-
WAAC :
-
(whack) Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, formed 15 May 1942 as a
contract service, then admitted to full military status on 3 July
1943, becoming the Women's Army Corps (WAC) so as to perform
combat support roles; all separate women's military service corps
were dissolved in 1978 when female servicemembers were integrated
into the RANKS. When formed at the behest of George C. Marshall,
the WAACs would be "neither Amazons rushing to battle nor
butterflies fluttering around"! See SKIRT.
-
WAC :
-
(whack) Women's Army Corps; see WAAC, SKIRT.
-
WACKY / WAKEY :
-
the last day IN COUNTRY before going back to THE WORLD.
-
WACO :
-
an unpropelled transport glider (CG-4; 48'L x 12'H w/ 83'
wingspan @7500#) manufactured by the Waco Aircraft Company and
others during WWII (1941-7) for ferrying of men, vehicles, and
equipment onto landing zones (LZ) in combat; also known as
"Hadrian" from British/UK designation. See GLIDER, FLAK BAIT,
BIRD, SUICIDE JOCKEY, PILOT.
-
WAD :
-
a large quantity or amount, a great sum, stock, or mass; as "shot
his WAD" as a prodigious expenditure. Also, filler or stuffing,
padding or packing, as to form a plug, lump, ball, roll, bundle,
or fardel; see DUNNAGE, SILENCER. Also, a large portion of
tasteless food, fodder or provender, that fills without
satisfying; [cf: sop] see SLOP, WASH, CHOW, BEANS, FORAGE,
RATIONS.
-
WAF :
-
Women's Air Force, until 1978 when all separate women's military
service corps were dissolved and female servicemembers were fully
integrated into the RANKS; see SKIRT.
-
WAFS :
-
Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Service, WWII service pilots until
1978 when all separate women's military service corps were
dissolved and female servicemembers were fully integrated into
the RANKS; see SKIRT.
-
WAG :
-
Wild-Assed Guess; which, when informed by experience, becomes
inductive intuition or deductive logic, but is otherwise a
Semi-scientific Wild-Assed Guess (SWAG) or a pure "guesstimate".
See DEAD-RECKONING, DOUBLE DRIFT.
-
WAKE-UP :
-
the last day of assignment, the day of departure or release; as
when counting down a tour of duty. See FINI FLIGHT, A DUFFEL BAG
DRAG AND A BOWL OF CORN FLAKES, FREEDOM BIRD, PFC, DEROS, ETS,
SHORT-TIMER, SHORT-TIMER PIN, THE WORLD, LAND OF THE BIG PX.
-
WALKER-BULLDOG :
-
the twin-engine M-24 CHAFFEE light TANK was replaced in 1953 by
the more powerful gas-powered M-41 with a high-velocity 76.2mm
MAIN-GUN, which the ARVN matched against Soviet T-34/T-85. Served
in Vietnam as bridge pillboxes, and chassis formed body of
DUSTER. See WIDOW MAKER, TANK, TRACK.
-
WALKIE-TALKIE :
-
AN/PRC-6, HT-1, URC-10, or SINCGARS compact and portable
short-range field radio with pre-set frequencies (or dedicated
frequency hopping); arranged like a handset with telescoping
antenna, as used by FIRE TEAM, RECON team (RT), SQUAD, or
platoon-sized (PLT) elements, or by individuals during emergency
survival.
-
A WALK IN THE PARK :
-
slang for going into hostile air operations with confidence of
success; see PIECE OF CAKE, LAUGH A MINUTE, CAKEWALK, DUCK SOUP,
NO SWEAT, TURKEY SHOOT.
[nb: phrase should not be confused with A Walk in the Sun
taken from a WWII novel by Harry Brown (1944), which was echoed
in the VIETNAM WAR novel entitled One Very Hot Day by
David Halberstam (1968), that dramatized violence visited upon
ordinary soldiers who are exhausted and frustrated by meaningless
operations]
-
WALK LIKE A PUSSY :
-
admonition by the drillmaster or Drill Instructor (DI) to new
recruits so that they will swivel their hips when marching,
causing them to "glide" along in step, instead of bouncing up and
down; this technique is in marked contrast to the MACHO concept
of "walk like a man", which style can be characterized as a
strut, swagger, swash, saunter, sashay/chassé, or
DITTY-BOP/diddy-bop ... marching in formation is not about
individual style. See STUTTER-STEP, DAP, HEP, CADENCE, PARADE,
MARCH.
-
WALLABEE :
-
an Australian CARIBOU aircraft.
-
WALLAH :
-
a person in charge of, or expertly concerned with a particular
action or thing, such as a "supply wallah" or "machine wallah";
derived from Anglo-Indian slang, and also spelled "walla".
Compare WONK, WIZARD, PROFESSOR, BEAN-COUNTER, HONCHO, ACTING
JACK, GADGET, GUNNER, RAINMAKER, MILICRAT. [cf: apparatchik,
nomenklatura, nabob, nibs]
-
WALL LOCKER :
-
a narrow vertical closet, freestanding or built-in, usually
furnished with clothing hooks, hanger bar, hat shelf, and secured
by a ventilated door that can be padlocked. The WALL LOCKER is
unit property assigned to residents, usually nearby the
occupant's bed, with its placement and display regulated by a
command specific Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Compare
FOOTLOCKER.
[nb: the WALL LOCKER has been used to simulate solitary
confinement in various survival (ie: E&E / SERE) training
centers, as well as an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT device in some
"wall-to-wall counseling" sessions, both of which are technically
illegal but vital preparation for the reality of combat]
-
WALL TENT :
-
a large tent, introduced during the CIVIL WAR, with either an
attached vertical panel on each side, or attachments enabling the
sides to fall vertically; some models, such as hospital tents,
have screens and roll-up sides for ventillation. See GP, TENT,
HUTMENT.
