PURPLE FORCE, ORANGE FORCE, BLUE FORCE, ALLY, FRIENDLIES.

RED HATS :

a red-colored baseball-style cap emblazoned with RIGGER WINGS, to designate a parachute repairer or packer on the loading strip or drop zone (DZ). Also, a maroon-colored beret approved for wear by paratroopers on active jump status, as derived from WWII British AIRBORNE units. Also, a NICKNAME for the ARVN AIRBORNE ("Nhay Du") elements and their Team 162 ADVISORs. Compare BLACK HATS, GREEN BERET.

RED HAZE :

reconnaissance flight to detect heat emissions from the ground by aircraft-mounted infrared system; see IR, FLIR.

RED HERRING :

a misleading clue or diversionary proposal intended to misdirect attention or resources; derived from speculative stock offerings marked in red [cf: RED TAPE]. See TROJAN HORSE, STALKING HORSE, CAT'S-PAW, DARK HORSE, FALSE FLAG, GHOST UNIT, PHANTOM OPERATION, DECOY, NIGHTINGALE, GHOST WALK, RUMOR, PROPAGANDA, DECEPTION. [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]

RED HORSE :

Rapid Engineer Deployment of Heavy Operational Repair Squadron to Everywhere, alternatively "Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers", which despite its contrived acronym, is a very effective combat engineer (CE) support element of the US Air Force. USAF combat engineer rapid-deployment and operational heavy repair squadron that enables self-sufficient mobility into a potential theater of operations. See SEABEES, CE, ENGR.

REDLEG :

ARTILLERYMAN or artillerist; see BULLET HEAD, FAG, CANNON-COCKER, TUBE MONKEY, BOMBARDIER, ARTY, KILL RING; compare BLUELEG, YELLOWLEG.

RED LZ :

landing zone under hostile fire; also called HOT LZ. Compare GREEN LZ.

REDNECK CREDIT CARD :

slang for a siphon, being a U-shaped hose or tube that's used to transfer a quantity of some liquid from a container at one level to a different container at another level by atmospheric pressure; typically used to transfer POL or other liquids without a pump, or to steal PETROL for illegal purposes; also called "West Virginia credit card", "Arkansas credit card", and the like. See WATERLINE, MIDNIGHT REQUISITION. [cf: syringe]

RED NOSE :

a ship that has crossed the Antarctic Circle (between the South Frigid Zone and the South Temperate Zone), so called from painting the HAWSEPIPEs red, as being representative of the cold; the ship's company of such a voyage may be called "red noses", and are inducted into the "Order of the Red Nose". Compare BLUE NOSE; see BOW, PROW, STEM, FORECASTLE, LITTLE AMERICA. [v: Antarctic Treaty 1 December 1959]

REDOUBT :

any independent protective structure built within or without some larger fortification; a refuge derived from reduce. Compare BUNKER, CASEMATE, EMPLACEMENT, DEFILADE, REVETMENT, DUGOUT.

RED TAPE :

bureaucratic routine or rigmarole required before any official action can occur; derived from red-ribbons formerly used to tie official documents. See CYA, MILICRAT, WONK, FORM, REPORT, WHITE PAPER, FINDING, DREAM SHEET, ANNEX, MANIFOLD SET, BUCK SLIP, N/A, NO EXCUSE, FILE 13, ORIFICE, GSA, GAO, THE G. [nb: The first sociological studies of bureaucracy properly focused on Mandarin China, with its Confucian (K'ung Fu Tzu) tradition; but such an elaborate public administration was enabled by the early Chinese inventions of paper-making and printing. Paper was made from jute, hemp, ramie, flax, seaweed, mulberry, bamboo, sandalwood, and other fibers. Inks were made from dilute or viscous stains or other substances, such as dyed clay, plant extracts, pulverized charcoal, and ground stones.] [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]

RED WEENIE :

Good Conduct medal

the Good Conduct Medal (GCM) is an individual decoration awarded to enlisted and NCO personnel for satisfactory service, usually one per three-year term of enlistment; so called due to its relative insignificance. The Navy and Marine versions differ in appearance from the Army, but, being predominantly red, share this cognomen; however, the Air Force version was blue and white, so was called the "blue weenie". Marines refer to this award as the "Good Cookie" for not having been caught doing anything wrong; while the Air Force has decided that "good conduct" is 'normal' behavior, and should not be recognized, so its award was discontinued in 2006. Compare GREEN WEENIE, LOM, DSM; see DEVICE, GONG.

REEDUCATION :

specifically Vietnam's post-war "corrective labor reeducation" camps; being the internment or CONCENTRATION CAMPs established by the communists for all suspected and former enemy (US allies) denizens of Vietnam, where "rehabilitative" indoctrination and punishments were imposed without trial on more than a million non-communists, resulting in 25% mortality. Most humanitarian observers reported that these ReEd Camps were much worse than the prisons and "Tiger Cages" of the Republican regime. Compare GULAG, PAIN; see DP, POW. [v: dungeon, keep, oubliette, hock (sty or prison as a miserable place to live)]

REFUSE :

to bend or curve back the outer or peripheral elements of a military force so that they generally face the FLANK, rather than the front; to "refuse the line" orients its extremities toward protection of the LINE's flanks. Also, to decline or renounce; derived from "pour back".

REG :

contraction of REGulation or REGulations, referring specifically to the official Army Regulations (AR) or Navy Regulations (NR), but also extended to any written directive or verbal authorization, such as SOP, ORDER, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), LAWS OF WAR, UCMJ, SCRIPTURES.

REGISTRATION :

the alignment of fire from large guns onto a known location for calibration; such fire registration will ensure that subsequent fire missions will be accurate. See MARKER ROUND, SPOTTER.

RE-HAUL :

informal NavSpeak for REfitment and overHAUL, when all necessary replacements and repairs are made to a ship and its company to enable it to be fully operational and ready for dispatch; compare STAND-DOWN.

RELATIVE RANK :

an accommodated RANK or equivalent RATING given to a contract employee of the U.S. government while serving with the military, as with technicians and other specialists, or with persons seconded ("visiting firemen") from other agencies. This RELATIVE RANK designation resolves the ambiguity of classification ("neither fish nor fowl"), which is so problematic for the interactions of most MIL-PERS. Although they coexist at the same PAY-GRADE with their military peers, they are typically paid at a different rate, often higher, sometimes lower. Such bestowal grants certain privileges (eg: PX shopping, BOQ housing, O Club refreshments, FIELD HOUSE access, etc), these individuals are not in the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. [nb: women serving in the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) from 2 Feb 1901 to 16 Apr 1947 were granted 'relative rank' at lesser pay, and restricted in promotion to LTC/O-5 or below]

REMF :

Rear Echelon Mother Fucker, being the NICKNAME given to men serving in BASE CAMPs and other secure areas by FRONT LINE soldiers, who are also known as "RAMF" for Rear Area Mother Fucker. Less profane but equally derogatory reference is made to: desk jockey, PENCIL PUSHER, office flier, typing machinegunner ("Remington Raider"), staff warrior, combat briefer, barroom shooter, fire base gunfighter, and Saigon commando. In earlier wars, such servicemen were known as "rear lines rats" and such protected assignments were called BOMB-PROOF jobs. See CLERKS 'n' JERKS, CANDY-ASS, ACETATE COMMANDO, TOCROACH, BEAN-COUNTER, TAP-DANCER, PUKE, DOG ROBBER, MILICRAT, RED TAPE, BTDT, THE NAM, WANNABE, PAY DUES. [nb: allegedly the term "fobbit", a coinage obtained by combining FOB with Hobbit (from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien), is a derogatory or disparaging description by Coalition forces that refers to support personnel, both military and contract civilians, who are confined to COMPOUNDs or BASE CAMPs in Iraq or Afghanistan; being a euphemism for REMF] [nb: "Rear: in American military affairs, that exposed part of the army that is nearest to Congress." by Ambrose gwinnett Bierce]

RENMINBI :

the basic monetary unit of currency in the People's Republic of China (PRC), represented by the YUAN (circular / round) and subdivided into hundredth parts ("fen"); term literally means "people's currency". Compare TAEL, SYCEE; see LEGAL TENDER.

REPLACEMENT CENTER / REPL' DEPOT :

(repull-depull) the central distribution center for most personnel sent to Vietnam without specific unit assignments; being the "clearing house" or "meat market" for field unit requests of replacement MOS types. Only initially transferred units brought elements in tact with personnel who had trained together in CONUS; and all subsequent replacements for casualties (except TDY units and activated Reserve units) were supplied from the Repl' Depot pool of "warm bodies" who met the required allocation. During WWII, the individual replacement method was found to be unsatisfactory, so entire squads of new troops were sent to the field, but this only resulted in higher losses when the whole squad was killed; so the military reverted to individual replacements because entire units could not be withdrawn for refit and retraining [nb: some Marine and Airborne units were withdrawn, but only after losing more than half of their strength]. To improve the survivability of Vietnam replacements, MACV established the Combat Orientation Course (COC) and each major unit initiated a prep/refresher (eg: "First Team Academy", "Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School", etc) course. See BUDDY SYSTEM, COC, CHARM SCHOOL, FTA, FNG, CHERRY, NEWBEE, TURTLE, AFEES.

REPORT :

the standardized introduction to a formal meeting with a superior, usually involving an exchange of SALUTES while stating name, rank, and purpose of meeting. Also, the verbal command for receipt of a verbal account of status, progress, etc; see FRAG REPORT, SPOT REPORT. Also, any written account, summary or detailed, of status, progress, or completion; including SITREP, INTELREP, AAR, ER, OER, etc; see RAPPORTEUR, RED TAPE, MR, RBI, WHITE PAPER, FINDING, ANNEX, MANIFOLD SET, PAPER BULLET, DREAM SHEET, BUCK SLIP, FILE 13. [v: dossier] [nb: such time-consuming FORMS and REPORTS were derisively called "paper-bullets" during the American CIVIL WAR] [nb: "If it isn't documented then it doesn't exist!"]

RESCAP :

Rescue Combat Air Patrol; also spelled "Res-CAP" or "Res CAP", and also known as SARCAP (Search and Rescue CAP). See CAP, UMBRELLA, HIGH 'n' DRY, RACETRACK; compare ABNCP.

RESERVATION :

a tract of public land set apart for a special purpose, as for a GARRISON or DUMP, BASE or TOMB, COMPOUND or STRONGPOINT, BASE CAMP or GARDEN OF STONES; see DODGE CITY, SIN CITY, COMPTROLLER, SHADOW OF THE FLAGPOLE, LITTLE AMERICA, OFF THE RESERVATION. [nb: "A reservation is a worthless piece of ground surrounded by scoundrels." by William Tecumseh Sherman]

REST ON OARS :

a naval catch-phrase for shirking or slacking duty, to avoid work or evade effort, to coast or take it easy; being the same as SOLDIERing. See GOLDBRICK, GHOST, FEATHER MERCHANT, SKATE; compare SWEAT HOG, HARD-ASS.

RESTORE HOPE :

humanitarian aid to Somalia began in August 1992 with Operation Provide Relief, which the UN escalated into protecting relief efforts and securing the political situation as mandated by the use "all necessary means including military force". A U.S.-led coalition, named Operation RESTORE HOPE, intervened from 3 Dec 1992 to 4 May 1993 in fulfillment of this sanction. After 4 May 1993, the unified multinational task force was restructured, named Operation Continue Hope, leading to increased tension and mismanagement within and without the UN mission, some of whom acted like co-belligerents. When 25 Pakistani peacekeepers were killed by Somali aggressors, the peace-enforcement role was emphasized over peace-building (ie: PARAMILITARY disarmament, political reconciliation, and economic rehabilitation). Enforcement was manifest in Operation Gothic Serpent directed toward the capture (v: SNATCH; cf: DECAPITATION) of tribal warlords. Public outcry over a clash on 3-4 October 1993 that left 18 dead and 78 wounded American personnel, along with over one thousand Somali casualties, contributed to the decision to withdraw U.S. forces in March 1994. That, coupled with continued internal strife and Somali hostility, led to a total UN withdrawal in March 1995.

RETALIATION :

to requite; to return like for like, as wrong or injury or evil for same, as derived from "balance accounts" (re + tally) [v: lex talionis (law of retaliation)]; as distinguished from "reprisal", which repays as much or more for an offense. Both acts are specifically excluded from peacetime acts by armed forces, and are prohibited by multinational treaties (eg: League of Nations Covenant, Kellogg-Briand Pact, United Nations Charter). See RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), WAR POWERS ACT, WAR PARTY, WAR CRIMES TRIAL, JUST WAR, COLLATERAL DAMAGE. [nb: An old War Department manual, "Rules of Land Warfare", still recognized in the State Department's "Hackworth Digest", authoritatively states that: reprisals are never to be taken 'merely for revenge' but only as an unavoidable last resort 'to enforce the recognized rules of civilized warfare'; and they should not exceed the degree of violence employed by the enemy.] [nb: "Don't get mad, get even." attributed to Joseph P. Kennedy]

RETREAD :

any re-enlistee with a break in service; was more common during KOREAN WAR, but the expectation of "interesting" duty in Vietnam drew some peacetimers back into uniform. Compare LIFER, FNG, CHERRY, NEWBEE, GOAT, RECYCLE, PLOWBACK, Q-COURSE, TOTAL FORCE.

RETREAT :

the forced withdrawal of an armed force from action with an enemy, as to BUG-OUT; see BEAT FEET, CUT AND RUN, CHANGING TUNE, HAUL-ASS, ROUT, RETROGRADE, DESERTER, TRAITOR, TURNCOAT, DEFEAT. [nb: to skedaddle or scarper in a disorderly or panicked manner is an unmilitary reversion to primaeval atavism; "Retreat, hell! We're attacking in a different direction!" by O.P. Smith; "Retreat, hell! We just got here!" by Lloyd Williams; "If he can fight, he advances and takes the offensive; if he cannot fight, he retreats and remains on the defensive. He will invariably conquer who knows whether it is right to take the offensive or the defensive." by Chang Yu] Also, a strategic withdrawal used as a military tactic or diplomatic device. Also, to withdraw or retire into safety or privacy, as to evacuate or escape; see SPLIT, BAILOUT, DECAMP, BUSTER, PULL PITCH, SCRAMBLE, JUICE, GOYA, ASAP, PDQ, STAT, CHOGI, FORTHWITH, COUNTERMARCH. Also, the flag lowering ceremony that ends or closes the working day with a BUGLE CALL and cannon fire; also known as "beating retreat" at sunset, which originated as a DRUM signal that recalled nearby troops to their castle or fortress to commence the setting of night watches; compare TAPS, see REVEILLE, TATTOO, BEATERS 'n' BLEATERS, TOOTER, FACE THE MUSIC, FIRING SQUAD. Also, a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy, as a sanctuary or asylum, that was formerly inviolate or immune to military action; as derived from "draw back" or "retract".

RETROGRADE :

any voluntary or involuntary movement to the rear; inverse, reverse, or backward movement, as to retire or RETREAT. See KEYSTONE, COUNTERMARCH, BAILOUT, CHANGING TUNE, BEAT FEET, CUT AND RUN, HAUL-ASS, ROUT, DEFEAT. [nb: to skedaddle or scarper in a disorderly or panicked manner is an unmilitary reversion to primaeval atavism; "Retreat, hell! We're attacking in a different direction!" by O.P. Smith; "Retreat, hell! We just got here!" by Lloyd Williams; "If he can fight, he advances and takes the offensive; if he cannot fight, he retreats and remains on the defensive. He will invariably conquer who knows whether it is right to take the offensive or the defensive." by Chang Yu]

RE-UP :

re-enlistment slogan combining RE-enlist with sign-UP; was the first major post-WWII advertising campaign directed toward retention and recruitment, offering a monetary bonus, specialized training, educational opportunities, or reassignment. See HASH MARK, BOOTSTRAP, RETREAD, FTA, TOTAL FORCE; compare SHIP OVER. [nb: after the VIETNAM WAR, the all-volunteer military adopted other advertising campaigns, from "Be All You Can Be" to "Peace is our Profession", to destigmatize the Armed Forces] [v: remissions or indulgences granted during a Jubilee Year; cf: Sabbatical Year]

REVEILLE :

the BUGLE CALL that commences the working day with an assembly during the flag-raising ceremony; formerly a signal to awaken or arise, from "watch" or "vigilant". See RETREAT, TAPS, TATTOO, BEATERS 'n' BLEATERS, TOOTER, FACE THE MUSIC.

REVENUER :

an agent of the Treasury Department, especially one regulating bootlegged goods or prohibited materials (CONTRABAND) ... because THE G cares less about what people do than about chiseling a tax out of them for doing it, such revenue enforcement agents probably originated with the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, a direct result of Hamilton's 1791 excise tax and the first test of federal authority over state sovereignty and individual autonomy. The U.S. Treasury Department (established 1789) has included the Secret Service since 1860, the Internal Revenue Service since 1862, the Customs Service since 1927, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms since 1972, and formerly included the Postal Service until 1829; and its law enforcement officers are also known as "T-Men", in contradistinction to the FBI's "G-Men". See POLICE; compare FBI, DEA, DIS, DHS, CIA.

REVERSE SLOPE :

on the backside and below the top of a hill, opposite the front or facing slope, but oriented in the same direction (toward the enemy); as used protectively for operational staging, indirect fire, and concealed observation, which are contraindicated for exposure. See SKYLINE, MILITARY CREST. [v: anticline] [v: Climbing Terms]

REVETMENT :

an uncovered low enclosure, as a rampart or bulwark, used for vehicle parking or POL storage, being a directional barrier of partial protection sufficient to limit the extent or range of damage during attack; also called "riprap". See BUNKER, COVER, DEFILADE, REDOUBT, EMPLACEMENT, BERM, STAND-OFF, BLAST WALL, HESCO BARRIER, FACE, BOMB FARM, HANGAR, APRON, RUNWAY, SEA HUT.

REVOLUTION :

a sudden and violent overthrow of an established political system by the people governed, with the objective of a complete replacement; by extension of a revolving series or sequential circuit. It has been asserted that once revolution begins, it is perpetual ("what goes around, comes around") and progressively degenerative (entropy). Despite the rhetoric, historically no revolution has supplanted a "bad" political system with a "better" political system ... the jury is still out on the AMERICAN REVOLUTION, which nation has been in moral decline throughout the 20th century. [nb: "Be not deceived. Revolutions do not go backward." by Abraham Lincoln; "Revolutions never go backward" by William Henry Seward; "Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny: they have only shifted it to another shoulder." by George Bernard Shaw; "More and more, revolution has found itself delivered into the hands of its bureaucrats and doctrinaires on the one hand, and to the enfeebled and bewildered masses on the other." by Albert Camus; "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." by John F. Kennedy]

RDF :

Radio Direction Finding/-er, being a method of triangulation used for locating the RADIO, transmitter, or base station of enemy broadcasts, so as to attack the unit or to silence the equipment. Detection can be delayed or complicated by either BURST transmission or by manual or automatic frequency-hopping. See CUT, DITTY-BOP, HOT STUFF, COMSEC, SIGINT; compare TACAN. [v: goniometry]

RF :

Regional Forces of South Vietnam, recruited and trained defense troops employed within their local area; see PF, RF/PF, PRU, PSDF, SEA SWALLOWS. Also, abbreviation for Requisition Form; see DEUCE GEAR, see FORM.