-
WANGLE :
-
to bring about by underhand methods, as to scheme, contrive, or
manipulate for dishonest ends; to falsify or finagle, deceive or
intrigue, as to "wangle a promotion" or "wangle a transfer". This
is an Americanism derived by contracting "wag" (wag the tongue)
and "dangle" (hang around), but it's also alleged to derive from
contracting "wield" and "angle" (play the angles). See WIGGLE
ROOM, VULCANIZE, TAP-DANCER, CYA, SMOKE 'n' MIRRORS, RUN IT UP
THE FLAGPOLE, MILICRAT.
-
WANNABE / WANNABEE :
-
someone seeking attainment, or anyone imitating the achievements
or successes earned by others; also known as aspirant, poseur,
pretender, tinhorn. During the Medieval era, so-called "carpet
knights" were unconquered champions of the cozy room or plush
court, and were so designated as late as the American CIVIL WAR
(eg: Moxely Sorrel identified A.P. Hill as such). After the
American CIVIL WAR, such declarers of ex-post-facto achievements
would be characterized as "Latter Day Knights". Such pretenders
to tribal or ethnic affiliation are commonly called "wish-ums" or
"pretendian". Derived from infantile pronunciation of "(I) want
to be ...". Every field, from nobility and arts to exploration
and science, has had its impudent deceiver or audacious
falsifier. See REMF, CLERKS 'n' JERKS, THE NAM, CANDY-ASS, IOTA,
BTDT, PAY DUES, WAR STORY, SEA STORY, CAMP FOLLOWER.
[v: Baron K.F.H. von Munchausen (Münchhausen) and Walter
Mitty as paradigmatic exemplars] [nb: the Lafayette Escadrille, a
WWI aviation squadron, had less than 40 American volunteer
pilots, but more than 4000 claim to have flown combat sorties in
that unit; likewise, less than one million Americans served in
Vietnam, but more than nine million claim to be combat veterans
of that war]
-
WAR :
-
the state of armed conflict or the condition of hostile
contention between nations or factions, comprising strategy
(politics) and tactics (operations), which is prosecuted by force
so as to compel the will of the victor upon the vanquished; and
is principally caused by ideology, economics, religion,
ethnicity, and resources. Wars are also the result of
nationalism, imperialism, and militarism; also called SHOOTING
WAR, and are lately known by the redundancy: "war fighting".
American wars include: AMERICAN REVOLUTION, WAR OF 1812, SEMINOLE
WAR, MEXICAN WAR, CIVIL WAR, INDIAN WARS, SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR,
WWI, BANANA WARS, WWII, COLD WAR, KOREAN WAR, VIETNAM WAR, GULF
WAR, GWOT / WAR ON TERROR.
See BLOODY SHIRT, CROSS THE RUBICON, FIGHTING WORDS, WAR PARTY,
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), COLLATERAL DAMAGE, FIGHTING MAD,
BATTLE, WAR POWERS ACT, LAWS OF WAR, WAR CRIMES TRIAL,
RETALIATION, DOMINO THEORY, HOT, SHOOTING WAR, SHOW THE FLAG,
PLAY THE GAME, FULL-COURT PRESS, BLITZKRIEG, OPEN WAR, TRENCH
WARFARE, DODGE THE BULLET, MACHO, COLD WAR, FLOWER WAR,
FIREWORKS, KILL 'EM ALL, HOLOCAUST, APOCALYPSE, ATROCITY,
MASSACRE, TURKEY SHOOT, BODY COUNT, BUTCHER'S BILL, TRUCE,
DETENTE, CARTE BLANCHE, RAPPROCHEMENT, APPEASE, PEACE.
[v: conflict, armed conflict, assault, military engagement,
hostile confrontation, stour, fray, skirmish, embattle, pitched
battle, fight, FIREFIGHT, scuffle, tussle, melee, slugfest,
DOGFIGHT, clash, rencounter, BATTLE ROYAL, scrimmage, CLOSE
QUARTERS BATTLE, assail, invade, smite, take up arms, march
against, stand against, resist, repulse, defend, defeat, affray,
brawl, wrangle, altercation, sciamachy]
[nb: the concept of "hell on earth" can be traced to Titus
Lucretius Carus, and is most succinctly manifest in the modern
era as "war is hell" by William Tecumseh Sherman] [nb: Frederick
the Great's mule attended many battles but learned nothing about
war from them!; the difference between the OLD MAN and the TOP
KICK is the same in war as it is in sex: officers need to talk
about it in great detail for a long time before it happens, but
sergeants need to talk about it in great detail for a long time
after it happens!]
-
WAR BABY :
-
an infant born during wartime, especially the illegitimate
off-spring fathered by soldiers and sailors serving in foreign
wars.
-
WAR BAG :
-
a "ready" bag kept packed with all the necessary and essential
equipment for rapid deployment to field or combat duty; contents
vary according to individual specialty and assignment. See FLIGHT
BAG, DUFFEL BAG, DUNNAGE, AWOL BAG, MUSETTE, MED BAG, BIVY,
DINGLEBERRY, KIT.
[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]
-
WAR BRIDE :
-
a woman who marries a serviceman about to depart for his wartime
assignment. Also, a woman who marries a foreign serviceman during
or after wartime, and moves to his country when he returns home.