RF/PF :

Regional and Popular Forces of South Vietnam; PARAMILITARY forces, usually of squad or platoon size, recruited and utilized within a hamlet, village, or district. Also known as "RuFf-PuFfs"; Vietnamese terms include: Tap Kich, Xung Kich. See PRU, PSDF, STRIKER, SEA SWALLOWS; compare CIDG, MIKE FORCE. [nb: not to be confused with RVN's Civillian Defense Force ("Nhan Dan Tu Ve") which was only a part-time MILITIA]

RFZ :

Restrictive Fire Zone; compare NFZ, FREE FIRE ZONE, see RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

RGT :

regiment; the traditional organizational structure of the military, and the most common unit-level of troop identification and loyalty. A regiment is commanded by a colonel (from the Roman leader of a column), and is intermediate between the division (DIV) and the battalion (BN). In some structures, the regiment is equivalent to the brigade (BDE), and in others it is superior. The regiment is traditionally "triangular" in organization, with two infantry battalions paired with a cavalry battalion, or with one each of infantry, cavalry, and artillery; but during the Vietnam era, regiments were "pentagonal", such as two squadrons of cavalry, two battalions of infantry, and one artillery battalion. Vietnamese term: Trung Doan. Compare RCT; see CARS, OB, TO&E.

RHINO :

shortened form of RHINOceros, being the NICKNAME for the "teeth" welded to the body of a SHERMAN tank as a FIELD EXPEDIENT adaptation that enabled penetration of thick foliage and hedgerows subsequent to the Normandy INVASION during WWII. See ELEPHANT'S TRUNK, ROME PLOW.

RHIP :

(ar-h-eye-pee) abbreviation for Rank Has Its Privileges; this catch-phrase should more properly be expressed "Rank Has Its Responsibilities" (RHIR), as in the classic "noblesse oblige", which is the moral obligation of privileged persons to act in an honorable manner. Most MILICRATs who endorse the RHIP proposition forget that their privileges and perquisites are contingent upon responsibility; to paraphrase a Chinese maxim: every General's reputation is built upon the sacrifices of ten-thousand soldiers. Part of the SF/SOF philosophy dealing with leadership (LDR) is: "everybody in the truck loads the truck". Compare CREED, HONOR CODE, PROMISE, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN; see HIGHER, UP OR OUT, BRASS HAT, OFFICER, TOP DOG, RAINMAKER, TICKET-PUNCHER, RING-KNOCKER, KHAKI MAFIA, ROUGHSHOD, HEADQUARTERISM. [v: turkey cock, popinjay, sophist, nabob, nibs, stuffed-shirt, pooh-bah, panjandrum, high and mighty, hogen mogen, high-muckety-muck, high-muck-a-muck] [nb: every MILICRAT knows that the most dangerous people in the military are not HEROes, but are disgruntled MIL-PERS who are frustrated by MICKEY MOUSE and CHICKEN SHIT, by SNOW and RED TAPE, and having been passed over twice for promotion, are serving their terminal assignment, and because they are honorable men who have not STACKed ARMS, they know that there is nothing that the TICKET-PUNCHERs and RING-KNOCKERs of the KHAKI MAFIA can do to them!]

RIAL :

the basic monetary unit of currency in Iran, Oman, and the Republic of Yemen; also spelled RIYAL, and meaning "real". See LEGAL TENDER.

RIB :

Rigid Inflatable Boat; see CRRC, IBS, ZODIAC, BOAT.

RIBBON CANDY :

slang for a display or an array of colorful ribbons, representing their equivalent pendant medals (ie: valor, merit, service, campaign), as worn on CLASS-A / service dress uniforms of all branches; a rectangular section of the distinctive suspension ribbon on a pendant medal, or a ribbon bar so designed without a matching medal, that must be worn in a strictly hierarchal order that is incomprehensible to the uninformed. This arrangement of ribbon bars, also known as FRUIT SALAD, often includes select combat or qualification badges (eg: CIB, CMB, CAB, PARACHUTE, PILOT, etc). See SCRAMBLED-EGGS, BOLO BADGE, Q-TAB, GONG, TRASH, WINGS, CORD, DEVICE. [nb: the devices that cover the mounting prongs that attach the insignia to the uniform, holding the two parts together, are variously sized, and are called "fasteners", "clip fastener", "clutch fastener", "clutch back fastener", "pinch fastener", "butterfly fastener", or "dammits"] [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] [nb: pagan Norsemen awarded metallic bracelets in recognition of meritorious or valorous deeds]

RICE :

a staple grain of the Asian diet, often used as a medium of exchange in economic barter, or to pay taxes; grown "dry" in a cultivated upland field, or "wet" in a paddy (flooding serves to drown the weeds). See CHOPSTICK, NUOC MAM, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AGENT ORANGE, ASH 'n' TRASH, RICEROOTS.

RICE BALL :

a ball of sticky (short-grained) rice, sometimes flavored, that's wrapped in a pliant leaf, being a portable meal for an adult Asian; equivalent to an American sandwich. [nb: although rice balls are traditional fare in China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia, barley balls are preferred in Tibet] Also, dismissive slang for an Oriental person; see DINK, SLOPE, ZIP, GOOK, NIP, JAPE, CHINK, WOG, LITTLE PEOPLE; compare BUDDHAHEAD, BASKET HEAD, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER, INDIG, DESEGREGATION.

RICE-BURNER :

any of the small under-powered motor vehicles prevalent in Southeast Asia, from two-stroke cars and chain-driven trucks to diminutive buses and embellished CYCLOs, most of which were flimsy but diligently maintained beyond their lifespan; also called "putt-putt", "one-lunger", or "smokestack" from their operation or effect. Compare HACK. [v: chariot, hansom, hackney, fiacre, jingle, tonga, gharry, gig, dogcart, runabout, palanquin/palankeen, sedan chair]

RICE CHRISTIAN :

an Asian converted to Western values (eg: Christianity) or to an Occidental ethic (eg: democracy or capitalism) for motives of self-interest or personal advantage; their worship or proclamations being called the "squeak of the Celestial Hog". Compare ARMY CHRISTIAN, YELLOW DOG, PAPER TIGER. [v: similar usage of "praying indian" in colonial America] [cf: the Edict of Milan issued by Emperor Constantine the Great (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus) caAD313]

RICE KRISPIES :

slang for the distinctive sound made by the mass of maggots, sized about the same as a grain of cooked rice, when devouring a decomposing corpse; by analogy to the "snap, crackle, and pop" of the breakfast food advertising jingle. Depending upon the weather and other factors, this stage can occur as early as two days and as late as two weeks after death. A corpse typically decreases in temperature (algor mortis) by 1.5 degrees per hour until it obtains ambient equilibrium. If uninterrupted (by predation, cremation, or preservation), the brain and organs of a corpse will begin to liquefy after the RICE KRISPIES phase, and the body (normally 73.6% fluids) will lose about half its weight through leakage due to the destruction of cellular integrity. Rigor mortis is a normal biochemical response to homeostatic termination, a condition that may occur immediately after a traumatic death but usually concludes within 48 hours; while putrefaction and bloat (including tongue and testes), slippage and sloughing (autolysis) is the natural process of organic decomposition from the body's own bacteria. Due to burial delays and travel time, embalming became common during the American CIVIL WAR; it should be noted that embalming (depending upon the amount of formaldehyde used) only temporarily inhibits decomposition of the decedent, and if the remains are exposed to water, such retardation is reversed. See BODY BAG; compare CRISPY CRITTER, FLOATER, CREATURE FEATURE, TADPOLE.

RICEROOTS :

regional euphemism for grassroots, the socio-political and economic forces associated with an agrarian population; the rural lifestyle of ordinary people, in contrast with urban workers and metropolitan elitists. Also, the beginning, basis, or foundation of something (Asian). [nb: "astroturfing" is a term used in politics and advertising to describe public relations (PR) campaigns that (falsely) seek to create an impression of spontaneous or ingenuous behavior, of unsolicited or independent action, hence is a metaphor for "fake grassroots" support; so called after the trademarked synthetic product, being a carpetlike covering of vinyl and nylon, that's made to resemble turf ... artificial grass(-roots)]

RICKSHA :

a small two-wheeled vehicle featuring a covered passenger compartment for one occupant that's pulled by its operator, formerly used throughout Japan, China, and other parts of Asia; also identified as "rickshaw" or "riksha", as an alteration of "jinriksha" / "jinrikisha" (person + power + vehicle) [Chinese: nyin lik chia]. Compare PEDICAB, CYCLO, LITTER, HACK, RICE-BURNER. [v: chariot, hansom, hackney, fiacre, jingle, tonga, gharry, gig, dogcart, runabout, palanquin/palankeen, sedan chair]

RIEL :

the Cambodian basic monetary unit of currency; see LEGAL TENDER.

RIF :

Reconnaissance in Force, company-sized and larger sweeps of suspected enemy locations, maneuver areas, or sanctuaries; a method of provoking contact or, if without incidence, a method of quickly declaring an area to be pacified. This technique, like RECON BY FIRE, depends upon enemy response so is not a valid or reliable indicator of true enemy presence or strength. Also, Reduction In Force, sometimes used as "RIF'd" (rifted) for discharged or demobilized; cutbacks and drawdowns to reduce manpower and materiel for the anticipated Armed Forces role. While the intended budgetary constraint of the post-VN RIF was promoted as a PEACE DIVIDEND, the Congressional anti-war abatements had the effect of being anti-military. Later downsizing [Selective Early Retirement Board (SERB)] paid substantial bonuses for early retirement, which eliminated intermediate-level experience from the forthcoming GULF WARs. See DUMP, KICKSTANDED, DISCHARGE. [nb: the military has an involuntary "stop-loss" authority, which allows each branch to compel soldiers who reach the end of their enlistment to remain in uniform for "the good of the service"]

RIFLE :

1917 Army rifle

Springfield rifle

standard shoulder-fired, magazine-fed infantry weapon operating in either semi-autoloading mode or in both semi- and fully-auto mode; term derived from the "lands and grooves" rifling inside the barrel which imparts a stabilizing spin to the projectile so as to improve accuracy of bullet placement. Rifles used in Vietnam include the M-1 Garand [nb: MIL-SPEC designation is the same for M-1/M-2 CARBINE], an 8-shot .30 caliber WWII-era (adopted 1936) American rifle, that will be superseded by the M-14, and subsequently by the M-16. The M-14, a 7.62mm/.308cal selective-fire rifle, was used during the early period of the VIETNAM WAR, and would remain the primary SNIPER weapon, when scope mounted using match-ammo. The prototype revision (M-10) that became the AR-15/M-16 was a plastic stock M-14A2 full-auto rifle; and due to its superior stopping power and reliability in desert conditions, would be returned to Army and Marine inventory (with a Kevlar stock) during GULF WAR II. The communist version of the M-14 was the "K-50" CHICOM rifle. See BLACK MAGIC, WIDOW MAKER, TUPPERWARE, LONG RIFLE, OVER 'n' UNDER, KALASHNIKOV, BAR, CAR, BURST, MAG, DRUM, MUZZLE, KICK, FIREPOWER, SILENCER, FLASH SUPPRESSOR, ZERO, OFFHAND; compare PISTOL, BLOOPER, SMG, MG, STONER, ARTY, SMOOTHBORE. [nb: an MG fires RIFLE ammunition, but an SMG fires PISTOL ammunition] [nb: 75% of the WWI American Expeditionary Force (AEF) were armed with the Model 1917 Enfield .306cal, not the 1903 Springfield .308cal rifle] [nb: in an effort to economize after the CIVIL WAR, Congress mandated that each Spencer repeater be retrofitted with the Stabler Cut-off Device, which modification converted the 7-shot carbine into a single-shot firearm, until combat losses in the INDIAN WARS forced its abandonment, and later succession of the Spencer by the trapdoor Springfield having even more firepower] [v: Firearms Glossary]

RIFLE GRENADE :

a GRENADE launched from a RIFLE MUZZLE by firing a blank CARTRIDGE, developed to travel with greater distance and accuracy than one thrown by hand; see BLOOPER, FRAG.

RIG :

to fit or furnish with clothing, gear, or other equipment; to outfit, supply, provision, accouter; see CAP-A-PIE, CAMPAIGN. Also, to assemble, install, prepare, or setup a particular arrangement or apparatus. Also, the combined or assembled unit resulting from the combination of related elements, such as a PARACHUTE rig. Also, costumery and other inappropriate attire; "rigged-out" can be synonymous with TRICKed-out. Also, acronym for Restricted Interagency Group, being a compartmented coordinating body for U.S. military and diplomatic covert activities involving the JCS, DOD, NSC, CIA, and DOS; see NEED TO KNOW, COMPARTMENTALIZATION, CHINESE WALL, STOVEPIPE, OPSEC, DIME, NOFORN, TRADECRAFT.

RIGGER :

a Quartermaster specialist responsible for the supply, maintenance, and proper packing of various parachutes, including reserve, cargo, and personnel; such skill specialization has been distinguished since 1948 by wear of a red baseball-style cap (RED HATS; compare BLACK HATS) and a unique badge, which was finally approved on 9 June 1986. Originating as a "half-winged canopy" to be worn on the sleeve (too similar to the PATHFINDER badge), the RIGGER badge was redesigned with a scroll overlaying a fully winged canopy for display opposite the PARACHUTE badge. All branches initially train their parachutists and riggers in Army schools ("rough terrain" parachuting was initially taught to military personnel at the US Forest Service Smokejumpers school ... which techniques were adopted for HALO insertion of recon teams into TRIPLE CANOPY jungle), and proceed to further training within each separate branch; hence, Marine paratroopers and riggers wore Army badges during WWII, and the gold Marine para badge was adapted from the USMC rigger's badge after WWII. A distinctive three-cell canopy RIGGER badge was later developed for Navy/Marine packers (called "skivvy folders"). Due to their excellent attention to detail and meticulous care, most riggers since WWII have been female (see SKIRT), Q-COURSE.

RIGHT ARM :

a commander's most effective and efficient non-commissioned assistant; not necessarily the highest ranking sergeant, such as the NCOIC or FIRST SHIRT or TOP KICK, but the one with whom the current leader works best ... which is one of the ways to "work around" CYA and RED TAPE. "By the book" and "get it done" are two very different philosophies of administration, management, and leadership, each having its own positive and negative aspects; so compatibility among CADRE not only facilitates unit performance but enhances career development. This teamwork principle is promoted by temporarily rescinding the non-FRATERNIZATION barrier when officers host their enlisted assistants during "Right Arm Night" at the O CLUB; which is reciprocated by "Bring Your Boss Night" at the NCO Club.

RIGHT STUFF :

the necessary intelligence and skill, strength and judgement combining to form superior MIL-PERS; an indefinable but incontestable worth that converts expertise into a righteous altruism, which protects our American values, and transforms dedicated obedience into an honor code, which preserves our American way of life. Phrase originated by Joseph Conrad in short story entitled "Youth" (1903), then made prominent by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 speech entitled "Citizenship in a Republic"; and later popularized by Tom Wolfe's 1979 book. See COMRADE, SHIPMATE, BUDDY SYSTEM, PILOT, SF, SEAL, RANGER, FORCE RECON, FUGLEMAN, SUPER-TROOPER, RIGHT ARM, CAREER TRACK, LIFER, RABBI, SEA DADDY; compare CONVERSION SYMPTOMS, TICKET-PUNCHER, CYA, MERCENARY, WHITE VC.

RIKI TIK :

to act rapidly, quickly, urgently, hastily, speedily, swiftly, promptly, or expeditiously; often emphasized by 'more' or 'most', as "mo' riki tik". Adopted from Japanese, phrase is also spelled "riki-tik", "rikki tik", or "ricky tick". See ASAP, PDQ, GOYA, FORTHWITH, SCRAMBLE, STAT, HAUL-ASS, JUICE, CHOP CHOP, CHOGI. [nb: the newly popularized expression: "mosh kosh", which is being used in the same sense as RIKI TIK to express urgency (pronto, soonest, right away), is actually a corruption of Americanized Japanese "mo' skosh", from the Japanese 'sukoshi' meaning "little"; hence a little more instead of a little faster]

RIKI TIKI :

corrupt rhyming slang variously used to mean poor or inferior, of low quality; meaningless or senseless, of no importance; genitals or sex, of a sex act; also spelled "riki-tiki", "rikki tikki", or "ricky ticky"; but not to be confused with the mongoose named "Rikki Tikki Tavi" in The Jungle Book by J. Rudyard Kipling (1894). This phrase is used in the same manner as rinky-dink, nitty-gritty, hoity-toity, namby-pamby, itsy-bitsy, titbit / tidbit, lickety-split, rack and ruin, and the like.

RINGGIT :

the Malaysian basic monetary unit of currency; see LEGAL TENDER.

RING-KNOCKER :

any person who flaunts their membership in an exclusive fraternity or association in order to acquire prestige, obtain privileges, or influence decisions; an arrogant elitist. Such "in-group" status is extended to military academy graduates among OFFICERs, and to quasi-religious societies among NCOs. This disparaging reference to the tendency of in-group members to attempt to assist or favor one another is sometimes called the "self-promotion and mutual-protection league". See RHIP, ROUGHSHOD, MAVERICK, MILICRAT, TRADE SCHOOL, TICKET-PUNCHER, KHAKI MAFIA, FAST TRACK, VULCANIZE, BOOTSTRAP. [cf: apparatchik, nomenklatura, nabob, nibs] [v: 'claque' for group or coterie of BROWN NOSERs] [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)]

RING MOUNT :

a circular framework in a horizontal plane to which one or more machineguns (MG) are attached, giving the gunner an omnidirectional range; later converted, by the addition of SPLINTER SHIELD armor-plating, into a SPONSON. Due to its similarity of function, the RING MOUNT is often called a TURRET or CUPOLA. See QUAD 50, PINTLE.

RING THE BELL :

to quit training or refuse to participate in non-combat operations, making the individual subject to military discipline or dismissal. Phrase is usually figurative, but both RANGER and SEAL schools have an actual bell to be rung by quitters. A refusal to participate in combat operations may prove fatal, and will result in a court martial, incarceration, and an other than honorable discharge. See POOP, TS CARD, FIELD REJECT, KNOCK IT OFF, DUD, YARDBIRD.

RIO :

Radar Intercept Officer, or Radio Intercept Officer, being the backseater in fighter aircraft; see GIB, BEAR, EWO, RSO, WSO (WIZZO); compare FUF.

RIOT ACT :

the specifications of Article 116 in the UCMJ regarding unlawful assembly (ROUT), sedition, and mutiny, together with their stipulated consequences; phrase extended to any formal admonition, caution, or warning used to restore order by imposing discipline or threatening repercussions, as in "read them the RIOT ACT". See GIG, CALL ON THE CARPET, FANG, NASTY-GRAM, PETITION, MUTINEER, DRUMHEAD, POSSE COMITATUS, TREASON.