[nb: he is a "war husband" if he remains in her country after
they are wed] ["Marrying in wartime is like sowing among thorns."
by Ignazio Silone]
-
WAR CHEST :
-
money and resources reserved for a future need or anticipated
expenditure, especially common defense [ca1900 Americanism];
wherewithal, treasury, exchequer, repository, coffers.
-
WAR COLLEGE :
-
graduate study of military subjects for senior officers as
maintained for professional development by each branch of service
(eg: Air War College, Army War College, Naval War College). See
C&GS, NPG, JEDI KNIGHT, MSOS, Joint Special Operations
University at USSOCSWS, SWC&S, JOHN WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL, HUDSON
HIGH, BOAT SCHOOL, OCS, ROTC, TRADE SCHOOL.
[nb: four factors comprise war: politics, strategy, tactics,
operations] [v: Siwash ("At Good Old Siwash" by George Helgeson
Fitch (1911)]
-
WAR CORRESPONDENT :
-
a reporter or commentator, either as a remote or embedded
journalist, who's assigned to send news or opinions directly from
battle areas for broadcast or publication; see FRUIT FLY. [nb: "I
felt, moreover, that I had adequately demonstrated that the press
acted – and could well again act – as a multiplier of
the prejudices of the Western intelligentsia, whose tender
conscience moves it to condemn the actions of its own side while
condoning related deeds of enemies who are either 'immature' or
'feel themselves threatened'. It did not, for example, seem
necessary to demonstrate at length that World War II could well
have been lost by the Allied powers if the press had wished
– and been allowed – to denounce almost all the
purposes and virtually the entire conduct of that conflict. It
did not seem necessary to [be]labor the obvious point that no
Western power can conduct a foreign policy that, of necessity,
relies in part on the threat of military power and, upon
occasion, on the exercise of military power, if the media
reflexively denounce almost any use of armed force." by Robert
Elegant, "How to Lose A War: The Press And Viet Nam" pp 73-90 in
Encounter (vol LVII no 2, August 1981)]
[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] [v: Myths of the Vietnam War]
-
WAR CRIME :
-
a violation of the laws of war as interpretated by national or
international standard, with the accused adjudicated by competent
authority. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision presuming
supersession, refused an appeal from the IMTFE in Tokyo that was
based on the ground that the international court was unlawful.
Critics have questioned the legal basis of some of the charges at
the post-World War II trials. Individuals were found guilty of
acts considered legal, or even required, by their nation at the
time; such findings represent a violation of the concept of
sovereignty. The plotting or carrying out of aggressive war had
not been previously and explicitly called "criminal", and the
laws used to ascertain post-war guilt were not universally
applicable pre-war. Critics have also termed these trials an act
of vengeance by the victors, and questioned their practical use
as a precedent, or even deterrence. Personal liability for
national action is very difficult to prove conclusively, and any
nation will be reluctant to try its own leaders. Therefore,
effective prosecution may be possible only if a nation is first
defeated, and then, only if the requisite proof is also captured.
See IMT, IMTFE, UNWCC, WAR CRIMES TRIAL, HAGUE TRIBUNAL, LAWS OF
WAR, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE); compare UCMJ.
-
WAR CRIMES TRIAL :
-
the trial of the vanquished by the victorious for "crimes against
humanity" administered by an international war crimes commission
(UNWCC), and most recently by the International Criminal Court
(ICC). Originally, at the end of WWII, this judicial body,
established by the Allies, sought to determine the punishment due
specific defeated leaders for violations of the LAWS OF WAR. The
World Court existed before WWI but was not used after either
World War, the UN has instead established a new Human Rights
Court to judge war crimes, along with the "permanent Court of
Arbitration" and the "international Court of Justice", which are
housed (since 1945) in the Peace Palace at The Hague, which was
financed by Andrew Carnegie. In emulation of the 1815 punishment
scheduled for the Bonapartist after the One-Hundred Days,
Congress attempted to try the Confederate leaders after the
American CIVIL WAR, but when it was discovered that testimony
would not exclude Federal crimes and atrocities, the "witch hunt"
was abandoned in favor of character assassinations on both sides
in the press. After both the SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR and WWI,
prosecution of war crimes was considered, as were "crimes against
humanity" at the 1919 Constantinople tribunal on the Armenian
genocide, but like the post-war discussions of justice after both
the KOREAN WAR and VIETNAM WAR, the law could not be separated
from politics and morality. The procedure established by the
post-WWII WAR CRIMES TRIALs specifically excludes the mitigation
of "you did it too" (tu quoque) and related defenses, such as
RETALIATION, reprisal, retribution, or revenge. See IMT, IMTFE,
UNWCC, SPOILS OF WAR, HAGUE TRIBUNAL, LAWS OF WAR, ROE; compare
UCMJ.
[cf: inquiry commission on 1692 Glencoe Massacre] [v: mittimus]
[nb: the prosecutors in the 1942 "Pastorius" Nazi saboteurs'
trial respectively became the chief justices of the WWII war
crimes trials of Axis defendants: Attorney General Francis Biddle
was senior US judge at Nuremberg, and Army Judge Advocate General
Myron C. Cramer was the US judge at Tokyo]
-
WAR DIARY :
-
a unit JOURNAL compiled during combat operations as an historic
narrative to accompany official records; compare AIRBORNE ALBUM,
SEA BOOK.
-
WARDROOM :
-
the area serving as lounge, living and dining quarters on a
warship for all commissioned officers, except the commander,
captain, or SKIPPER. Also, a warship's officers collectively,
except the commander or captain; derived from a compartment known
as the "wardrobe" where valuables captured as war prizes (SPOILS
OF WAR) were stored. See TOPSIDE, OFFICER'S COUNTRY; compare
BELOW DECK, GOAT LOCKER.
-
WAR FACE :
-
a painted or contorted countenance, or an artificial face mask
representing supernatural or demonic symbolism, that is worn into
battle to frighten and demoralize the enemy by its intimidating
and terrifying appearance; a deliberately cultivated persona of
invincible ferocity, also called "battle mask" and "combat face".
See CAMO, WAR PAINT.
-
WAR FIGHTER :
-
combatant, WARRIOR; an ignorant redundancy invented by military
managers to bureaucratize the Armed Forces by the wholesale
misapplication of catch-phrases, like PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE and
ZERO DEFECTS, which obscure the mission with meaningless
measurements that allegedly indicate purported "progress" (cf:
BODY COUNT). This MILICRAT practice substitutes verbiage and
obfuscation for concision and accuracy, which were essentials of
tactical communication, and hallmarks of military efficiency,
despite being considered too tactless for civilian society.
-
WAR GAMES :
-
hypothetical battlefield scenarios devised to simulate
command and staff decision-making processes at military WAR
COLLEGES; also known as 'kriegspiel' ["kriegsspiel"] since 1824
when Lieutenant von Reiswitz introduced it outside Prussia. Mock
naval battles, under the heading of "naumachia" / "naumachy",
have been staged as examples of nautical strategy since ancient
Rome. Scenarios juxtapose simple tactics and complex strategies
so as to anticipate probable engagements, but also to consider
possible third-party opportunistic exploitations; hence
international relations and world history are essential adjuncts
to military science, including classics (eg: Sword of Damocles,
Scylla and Charybdis, etc). Two WAR GAMES were sponsored in 1964
by the JCS to test the military/political strategies propounded
for SEAsia; concluding in "Sigma One" that escalation and
expansion was inevitable, and in "Sigma Two" that air/ground
deterrence would be ineffective, necessitating either a
protracted U.S. involvement, or the abandonment of SVN as a weak
ally. See OPLAN 37-64, GRADUATED RESPONSE, COMBAT EFFECTIVE,
TRAIN HARD - FIGHT EASY, DON'T DO NOTHING, DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL
STUFF, MAD, DECAPITATION, THEY'LL GIVE A WAR AN' NOBODY'LL COME,
NTC, RED FLAG.
[nb: just as olympics are sports based on military skills
(sprint, hurdle, marathon, high-jump, pole-vault, broad-jump,
long-jump, hammer-throw, javelin-throw, shot-put, discus throw,
BIATHLON, TRIATHLON, PENTATHLON, DECATHLON, etc), most
recreational games with some skill or competitive basis,
instead of mere chance, have some military applications.
Historically, the Japanese "placing the stone" game (Go/I-Go,
Go-Moku/Go-Mokume; Wei-Chi) is a strategic position WAR GAME more
relevant than Western board games. The Chinese have played a form
of chess, using a board divided by a river, with forts for
nobility, and using elaborate rules since the 4th Century BC. The
jigsaw puzzle was invented (ca421-466) when the Chinese devised
portable relief maps. "Squeezers" (corner-indexed playing cards)
may have been inspired after the CIVIL WAR by technomigration
when Americans noticed immigrant Chinese playing "cards" with
long narrow sticks, appropriately marked, which were easily held
in one hand; a pattern that had been standard in China since the
AD 9th Century. America went on to produce training and survival
cards during WWII, including BLACKOUT or red-light decks for
BUNKERS and SUBS, which were still used during the VIETNAM WAR.
Popular card games among American military personnel include:
cribbage (since ca1620); 48-card pinochle (since CIVIL WAR); a
form of backgammon called acey-deucy (from WWI); and many
versions of poker (deriv: braggart, bluffer). Deception and
misdirection have been enhanced by liar's dice (ca1300); and the
game of brag, used to recount battle action as a test of
knowledge or gullibility (since before the CIVIL WAR). European
chess, once called the "game of kings", was superseded by a
three-dimensional version during the Vietnam-era, and has since
been displaced by computer games.] [nb: because Lee knew Hooker's
cardplaying style (impetuous but irresolute), he was confident of
victory at Chancellorsville in 1863, despite being vastly
outnumbered] See DUCK ON DRAKE, DUCKS AND DRAKES, KING OF THE
HILL, TUG OF WAR, BATTLE ROYAL.
-
WARHEAD :
-
the forward section of a missile, bomb, torpedo, shell, or
other munition containing the PAYLOAD or explosive; see WAR NOSE,
E-WARHEAD. Also, an agnomen for a combat leader or battlefield
commander.
-
WARMONGER :
-
a contemptible preoccupation with war, conflict, or contention.
Also, a person who advocates war, as derived from a tradesman or
salesman (in war); also spelled "war-monger". See TRIGGER-HAPPY,
HAWKS, KILL 'EM ALL, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS, VIETNAM IS
FOREVER, BATTLE CRY, WAR PARTY, RETALIATION, WAR.
-
WARNING ORDER :
-
preliminary or advance notice of an order or action which is
expected to follow; an alert notice to subordinate elements from
higher command specifying anticipated preparation time and
readiness for a particular mission, and may be followed by a FRAG
ORDER or OPLAN. Also, a planning directive that describes the
situation, allocates forces and resources, establishes command
relationships, provides other initial planning guidance, and
initiates subordinate unit mission planning. If impelled by
higher headquarters supporting a commander's request for "crisis
action planning", it will entail a response estimating
implementation. See ORDER, STAND-TO, DANCE CARD.