RIP :

sardonic abbreviation for Retired In Place, being either a MIL-PERS who was passed-over for promotion, who was determined to be unfit for further service, or who was on terminal assignment awaiting final disposition; an unofficial play-on-words from Reduction In Force (RIF) and Rest In Peace (RIP). See STACK ARMS, HORS DE COMBAT, UP OR OUT. [nb: every MILICRAT knows that the most dangerous people in the military are not HEROes, but are disgruntled MIL-PERS who are frustrated by MICKEY MOUSE and CHICKEN SHIT, by SNOW and RED TAPE, and having been passed over twice for promotion, are serving their terminal assignment, and because they are honorable men who have not STACKed ARMS, they know that there is nothing that the TICKET-PUNCHERs and RING-KNOCKERs of the KHAKI MAFIA can do to them!]

RIT :

Rapid Intervention Team, being a unit composed of personnel specially trained in medicine and rescue, fire and hazards, search and recovery techniques; see SAR, CSAR, PJ, TRAP, RRF.

RIYAL :

the basic monetary unit of currency in Qatar and Saudi Arabia; also spelled RIAL, and meaning "real". See LEGAL TENDER.

RLA :

Royal Laotian Army, or Royal Lao Army; properly known as Forces de Armee Laos (FAL). See PEO, MILLPOND, WHITE STAR, HMONG, PATHET LAO, KIP, INDOCHINA. [nb: The 1959 Program Evaluation Office (PEO) was augmented by MILLPOND and WHITE STAR in 1961 to assist military training of the Laotian Army. The 10 May 1961 beginning of negotiations concludes with the neutrality of Laos declared by the Geneva Accords on 23 July 1962. The new royal Lao succession of 4 Nov 1959 was deposed by rightists, who imposed elections in April and established a new regime 24 May 1960, but were overturned by a leftist revolt on 9 August 1960. From 18 November 1960 to 7 June 1962, royalist, leftist, and rightist factions seized portions of the country, operated contending governments from neighboring nations, and successive administrations were displaced until a coalition neutralist government was installed under prince Suvana Phuma. Subsequent to warlord disputes and terrorism, the neutralist coalition was deposed by rightists on 19 April 1964, but international pressure soon restored prince Suvana Phuma as premier. On 17 May 1964, Laos requests US support when PATHET LAO seize the Plaine des Jarres. During Spring 1965, several revolts by various factions were again attempted, and a new youth movement party emerged from the 18 July 1965 elections. The rightist parliament was dissolved on 7 October 1966, and by 15 November 1966, the opposition leaders were in exile, and the neutralist Army elements had moved into the PATHET LAO controlled region, complicating the ongoing US-aided revolt of the ethnic Meo and Lao Thung against them. Laos Neutralist Government flew a blue/white flag of three central horizontal stripes with a cluster of ten stars centered. The three-headed elephant (ie: "Erawan") symbol is centrally featured on both the Royal Lao flag and state crest.]

ROAD GUARD :

with marching units, guards positioned to control or halt passing road traffic; with armor and MP units, escort duty for road traffic control and protection.

ROADRUNNER :

MP Roadrunner

informal name for road-clearing operations by TRACKed vehicles with the mission of preventing enemy/GUERRILLA interdiction of civil traffic and local byways. Also, NICKNAME for ROAD GUARD escorts, especially armored-JEEP patrols by Military Police (MP). Also, INDIGenous soldiers dressed in enemy uniforms, with enemy arms and equipment, who travelled the communication and access trails established by the enemy, and deliberately encountered sentinels or couriers to gain information; sometimes surrendered HOI CHANH worked in their former area of operations. See EARTH ANGEL, KIT CARSON SCOUT. [nb: a similar program during WWII in the ETO operated by OSS was called "Sauerkraut" (word play: Sour + German)] [nb: during WWII, the German Brandenburg Division was composed of linguists who were specially trained to infiltrate foreign armies (eg: French, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Greek, etc) as impostors to perform SABOTAGE; "Brandenburger" trainees were tested on the effectiveness of their aculturated disguises in exercises called "Masquerade Balls"]

ROBIN SAGE :

recurrent operational name for the 19-day field training exercise (FTX) that constitutes the "final exam" in SPECIAL FORCES qualification; being a 4-week block of training formally known as Phase V: Unconventional Warfare Culmination Exercise. Conducted from Camp MacKall into Badin Lake and the Uwharrie National Forest to test the trainee's survival skills, UW tactics, GUERRILLA diplomacy, and military ethics in a hypothetical "Pineland" scenario that involves role-playing civilians and includes OPFORland aggressors. ROBIN SAGE is a problem-solving Field Training Exercise (FTX) where students put their knowledge and skills to use as student Special Forces teams. During this unconventional warfare exercise, the students are required to apply the lessons learned from previous months of Special Forces MOS training and field training to include survival and foreign language based scenarios. This exercise involves the students, counterinsurgent and guerrilla personnel (other service members), auxiliary personnel, and cadre. This scenario stresses realism as the student teams train a mock-guerilla force in a hostile environment using civilians in the surrounding community as the auxiliary. This exercise is conducted throughout 15 counties in south central North Carolina and covers approximately 50,000 square miles. By the conclusion of ROBIN SAGE, the students have been placed in situations where they were required to use MOS and leadership skills, language and cultural skills and their abilities were tested to work in adverse and ambiguous conditions. The ROBIN SAGE Internship Program enables select senior-level ROTC cadets to participate in "G" band link-up, sustainment, and combat operations with regular Army personnel, so as to practice leadership skills, mission planning, small unit tactics, air operations, basic field craft, communications, medicine, weapons and demolitions. See FTX, SF; compare GABRIEL.

ROC :

Republic of China, or Nationalist China (CHINAT), established in 1949 on Formosa/Taiwan; compare PRC. [nb: the official history of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) notes that Vietnamese communist forces acted as MERCENARY rebels across the border in southern China so as to monopolize elements of the Kuomintang army, enabling Maoist revolutionaries to elude the remainder, thus preventing a Nationalist Chinese (CHINAT) victory]

A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE :

a time or place of challenge or difficulty requiring "do or die" performance, as "You're between a rock and a hard place!"; a situation reminiscent of the two equal dangers of Scylla and Charybdis [v: Homer, Horace], and commonly known as a "nut crunch". This may also be referred to as "fish or cut bait". Compare BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK; see BITE THE DUST. [v: sundering the "Pillars of Hercules" (Calpe and Abyla)]

THE ROCK :

Guam; an unincorporated US territorial possession in the Mariana Islands. Also, the 2 square mile island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, where American and Filipino forces surrendered to Japan in May 1942; which is also called the "Gibraltar of the East".

ROCK 'n' ROLL :

firing of weapons on full automatic; the kill ratio to expended AMMO during the VIETNAM WAR was about 20,000 rounds per enemy kill. See SPRAY, BUSTING CAPS, HOSE, HAPPY FIRE, MAD MINUTE, BLIND FIRE, FLOCK SHOOT; compare DOUBLE TAP.

ROCKER :

Army MSG

Marine MSG

Air Force SMG

the curved stripe beneath the triple chevrons of an Army or Marine sergeant's RANK that indicates RATINGs between E-6 and E-9; Staff Sergeant (3 chevrons + 1 rocker), Sergeant First Class (3 chevrons + 2 rockers), Master Sergeant (3 chevrons + 3 rockers). Air Force and Navy chevrons are inverted so the "rocker" that 'caps' these stripes is also inverted. Between WWI and WWII, when the military budget was minuscule and promotions were impossible, ROCKERs were added to lower rate chevrons to represent enhanced skill and increased authority ... a PFC with four ROCKERs wasn't a CPL, but he wasn't just a PFC anymore either! See BIRD UMBRELLA, SPEC, SARGE, CHIEF, GUNNY, TOP, NCO.

ROCKET :

any projectile that is steered onto its objective or target after launch; compare "fire-and-forget" MISSILE; see HIGH ANGLE HELL, IN-COMING, MISSILE, ROCKET BELT, RPG, RPG SCREEN, BAZOOKA, RR, SALVO, VOLLEY, DRUMFIRE, TURN TURTLE, WP, DRAGON, LOSAT, TOW. [nb: documents from AD 1412 in Chinese archives discuss the techniques and tactics for launching rocket assisted arrows (called "eruptors"), fire-arrows, and rocket launched pellet bombs at ranges from 100yds to 1000yds, being fired as a soldier's individual weapon or from a wheelbarrow as a mobile platform.]

ROCKET BELT :

the enemy zone encircling a BASE CAMP or locality from which large-caliber (122mm and 140mm) enemy MISSILE attacks could be launched.

ROCKEYE :

thermite CBU (qv).

ROCKPILE :

NICKNAME for Nam Ha and Ba Sao (literally three stars) (geo: 20 33 24N 105 47 30E; UTM: 48QWH82607310), site of major NVN prison camp for captive allied population; also known as Noi Coc, Camp B. Dates US POWs present: 21 Jun 71 to 14 Feb 73. The Ministry of Public Security (now Ministry of Interior) administered this camp; which was located about 35 kilometers south of Hanoi, and about 15 kilometers west of Phu Ly town. About 10-12 American POWs were held in a small COMPOUND separated from the Vietnamese prisoners also housed there. Two or three American POWs briefly escaped from this camp. See POW. Also, slang reference for a Marine defensive position near ConTien in I CTZ.

ROCKS 'n' SHOALS :

Naval slang for the UCMJ. See BLUE BOOK, CAPTAIN'S MAST, BRIG, THE CASTLE, KEELHAUL, OFFICE HOURS, DRUMHEAD, MASTER-AT-ARMS. Also, shallow water containing hazards to surface navigation; compare BANK.

ROCK THE BOAT :

colloquial expression meaning to cause trouble or upset routine; often phrased in a negative injunction, as "Don't ROCK THE BOAT!". Similar phrase "make waves" has same meaning. Compare HARD-AND-FAST.