-
WARNING SHOT :
-
in conformity with the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE) in aviation and
naval affairs, a "shot across the bow" of the suspect or enemy
craft, including unarmed civilian transport, in order to coerce
obedience or conformity; but with ground forces, it is a civilian
fiction, a pacifistic delusion, a political hypothesis, a
legalistic nullity, a military interference, a noncombatant's
prayer! ... also known as "Jonathan's arrows".
-
WAR NOSE :
-
the leading or pointed end of a SHELL, BOMB, MISSILE, or torpedo,
especially the housing for an impact detonator or proximity
trigger for the explosive portion of such a projectile; see
FUZE, WARHEAD, E-WARHEAD, PAYLOAD.
-
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE :
-
also known as the "American War of Independence"; see AMERICAN
REVOLUTION.
-
WAR OF NERVES :
-
planned measures to undermine enemy morale by threats, rumours,
sabotage, and the like; also known as PSYOPS or PSYWAR; being a
stratagem, not the name of an actual conflict.
-
WAR OF 1812 :
-
a war from 18 June 1812 to 8 January 1815 between the United
States and Great Britain caused by naval impressments of American
sailors (eg: 1807 Chesapeake affair), the failure of
Nonimportation and Nonintercourse embargo Acts, and the Battle of
Tippecanoe (1811); being essentially a tripartite conflict that
was resolved by treaty so England could concentrate on fighting
with France (ie: Napoleonic War 1803-14). The Treaty of Ghent (24
Dec 1814) provided for the cessation of hostilities, the
restoration of conquered territories, and the setting of boundary
commissions. Noteable for "Don't give up the ship!" (by James
Lawrence), the Star-Spangled Banner (14 Sept 1814 poem by Francis
Scott Key), and the threat of New England secession, the WAR OF
1812 was America's first international test of autonomy.
-
WAR ON TERROR :
-
a worldwide campaign proclaimed 20 Sept 2001 in response to
attacks from proxied and sponsored terrorism, including the
destruction of Pan-Am charter flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland
(21 Dec 1988), World Trade Center bombing (26 Feb 1993, 11 Sep
2001), Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing (19 Apr 1995), USS
Cole incident (12 Oct 2000), and others. See GWOT, JSOTF, GULF
WAR, OEF, OIF, TERRORIST, UW, ANTI-TERRORISM, COUNTER-GUERRILLA,
COUNTER-TERRORISM, COUNTERINSURGENCY, IRREGULARS, FREEDOM
FIGHTER, PATRIOT ACT, CONSTABULARY.
-
WAR PAINT :
-
facial decoration or "skin art" used for concealment or disguise,
for affiliation or status, or for invocation or empowerment, as
in the wearing of a WAR FACE or CAMO; see COLORS, TATTOO. Also,
specific pattern of color or shape indicating purpose, capacity,
or allegiance; see COUNTERSHADING, GRAYBACK. Also, completely
outfitted, as for operational deployment, or the wearing of full
regalia, as formal attendance in MESS DRESS attire; also known as
"dressed to the nines" and "donning best bib and tucker"; see
FEATHERS, PARTY SUIT, HAPPY SUIT, DRESS. [v: glad rags]
-
WAR PARTY :
-
any group that advocates, authorizes, or partakes in violence or
aggression, especially rash youths and impetuous politicians; see
HAWKS, TRIGGER-HAPPY, KILL 'EM ALL, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS,
VIETNAM IS FOREVER, BATTLE CRY, WARMONGER, RETALIATION, WAR.
-
WAR PIG :
-
(forthcoming); see DEUCE-AND-A-HALF, GUN TRUCK
-
WAR POWERS ACT :
-
on 7 Nov 1973, Congress prevented Executive
Privilege from committing US Armed Forces to indefinite conflict
resolutions without a declaration of war. Characterized as
typical of political cowards, for "slamming the barn door" after
the stock is gone, it has not inhibited "police-action"
adventurism since, and Congress has refused to withdraw support
or withhold funding whenever troops have subsequently been in the
field ... just like Vietnam. See TONKIN GULF INCIDENT, TONKIN
GULF RESOLUTION, BLOODY SHIRT, CROSS THE RUBICON, POSSE
COMITATUS, DECENT INTERVAL, PROTESTOR, ROE, LAWS OF WAR.
-
WARRIOR :
-
anyone engaged in vigorous fighting, or someone experienced in
courageous warfare; such as a combatant, man-at-arms, campaigner,
veteran, and most recently known as WAR FIGHTER. See GRUNT,
SNUFFY, SUPER-TROOPER, FUGLEMAN, SWEAT HOG, HARD CHARGER, FAST
MOVER, BOOMER, HOT SHOT, BALLS TO THE WALL, BOY WONDER, SHAKE 'n'
BAKE, COMRADE, SHIPMATE, HERO, PATRON SAINT, RABBI, SEA DADDY,
SAILOR, SOLDIER, GI, MILITIA, WEEKEND WARRIOR, MERCENARY,
GUNSLINGER, WHITE VC, KHAKI MAFIA, SHADOW WARRIOR, SOLDIER,
SAILOR.
[nb: the "profession of arms" has been characterized as "Doing
manly things in a manly manner with other men.", which experience
of combat forever distinguishes and distances the veteran from
the non-veteran]
-
WAR ROOM :
-
the place where a commander, his subordinates and staff, plan and
direct combat operations, usually situated with maps and photos
and COMMO within the Tactical Operations Center (TOC). Compare
OPIUM DEN, see OPN.
-
WARSHIP :
-
a naval vessel, ship or boat, built or armed for combat purposes;
the largest class of which are known as a "capital ship". Compare
FLATTOP, CA, CL, Q-SHIP, GHOST SHIP, OILER, TENDER, MICKEY MOUSE
BATTLESHIP, BOAT, CONCRETE BATTLESHIP.
-
WARS OF NATIONAL LIBERATION :
-
proposed by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in January 1961 as a
ploy to use surrogate forces to advance communist expansion
without the risk of a direct "super power" confrontation. See
GUERRILLA, COUNTERINSURGENCY, GRADUATED RESPONSE, DECAPITATION,
PAPER TIGER.
-
WAR STORY :
-
a fairy tale is indistinguishable from a WAR STORY, except in the
ways they begin and end; a fairy tale begins "Once upon a time",
then ends "And they all lived happily ever after", while a WAR
STORY begins "This ain't no shit!", then ends "And they all
died!". See BTDT, COUNT COUP, SEA STORY, SHOOT THE SHIT, IOTA,
BRAVO SIERRA, WHITE VC, ATFU, TALK TRASH, GAS BAG, TELL IT TO THE
MARINES; compare CHICKEN SHIT, MIL-SPEAK, RUMOR.
[nb: after the American CIVIL WAR, it was commonly remarked that
"Another great story was ruined by an eyewitness!"]
-
WARTHOG :
-
A-10 aircraft, formally designated THUNDERBOLT, but universally
called the "Hog" or "Warty Hog" for its ostensibly 'ugly'
appearance. This SLOW MOVER is similar in appearance to the WWII
B-24 Mitchell, and is the successor to the A1-E "Spad"; both of
which are beloved by GRUNTS for their precision and time
overhead. As A1-E pilots carried the mystique of WWI biplanes, so
A-10 WARTHOG pilots carry the mystique of motorcycle outlaws, and
are widely known as "Hog Drivers". Also performs as low-level MUD
MOVER.
-
WAR ZONE C :
-
an enemy sanctuary in III CORPS region, near Minh Thanh,
including the northern half of Tay Ninh Province, the western
half of Binh Long Province, and the northwestern quarter of Binh
Duong Province; the eastern boundary of WAR ZONE C is contiguous
with the western border of WAR ZONE D, and adjacent to the IRON
TRIANGLE. See JUNCTION CITY.
-
WAR ZONE D :
-
an enemy sanctuary in III CORPS region, near Ben Cat and Phuoc
Vinh, including the northwestern portion of Binh Duong Province,
a northeastern portion of Bien Hoa Province, the southern portion
of Phuoc Long Province and the northern portion of Long Khanh
Province; the eastern boundary of WAR ZONE C is contiguous with
the western border of WAR ZONE D, and adjacent to the IRON
TRIANGLE.
-
WASH :
-
the disturbance in the air left by a moving airplane or any of
its parts; compare BACKWASH, PROP WASH. Also, the flow, sweep, or
breaking of water, including BACKWASH and "wake". Also, a tract
of land washed by the action of the sea or a river, such as a
marsh or bog. Also, a depression or channel formed by flowing
water, such as a shallow pool or stream, or a shallow arm of the
sea. Also, waste liquid matter from the kitchen, consisting of
food and refuse, as swill for livestock [cf: slut]; see WAD,
SLOP, SLOP CHUTE. Also, weak or watered liquor, also called
"wish-wash" or "eyewash"; see SAIGON TEA, THE DRINK, BREW, HOOCH,
SPLICE THE MAINBRACE, HOIST, HATCH, CLASS SIX.
-
WASP :
-
Women Air Service Pilots, auxiliary aviators serving during WWII
until 1978 when all separate women's military service corps were
dissolved and female servicemembers were fully integrated into
the RANKS; see SKIRT.
-
WASTED :
-
mortal injury, kill/killed, croak/croaked, slay/slain, die/dead,
grease/greased, dusted, goner; also called ZAPPED, BUY THE FARM,
CHECK OUT, BITE THE DUST; see BELIEVER, SOL, BITTER END, DEATH
CARD, TWEP, KIA, DOW; compare WIA, GSW, MILLION DOLLAR WOUND.
[nb: "shuffled off this mortal coil", from the "to be or not to
be" soliloquy (Hamlet by William Shakespeare), refers not
to cyclical or inevitable death, but to the confused intrigues of
life's affairs ... "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The
slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against
a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No
more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the
thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a
consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep; To sleep;
perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of
death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal
coil, Must give us pause...."] [cf: And we are here as on a
darkling plain / Swept with confused alarms of struggle and
flight, / Where ignorant armies clash by night" by Matthew
Arnold, Dover Beach]
Also, overcome by the effects of alcohol or drugs; see STONED,
HOOCH, STICK. Also, physically debilitated; see "wankered" at
STONED. Also, squandered or dissipated, as to heedlessly expend
resources or assets [v: enfants perdus, forlorn hope]; see CANNON
FODDER, RAT RACE, SPEARHEAD, SUICIDE SQUAD, SNOWBALL.
-
WATCH CAP :
-
a soft stocking-cap, knitted of dark blue wool and worn with a
turned-up cuff folded at the bottom, that's suitable for wear
during cold weather by enlisted Navy and Marine personnel;
compare JEEP CAP, see HEADGEAR.
-
WATCHER :
-
an observer or surveiller; see TRAIL WATCHER, LRSP, GROUND
OBSERVER CORPS, WEFT, ARGUS, WEATHER EYE, SNOOPER, BIRD DOG,
TELLTALE, PEEPERS.
-
WATCH MY SMOKE :
-
a declaration of action, and often a defiant challenge to follow
the active leader; as distinguished from BLOWING SMOKE or TALKING
TRASH. See POP SMOKE, BRING SMOKE, CHARGE, STORM, FOLLOW ME, ROOT
HOG OR DIE, BITE THE BULLET, V-DEVICE, MOXIE, GUTS, ONIONS,
DIEHARD, BEARING, HERO.