ROGUE :

in military parlance, someone who's not a "team player", someone with too much initiative; being anyone who exhibits unorthodox methods or unconventional thinking, as an individualist or singular, heterodox or iconoclast. Although the military prizes conformity, it (reluctantly) accepts abnormal solutions whenever they're successful, but often resentfully, and never when exceptionalism has failed. Non-school and "outside the box" options are most often tolerated in SPECIAL FORCES, PSYOPS, and INTEL. MILICRATs usually discourage ROGUEs from promotion or retention during peacetime, but "America needs her bastards during war!" ... the ones who don't "play by the rules". The civilian definition of a 'rogue' (dishonest scoundrel; inferior specimen) is intolerable to military mores, and therefore subject to punishment and dismissal. See ASYMMETRIC WARFARE GROUP, ANTI-TERRORISM, UW, SOF; compare MAVERICK, PALACE GUARD. [cf: irregular, eccentric, quixotic, anomalous, heretical, schismatic]

ROK :

(rock) Republic of Korea ground combat troops, such as soldiers and marines; (KMC) usually referred to as ROKs (rocks). See ROKA, ROKFV, KATUSA, KANZUS, FWF, ASEAN, SEATO. [nb: the USA subsidized the salaries of ROK troops serving in VN, so that their pay-scale matched the American pay-grade, which was about twenty times higher than normal]

ROKA :

(row-kah) Republic of Korea Army; see KATUSA, compare NKPA.

ROKFV :

Republic of Korea Forces Vietnam

ROLL :

axial plunge, swaying or rocking, as of a ship's alternating side to side, PORT to STARBOARD movement; see CAREEN, CRAB, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, compare PITCH, YAW, HEAVE, ATHWART. [cf: heel, list]

ROLLING THUNDER :

the CODENAME designation given to the sustained air operations against North Vietnam from March 1965 through November 1968; see STEEL TIGER, SEA DRAGON, compare FLAMING DART.

ROMAD :

acronym for Radio Operator Maintenance And Driver; imitative of "nomad".

ROMEO :

the word assigned to represent the letter "R" in the international phonetic alphabet; at various times in different spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented as Rush and Roger. See ALPHABET SOUP, PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags]

ROME PLOW :

a large bulldozer (D7E Caterpillar), sized about the same as a 60-ton MBT but operated by only one driver, fitted with a specially mounted oversized blade, used for heavy-duty earth-moving and to clear forest or jungle, in order to deny sanctuary to the enemy and to facilitate operational access (eg: DOZER INFANTRY); this designation is a toponym from its place of manufacture in Rome Georgia, also called "hog-jaw". Compare RHINO.

ROMMEL'S ASPARAGUS :

WWII slang for the passive defenses constructed for the denial of probable landing or drop zones (LZ/DZ) used by GLIDERs and PARATROOPERs, named in honor of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel; being poles erected vertically in open areas, often tied together by wires and mined at their bases. Similar defenses were constructed in the highland clearings of SVN to deny AIRBORNE and AIR ASSAULT access.

ROMPER :

a person, group, vehicle, or vessel that has moved so far ahead of its unit or formation that it is unable to rejoin its element before nightfall; compare STRAGGLER, UA; see COMBAT SPREAD.

RON :

Remain OverNight, being a night setup position, usually a fall-back position selected and scouted earlier, and sometimes called "Rest Over Night" or "Night Location" (NL); such a small unit overnight position is known as a "harbor site" by Marine and Naval personnel. This phrase is also used by aircrew members, in the same way that civilians use "layover" or "stopover", whenever they cannot Return To Base (RTB) on the same day or sequence (EVOLUTION). See LAAGER, COLD CAMP, SPIKE, NDP, PERIMETER. [cf: line camp]

RONONE :

USCG Squadron One. RONTHREE or RON3: larger Coast Guard vessels assigned off-shore patrol work.

ROOF :

the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, including RUNWAY and APRON. 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 [v: PADDLES]. See FLATTOP, TAILHOOK, BURBLE.

ROOSEVELT COROLLARY :

advanced in 1905 by Theodore Roosevelt, it is more precisely identified as the ROOSEVELT COROLLARY to the MONROE DOCTRINE, and asserts that the United States has the right to intervene in affairs of Latin American nations whenever they are politically or economically so unstable as to threaten American interests. Earlier (1895), when Grover Cleveland directed England to settle a boundry dispute with Venezuela, he proclaimed that "Today the United States is practically sovereign on this continent, and its fiat is law upon the subjects to which it confines its interposition." Later (1961), John F. Kennedy would recapitulate by asserting "And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain master of its own house." Just as Thomas Jefferson betrayed his stated ISOLATIONISM with England and Spain, so T. Woodrow Wilson, who repudiated the ROOSEVELT COROLLARY in 1913, made incursions into Latin America and WWI. See JUST CAUSE, URGENT FURY, BANANA WARS, GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY, CONTAINMENT, INTERVENTIONISM, GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, TRUMAN DOCTRINE, MARSHALL PLAN, NIXON DOCTRINE, REAGAN DOCTRINE, CARTER DOCTRINE, NATION BUILDING.

THE ROOT :

phrase signifying Beirut (Lebanon) and the Multinational Peacekeeping mission headquartered there, as used by sentries and CA DRONEs, WONKs and PUKEs, REMFs and CLERKS 'n' JERKS to imply that the user is a grizzled veteran of a tough combat tour; use of this TELLTALE phrase is a FALSE FLAG. See WAR STORY, SEA STORY, COUNT COUP, BTDT, PAY DUES, UP-CLOSE 'n' PERSONAL, CANDY-ASS, WANNABE; compare THE NAM, THE MED, THE GULF, THE MOG, ABSURDISTAN, THE STANS. [nb: subsequent to the 1982 Israeli intervention in the Lebanese CIVIL WAR, a Multinational Peacekeeping Force was located in Beirut; in April 1983 the U.S. embassy was bombed, and the U.S. Marine and French paratrooper barracks were bombed on 23 October 1983; the Multinational Peacekeeping Force withdrew from Lebanon in February 1984, and in May 2003, U.S. District Court judge Royce C. Lamberth declared that the Islamic Republic of Iran was responsible for the 1983 attacks]

ROOT HOG OR DIE :

a precept or admonition to either encourage (root) and finish (hog) or to perish (die) in the attempt; also punctuated as "root, hog, or die"; see WATCH MY SMOKE, DIEHARD, BRING SMOKE, STORM, WETSU, FIDO, BATTLE CRY, ESPRIT DE CORPS, SIGNATURE. [nb: an alternative interpretation of this expression posits that "You should either support us, help us succeed, or we'll kill you!"; both of which meanings are in contrast to the definition alleged by most etymologists from the phrase "Root, little hog, or die.", which asserts a "fend for yourself" theme of self-reliance, from an old ballad: "Oh, I went to Californy in the spring of Seventy-six, Oh, when I landed there I wuz in a terrible fix. I didn't have no money my victuals for to buy, And the only thing for me was to root, hog, or die."]

ROPE :

any type of LINE (eg: kernmantle, laid [CABLE], braid [riata = rawhide rope], plait [lariat = grass rope], twine) that can be used to attach, connect, tether, secure, restrain, haul, lift, or other useful purpose; see LINE, LANYARD, CORD, PARA-CORD, SHROUD, RATLINE, SPAGHETTI, GUY, HAWSER, HALYARD, STATIC LINE, KNOT, EYE, HARD-AND-FAST, BELAY, RAPPEL, McGUIRE RIG, STABO, JACOB'S LADDER, HIGHLINE, ROPE BRIDGE. [v: Climbing Terms] Also, hyperbolic slang for an untidy string or thread hanging from some part of the uniform; see STRAC, SQUARED AWAY, SHIPSHAPE, GIG, TURD. Also, slang for marijunana, as to "smoke a rope", due to ropes having once been made from hemp; see CAN SA.

ROPE BRIDGE :

a temporary traverse, using one (.), two (I), or three (V) strands of rope with a retrievable tension-knot (eg: butterfly knot), for small unit crossings of difficult or time-consuming water courses or ravines; also called "swing bridge" or "hanging bridge". Derived from ancient Chinese catenary or suspension-arch bridges, where ROPE BRIDGES with bamboo slides or cradles have existed in China and Tibet (Xizang) since AD20; and by technomigration in the Andes from ca1290. The relative tensile strength of ROPE BRIDGE materials is: hemp @8,000psi; bamboo @26,000psi; silk @65,000psi; steel cable @256,000psi. See LINE, BELAY, RAPPEL, JUNGLE EXPERT, BUSHMASTER; compare AVLB, BAILEY BRIDGE, PONTOON BRIDGE, BRIDGE RATING, TREADWAY BRIDGE, ROUTE STEP, HIGHLINE.

ROPE TRICK :

slang expression for the North Vietnamese TORTURE, sometimes called the "jet plane", consisting of binding the prisoner's limbs into a contorted posture, which interrupted circulation and dislocated joints, causing permanent impairment. See BRAINWASHING, FIELD EXPEDIENT FACIAL, PLAYING THE XYLOPHONE, CODE OF CONDUCT, POW. [cf: rope dance at GALLOW'S HUMOR; nb: a TRICK, but not to be confused with HAT TRICK]

ROSTRUM :

any stage for public speaking, as derived from the speaker's platform in the ancient Roman forum, which was decorated with the prows of ships captured from Volscian Antium in 338BC; also known as dais, proscenium, podium, stand, pulpit, soapbox, stump; and is differentiated from a lectern or bookstand. Also, any beaklike projection, such as the ram on the PROW of ancient WARSHIPs; as derived from "snout"; see BOW, STEM, CUTWATER, compare PULPIT.

ROTC :

ROTC

(r-oh-te-see or rot-see) Reserve Officer's Training Corps; a course of programmed military instruction and preparation coincident with undergraduate education, culminating in a commission in a branch of the Armed Forces [later, Uniformed Services] at college graduation. Also known as "Rotten Old Turds Club". See OCS, CADET, RING-KNOCKER, BOAT SCHOOL, HUDSON HIGH, CONAP, ACASP, DEP, ROBIN SAGE, UP OR OUT. [nb: the preparation of "citizen soldier" leadership was augmented by the Land-Grant College Act, based upon a 1783 proposal by New York Governor George Clinton, and augmented by proposals from Alden Partridge (1841), and Jonathan B. Turner (1851), submitted by Vermont Congressman Justin Smith Morrill, in December 1861 and signed into law on 2 July 1862, which mandated military training as supplemental to higher agricultural and industrial education in state supported institutions, which had little effect, due to inconsistent standards and restricted resources, until after WWI. States endowed by Morrill Act land grants were required to establish at least one college: "where the leading object shall be without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life." As a result of General Leonard Wood's reformative Plattsburgh Movement, the drill formations became a reserve force, including ROTC officers authorized by the 1916 and 1920 National Defense Acts and the 1935 Thomason Act. Subsequent to the 1948 Selective Service Act (incl "Distinguished Graduate" program) and the ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964, the ROTC was transferred, effective 1 July 1966, from Reserve Components, and was conjoined with OCS and Academy commissioning criteria effective 1 January 1967. From 1969, in response to collegiate anti-war sentiment, the ROTC program was more generalized and de-militarized, producing well educated youths of good character, who would learn their practical military skills while on active duty in the Armed Forces.] [v: Military Schools] [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson Fitch (1911)]

ROTOR HEAD :

NICKNAME for a helicopter PILOT or crewmember; also called "prop head", as related to the propeller-topped beanie worn by children, college freshmen, fraternity pledges, and "brain fan" pixilates. See CHOPPER, WOBBLY, WOP, PROP JOCKEY, Q-COURSE, GOOD STICK. [nb: a BULLETPROOF pilot's braggadocio is often expressed as "big sky, little bullet"]

ROUGHSHOD :

classic reference to horseshoes set with protruding nails or points that were used by cavalry to injure or kill foot soldiers by riding over them, but term also applies to hobnail studded FOOTWEAR, from Hittite sandals through colonial American shoes to JUNGLE BOOTS, which ruggedness and traction gave the wearer an advantage over a less well shod opponent. Also, harsh treatment, especially for personal advancement.

ROUND EYE :

slang term used by American soldiers to describe another American or an individual of European descent, especially females; see ANGEL, SALLY, DOUGHNUT DOLLY, PIRATE'S DREAM, CAMP FOLLOWER, CAMPAIGN WIFE, DRAG, DISTAFF, SKIRT.

ROUT :

any overwhelming or decisive defeat, often attended by disorderly flight, as when dispersed in such defeat and disorderly flight [nb: frenzy, phrenitis, panic, and hysteria are civilian reactions that are contrary to good order and discipline]; see DEFEAT, RETROGRADE, RETREAT, CHANGING TUNE, BAILOUT, COUNTERMARCH, BEAT FEET, HAUL-ASS, DESERTER, TRAITOR, TURNCOAT. Also, any tumultuous or disorderly crowd of persons, especially a disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons acting together in a manner that suggests an intention to riot; see RIOT ACT. Also, a large party or gathering of people, a GAGGLE or band; as derived from "break", as of a fraction or detachment.

ROUTE STEP :

the military command for a formation to "march out of step", as when in field conditions or when crossing bridges; formerly "break step". See QUICK TIME, DOUBLE TIME, CADENCE, STUTTER-STEP.

RP :

Reference Point, a prearranged map coordinate assigned a CODEWORD, used as a quick and simple method of sending plotted locations as related to any fixed particular. Because the enemy monitors Allied transmissions, and RPs are retained for an entire operation, the RP can be deduced by provocative activity, and the positions of other units can then be inferred without further surveillance. The slower method of KAK encryption is much more effective. The Navy designation for an RP is "bulls eye". See GRID COORDINATES, GRID LINES, AZIMUTH, COMICS, DEAD-RECKONING, compare RV, RALLY POINT, VOR.

RPD :

Ruchnoi Pulyemet Degtyarova, a Soviet-made belt-fed light machinegun firing 7.62mm LINK AMMO; compare PIG / NUMBER SIXTY.

RPG :

Rocket-Propelled Grenade launcher; a Chinese or Russian manufactured man-portable, shoulder-fired, anti-tank (AT) ROCKET (eg: RPG2, RPG7, RPG9, B-40). Compare RR, LAW [v: panzerfaust]; see GRENADE, MISSILE.

RPG SCREEN :

chain link fence erected around a valuable position to protect it from RPG attack by causing the enemy rocket to explode on the fence and not on the protected bunker, etc.

R&R / R & R / R-and-R :

Rest-and-Recreation or Rest-and-Recuperation or Rest-and-Recovery or Rest-and-Relaxation, being a short vacation taken during a tour of duty in a combat zone; was called "rest-and-refit" during the American CIVIL WAR. R&R out-of-country locations during the VIETNAM WAR were located at Australia, Bangkok, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo; while R&R IN COUNTRY locations were at Cam Rahn Bay, Vung Tau, or Da Nang's China Beach. Often called "rack-and-ruin" or "rut-and-roister". See I&I, STEEL BEACH.

RR :

recoilless rifle; NICKNAMEd BIG SHOTGUN when firing CANISTER anti-personnel AMMO. The BAZOOKA (2.36" or 3.5" rocket launcher) was replaced by the M-18 57mm shoulder-fired, air-cooled, single-loading RR during WWII; larger RRs were vehicle mounted as infantry support and tank destroyers, including M-20 75mm RR, SCORPION, ONTOS. The M-67 90mm RR was a lightweight (35lbs) and compact (53"L) man-portable weapon firing (muzzle velocity @ 700fps to 450m-800m) high-explosive (HE) anti-tank ammunition. Compare LAW, PREDATOR, RPG [v: panzerfaust]. Also, the abbreviation for Radio Relay; see HICKORY, LEGHORN, BLACK LADY MOUNTAIN, MARBLE MOUNTAIN, MONKEY MOUNTAIN; compare SITE 85.

RRA :

Radio Relay Aircraft

RRD :

Radio Research Detachment, being a secure communications monitoring station located at brigade (BDE) and higher headquarters (HQ) COMPOUNDs for supervision of SOI/SSI transmissions, cataloguing of security violations (eg: real names, actual units, locations in the clear, uncoded directives, profanity, etc), and developing SIGINT from the surveillance and analysis of enemy intercepts (eg: organization, leadership, locations, operations, etc). Even when the enemy codes would change, the operator's HAND was often sufficient for reconstructive matching. Because the RRD radios were sensitive and operated constantly, the COMM SHACK was usually clean and air-conditioned, making it a favorite place for OFF-DUTY REMFs to hang-out for relaxation. See DITTY-BOP, COMM OP, COMSEC, ANTENNA FARM, RADIO, COMMO.

RRF :

Rapid Reaction Force, being a highly qualified unit, usually light and mobile, on STANDBY or alert status for timely response to a crisis; also called "rapid response force". See QRT, QRF, RT, FIRE BRIGADE, STRIKE FORCE, SOF, SMU, SAR, CSAR, PJ, TRICK, TRAP, LIGHT.

RSO :

Radio Signals Officer, or backseater in fighter aircraft; see GIB, BEAR, EWO, RIO, WSO (WIZZO); compare FUF.

RSSZ :

Rung Sat Special Zone, or Rung Sat Security Zone, with Rung Sat meaning "Forest of Assassins"; being a forty-mile stretch of rivers and marshes between Saigon and the South China Sea, especially the main shipping channel (Long Tau), which served as a haven for criminals and rebels due to its impenetrability.

RT :

Recon(naissance) Team; see RECON, RECONDO, I&R, HAWKS, RANGER. Also, Response Team; variously First Response Team (or "First Responders"), Emergency Response Team (ERT), Rapid Response Team (RRT), Special Response Team (SRT); see QRT, QRF, RRF, SMU.

RTB :

Return To Base. For pilots, this is often related to the remaining fuel (BINGO), but for ground forces it contrasts with continuing the mission or remaining overnight (RON).

RTO :

Radio Telephone Operator, being the enlisted man (EM) responsible for the field transport, operation, care and maintenance of the unit's communication device(s); formerly known as "radioman". Compare RUNNER, COMM OP, DITTY-BOP, EARS, RADIO PUKE; see RTP, ACTUAL, CODE TALKER, TELEPHONE, RADIO, COMMO. [nb: the field occupations most often targeted in combat, because their loss so immediately influences unit effectiveness and morale, are the leader, signalman, machinegunner, and medic]

RTP :

Radio Telephone Procedure; the contractions and conventions used to make military communications more precise and efficient. See PROWORD, A-OK, SOS, MAYDAY, PAN, SECURITE, INTERCO, CIPHER, CODE, RADIO, RTO, TELEPHONE. [nb: "roger"/"wilco" and "over"/"out" are mutually exclusive; "repeat"/"say again" and "shoot"/"fire" are very specific; "niner", not "fiver"; "zero", not "oh"]

RUBBER LADY :

slang for an air mattress, issued as padding for sleeping bags, but only used by REMFs; see FART SACK, SHAKEDOWN. [v: bolster, futon, pallet, paillasse/palliasse, bedroll, sougan / soogan, tick, mat, pad, cushion]

RUCK / RUCKSACK :

backpack issued to infantrymen for carrying large heavy loads; modern packsack styles have varied from external frame, interior frame, and no frame, with the ancient Greek RUCKSACK being a backpacked wickerwork basket. Compare DUFFEL BAG, FLIGHT BAG, WAR BAG, MUSETTE BAG; see ALICE, MOLLE, LBE, LBV, WEB GEAR, DINGLEBERRY. [nb: "rucksack" = back-sack; "knapsack" = bite/snap-up/eat, food sack; "kit-bag" = soldier's small bag/knapsack; "haversack" = single strap over one shoulder / musette] [cf: bundle, bindle/bindlea, swag, bluey, dilly bag, tucker-bag, bag, pouch, tote, sack, pack, grip, gripsack, overnighter, weekender, carpetbag, suitcase, portmanteau, Gladstone bag, traveling case, garment bag, Val-Pack, luggage; v: "scrip" wayfarer's bag or wallet; "viaticum" traveler's money and necessities]

RUDDER :

a vertical blade positioned at the stern of a craft or vessel that's used, by turning, to change its direction when in motion; derived from "row", as a steering or sweeping oar; see STARBOARD, JUNK, SAMPAN. Also, a movable control surface attached to a vertical stabilizer, positioned at the rear of an airplane, and used, along with the ailerons, to turn the airplane; see TAB, FIN, TAILBOOM. Also, any method of directing or means of guiding a course, actual or symbolic.