[nb: There are three kinds of people in the military, regardless
of rank: those who make fire (gods of thunder and lightning);
those who make smoke (BRING SMOKE); and those who BLOW SMOKE!
Firebrands and fire-eaters are usually friendless; but these
bastards are essential during wartime]
-
WATCHTOWER :
-
the operational CODENAME for the campaign to capture and occupy
Tulagi and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands from 31 July to 3
September 1942 during WWII.
-
WATER BOARDING :
-
see WATER TORTURE, TORTURE.
-
WATERBOY :
-
designation given to Dong Ha CRP
-
WATER BUFFALO :
-
domesticated Asian Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis) of the oxen family,
having large, flattened, curved horns; called "carabao" in the
Philippines. Also, a small trailer-mounted storage tank, with
large access HATCH and multiple drain faucets, for water and
other liquids; see CANTEEN, LISTER BAG, POD, BLIVET, BLADDER.
[v: cask, vat, tun, butt, drum, hogshead, barrel, tank, rundlet,
kilderkin, puncheon, keg, carboy, breaker, jug, flask, flagon,
demijohn]
-
WATERFRONT :
-
land on the edge of a body of water; see SHORE, BEACHHEAD. Also,
the part of a city or town on the land beside a body of water;
see BREAKWATER, WHARF, ON THE BEACH.
-
WATER PURIFICATION TABLET :
-
the "Halizone" tablet, used by the military and disaster relief
organizations (eg: UNICEF, ICRC, IFRC, OXFAM), from WWII to the
GULF WAR, was an anti-bacterial treatment for suspect or
contaminated water in a dosage of 1 or 2 pills per quart, with
particulates filtered through a cloth or mesh barrier during the
container filling process. The military adopted a "Chlor-Floc"
tablet during and after the GULF WAR, that's both anti-bacterial
and anti-viral, as well as a sediment flocculator, when used in a
dosage of 1 pill per liter to disinfect and clarify polluted
water. "Chlor-Floc" will remove turbidity and sanitize polluted
water in a single simple process, without the need for any
specialized equipment or complicated sequences. "Chlor-Floc" is
the only WATER PURIFICATION TABLET which fulfills the 1986 E.P.A.
protocol on field-water purification. Although some people are
sensitive or allergic, chlorine and iodine (or other halogens)
may be used to treat tainted water, with a normal dosage of five
drops per quart of pre-filtered water, mixed well, then wait
thirty minutes before drinking, but water quality may be
degraded, requiring the addition of a flavoring ingredient to
mask the color, taste, or smell of unappealingly treated water.
The effectiveness of chemical treatment depends upon water
temperature, water clarity, exposure time, dosage, and product
freshness. Chemical treatments make the contaminated water
potable but do not "purify" it, which is only performed by
distillation [v: solar still, evaporation]. See CANTEEN, BLADDER,
BLADDER BAG, LISTER BAG, WATER BUFFALO, POD, BLIVET, EVAPORATOR,
THE DRINK, BUG JUICE, JUICE, GI JOE, NUOC, NUOC DA, BUG-OUT KIT.
[nb: 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]
-
WATER TORTURE :
-
the use of water or other liquids to inflict mental or physical
PAIN, typically for extracting information during interrogation;
which practice, albeit proscribed, is often preferred due to its
simplicity, convenience, ready results, and absence of reveling
marks. Methods include forced ingestion (also known as "water
cure", as used by American forces against Filipinos during the
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, and by Imperial Japanese forces against
Chinese and Americans during WWII) directly into the victim's
stomach causing discomfort and death; dripping water (also called
"Chinese water torture") persistently onto the victim's forehead,
as described by Hippolytus de Marsiliis in the 16th century, to
drive the person insane; drenching or partial immersion to induce
hypothermia or to simulate drowning [nb: the CHICOMs have
purportedly used "water dungeons", consisting of septic tanks or
cages lowered into wells or oubliettes, which exhausts (from
sleep deprivation) and debilitates the victims, so as to elicit
confessions or cooperation]; partial or complete submersion
(dunking) to simulate drowning; wettings with hot, cold, salty,
or filthy water to cause discomfort or disease. "Water boarding"
is an effective drenching method, so called from the use of a
declined board to which the victim is immobilized, whence a cloth
covering the face is supersaturated, ending resistance in less
than a minute. Another notorious drenching method involves the
use of any carbonated beverage, which is agitated and discharged
into the restrained victim's nose and mouth, causing vomiting and
ending resistance almost immediately. All forms of such coercion
or punishment are illegal. See TORTURE.
-
WATER WINGS :
-
naval slang for the Surface Warfare qualification badge; pin-on
device exists as the bow of a ship superimposed above crossed
swords for the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and the bow of a
ship superimposed above crossed cutlasses for the Enlisted
Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS). See SKIMMER, SAILOR, Q-COURSE.
-
WATERWORKS :
-
the system by which water is collected, purified, stored, and
delivered to users; see CANTEEN, BLADDER, BLADDER BAG, LISTER
BAG, WATER BUFFALO, POD, BLIVET, WATER PURIFICATION TABLET, THE
DRINK, BUG JUICE, JUICE, GI JOE, NUOC, NUOC DA. Also, slang for
micturition or the urinary system; see LATRINE, HEAD, HEAD CALL,
DOUCHE BAG, COMFORT STATION. Also, slang for tears, crying, or
lacrimation; see PTSD, FLASHBACK, THOUSAND-YARD STARE,
FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT, BLACKOUT, ZOMBIE, TELESCOPING, FUO. Also, any
spectacular display involving water, such as a mechanical
production for a pageant, or a natural presentation resulting
from explosive or eruptive forces; term used in the same way as
"sound and light show" or FIREWORKS by MIL-PERS observing an
instance of these phenomena at sea.