RUFFLES 'n' FLOURISHES :

RUFFLES are played on DRUMs, and FLOURISHES are played on bugles (v: BUGLE CALL); and they're sounded together in honor of an official ... according to title, or once for each star of RANK, to a maximum of four. See SALUTE, PASSING HONORS, BEATERS 'n' BLEATERS, TOOTER, FACE THE MUSIC. [v: paradiddle]

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT / ROE :

operating instructions for air, land, or sea warfare; during the VIETNAM WAR, specifically MACV directive 525-13, and promulgated as regulations by subordinate commands. These restrictions stipulate who is the enemy, what is the objective, where the troops can go, what firepower can be used, when certain acts are permissible, and so on. Among other factors, OPLAN 37-64 gave authorization for HOT PURSUIT across international borders or into denied areas whenever allied air or ground elements are engaged with enemy forces. The military often complains that the ROE compromise their efficiency and effectiveness; while the popular myth among civilians is that warfare is unbridled savagery. The U.S. military is not only directed by civil authority, but is highly regulated; such that even "total war" aimed at "unconditional surrender" is fraught with rules for proper conduct. In "limited wars", like the Spanish-American, Korean, and Vietnam conflicts, where diplomatic negotiations are interlarded with battlefield engagements, the ROE are even more extensive. Such prohibitions, with their concomitant and inevitable violations, impose an extreme morale problem upon the combatants, and produces disintegrating confusion on the home front. See RFZ, NFZ, FREE FIRE ZONE, INCURSION, HOT PURSUIT, COLLATERAL DAMAGE, RETALIATION, LAWS OF WAR, ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, WARNING SHOT.

RUMOR :

any unattributable or unauthenticatable statement in general circulation, mockingly called "RumInt"; may also be known as folklore or myth. As a cover-story or DISINFORMATION, false or misleading RUMORS were often generated ("rumor mill") by INTEL sections; some of which gossip has since rebounded as authentic "oral history". The second- and third-hand passing of such word-of-mouth RUMORS was alleged to have qualified "security" access by being "cleared for bullshit and rumors". See NEED TO KNOW, CONTROLLED INFORMATION, FALSE FLAG, DECEPTION, MUSHROOM, GAS BAG, TALK TRASH, BRAVO SIERRA, CHATTER, PROPAGANDA, BIG LIE, GOUGE, DOPE, POOP, THE WORD, GREEN GREASE, GRIPEVINE, BACK CHANNEL, SCUTTLEBUTT, BAMBOO TELEGRAPH. [v: Myths of the Vietnam War] [nb: during WWII, the OSS "rumor mill" held Morale Operations meetings to generate false information] [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] [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] [nb: "What Peter says about Paul says more about Peter than it does about Paul" by Arthur Schopenhauer; the "narcissism of small differences" by Sigmund Freud; "When you hear somebody usin' words ag'in somebody, don't go by his words, for they won't make no damn sense, [but] go by his tone, and you'll know if he's mean and lying." by Forest Carter, The Education of Little Tree (1976)]

RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE :

a WWII-era catch-phrase, "Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.", that was adopted in the 1950s as a mantra for the button-down gray-flannel suited "organization men" of big business, and was then comedically exploited during the early 1960s in parodies of robotic executives who were anxiously climbing the corporate ladder in lockstep. The expression proposes a trial run; suggests trying a new idea or concept, a different formula or procedure, in order to discover support or resistance, benefit or detriment for the alternative option or plan. For MILICRATs, it's a method of polling collaborators, more than actually determining the worth or merit of a proposition. See HEADQUARTERISM, SHOW THE FLAG, VIETNAM SYNDROME, SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT, WIGGLE ROOM, COURSE OF ACTION, PLAN B, WHITE ELEPHANT, RAIN ON PARADE, WANGLE.

RUNNER :

a messenger; originally a communications assignment for conveying dispatches and ORDERs, which involved great responsibility and high risk during battle, but lately being a DUTY assignment to perform errands and chores as an assistant, such as to the Charge of Quarters (CQ) or OOD. Compare GOFER, HOUSE MOUSE, MAN FRIDAY, RTO, COMM OP, DITTY-BOP.

RUNNING FIRE :

the discharge of CREW-SERVED WEAPONS (eg: machinegun, cannon, etc) from moving vehicles or craft; compare GUN RUN, see MARCHING FIRE, SNIPER'S TRIANGLE, RECON BY FIRE.

RUNNING KNOT :

slipknot.

RUNNING LIGHT :

any of various navigation or warning lights that are required to be displayed by a vessel or aircraft when operating between sunset and sunrise, or during inclement weather or other low visibility conditions; see CHRISTMAS TREE, compare BLACKOUT. Also, to operate a vehicle or craft with insufficient crew, low fuel, absent arms or armor, or other inadequacy; typically a mission imperative expedient; compare DEADHEAD.

RUNTS 'n' CUNTS :

a rude and crude reference to those persons affected by the change in regulations, initially an individual waiver or exemption, then later as quotas mandated by affirmative action, permitting undersized and underweight applicants, including women and racial diminutives, to apply for training in previously restricted or prohibited specialties; because these limitations affected promotion and career development, the regulatory changes also set different (lower) standards for qualification, which has prompted resentment and dissension ... the objections are performance and service oriented, not racist or sexist, as has been alleged. See AAA, UP OR OUT, VOLUNTEER, AVF, TOTAL FORCE, SWEAT HOG, HARD CHARGER, FAST MOVER, BOOMER, HOT SHOT, BALLS TO THE WALL, BOY WONDER, HOT-SHIT, SHAKE 'n' BAKE, TOP DOG, GOLDEN BOY, SUPER-TROOPER, SKIRT, ANGEL, BAMBOO TELEGRAPH, RIGGER, MOTHER HEN, BITCH, SPLIT, DISTAFF.

RUNWAY :

a paved or cleared strip on which airplanes land and take-off; see ROOF, TOUCHDOWN, BOUNCE, FIELD CARRIER LANDING, THRESHOLD, TAXIWAY, APRON, RAMP, STRIP ALERT, WINDSOCK, REVETMENT, PSP, MARSDEN MATTING, MACADAM, ALS, FOD. [nb: technically, an 'airstrip' is a small airfield with only one RUNWAY, but the term is widely used as a synonym for a landing strip; the Eisenhower interstate highway system mandates that one mile in every five be straight so it can be used to land aircraft during an emergency or wartime] [nb: RUNWAY designations are by compass heading and its reciprocal, which designation alone informs the PILOT by which direction to approach or depart]

RUPTURED DUCK :

honorable WWII service lapel pin, so called due to the "puffed posture" of the eagle; originally manufactured in plastic due to restrictions on metal. See HD, RIF, BTDT.

RUSE DE GUERRE :

those single, serial, or collective measures designed to mislead the enemy by manipulation, distortion, or falsification of evidence so as to induce the enemy to act or react in a manner prejudicial to its own interests; also called DECEPTION, TRICK, ploy, feint, artifice, stratagem, subterfuge, wile, gambit, imposture, machination. See PSYOPS, GHOST UNIT, PHANTOM OPERATIONS, FALSE FLAG, HINKY, DECOY, RED HERRING, TROJAN HORSE, STALKING HORSE, CAT SKINNER, CAT'S-PAW, NIGHTINGALE, PROPAGANDA, DISINFORMATION, GHOST WALK, Q-SHIP, CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, TRADECRAFT.

RV :

RendezVous, also known as RALLY POINT; see IP, WAY POINT, STRONGPOINT.

RVN :

abbreviation for the Republic of Viet Nam, the formal name for South Vietnam (SVN); Vietnam was granted independence from France by the Treaty of Auriol, signed 8 March 1949. The bright yellow RVN flag background symbolized the bounty of rice and the golden (promised) land, with the three red (bloody sacrifice) stripes representing the original parts of the country (North/Tonkin, Central/Annam, South/Cochin China). See GVN, VN, THE NAM.

RVN CAMPAIGN MEDAL / CM :

RVN CM

RVN CAHM

the green and white Republic of Vietnam CAMPAIGN MEDAL, with 1960 DEVICE, was awarded to Allied personnel for direct combat service or support during the period 1 March 1961 - 28 March 1973; compare VSM, CSVN; see GONG.

RVN CIVIC ACTION HONOR MEDAL / CAHM :

awarded to programs and units for advice and support on civic action (CA) in the Republic of Vietnam during the period of the Second Indochina War; see ADV, GONG.

RZ :

Reconnaissance Zone; see LRP, RECON.

MilTerms
index

S-1:
ADMIN

S-2:
INTEL

S-3:
OPNS

S-4:
QM

S-5:
CA

S-6:
COMMO

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