-
WATTS :
-
Wide Area Telephone and Telegraph System; see TELEPHONE.
-
WAVE OFF :
-
directions to the pilot from either the senior on-board
passenger, from the ground element commander, or the Landing
Safety Officer (LSO) to discontinue the landing procedure; term
derived from PATHFINDER hand/arm signal. Whether to attempt the
landing again was dependent upon the evaluation of the ground or
landing party. If the pilot aborts the maneuver independently,
the canceled landing is not a "WAVE OFF"; see BURBLE, PADDLES,
WIGWAG, HAND SIGN. Also, an arm signal by a FREE FALL parachutist
warning other nearby jumpers of his intention to imminently
deploy his canopy; this caution is usually understood as a
simultaneous deployment directive for the other team members.
-
WAVES :
-
acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service in the
U.S. Navy, established 30 July 1942 for shore-based assignments;
until 1978 when all separate women's military service corps were
dissolved and female servicemembers were fully integrated into
the RANKS; see SKIRT.
-
WAY POINT :
-
any of various intermediate places or points on a route, such as
a secure foothold for further advancement; an intermediate
position, also called "way station". See PHASE LINE, INS, RV,
RALLY POINT, STRONGPOINT, POD, IP, LINE OF DEPARTURE, AIMPOINT,
FAIL-SAFE, BRIDGEHEAD, BEACHHEAD, AIRHEAD, STACK.
-
W-DAY :
-
War-Day; the term used to designate the unnamed day on which
unambiguous strategic warning in preparation for war is declared
by the National Command Authorities. See TIME.
-
WEAPON :
-
any implement, device, instrument, or object that's used for
attack or defense in a fight. Also, anything used against an
adversary or opponent, from words and images and music to
munitions and toxins and barriers ... "anything can be a weapon!"
-
WEASEL :
-
a TRACK-driven troop transport used for travel across snow and
ice, being the military version of the snowmobile; the "Weasel
over-snow vehicle", also called a "snow-cat" (snow-caterpillar),
was developed for the Mountain and Winter Warfare Board during
1942 by Studebaker, and was tested at training sites before
deployment. The WEASEL was designed to be para-dropped on the
Norway operation against the Nazi HEAVY WATER plant. Compare K-9,
SCOUT DOG.
[nb: the first snowmobile was invented in 1920 from an automobile
chassis fitted with tractor-treads and skis by Virgil D. White;
another early military snowmobile was the "Eliason motor
toboggan"] [nb: dogsleds were used militarily to lay telegraph
cable, deliver mail and supplies, evacuate the wounded, perform
search and rescue, and conduct border patrol, until replaced by
snowmobiles, helicopters, and other technological devices during
the 1950s] [nb: sled dog team races began with the 1907-18
All-Alaska Sweepstakes, the 1925 Great Race of Mercy delivery of
diphtheria serum (re-enacted in 1975), the 1932 Winter Olympics
dogsled race, the annual Alaska Fur Rendezvous dogsled race that
became the Iditarod in 1967, and the 1973 Iditarod race run from
Anchorage to Nome]
-
WEATHER EYE :
-
a steady and astute watchfulness; especially an alertness to
signs of change in the weather. See MET MESSAGE, TELLTALE,
WATCHER.
[nb: the military perception of weather is that change is only a
variant of the discomfort level!]
[nb: due to axial tilt during earth's rotation, the hemispheric
seasons are not the same length, with the southern summer /
northern winter being the shortest season, and northern summer /
southern winter being the longest]
-
WEB BELT :
-
a woven cloth band, with metal buckle and tip, that's worn about
the waist to secure trousers or field pants; the polished version
is worn in garrison while the subdued version is worn in the
field. A so-called "rigger belt", improvised from parachute
harness webbing with a quick-release buckle, is an unofficial
affectation sported by PARATROOPERs. Both the open-faced black
field belt buckle and the slick rigger belt are no longer
authorized for wear after 30 April 2008. See GIG LINE; compare
PISTOL BELT, CLUTCH BELT.
-
WEB GEAR :
-
canvas belt and shoulder straps used for packing equipment and
ammunition on infantry operations; also called "webbing". Such
harness or load-bearing equipment (LBE) includes pouches and
other containers, but not the separate backpack or RUCKSACK. See
STABO, PISTOL BELT, CLUTCH BELT, CANTEEN, DEUCE GEAR, ALICE, LBV,
MOLLE, CROSS-CHECK, CROSS-LOADING, CAP-A-PIE.
-
WEEKEND WARRIOR :
-
a denigrating referent for a reservist, whose standards have been
upgraded considerably in recent years ... "a part-time job with
full-time experience". National Guard and Reserve servicemembers,
who are not to be confused with the "inactive reserve", must meet
the same branch and specialty requirements, for which they earn
both retirement and veteran's benefits. See MILITIA, STRIKER,
PARAMILITARY, DRAFT, DRAFTEE.
-
WEFT :
-
acronym used in visual aircraft recognition, meaning that the
observer should check Wings, Engine, Fuselage, and Tail; but
re-interpreted as "Wrong Every Fucking Time". See IFF, SQUAWK, IR
MARKERS.
-
WESPAC :
-
Navy and Coast Guard term for Western Pacific operations, which
extended to the Asian Pacific. A then WESPAC tour was a tour of
duty in the Western Pacific, generally synonomous with service
in/around Vietnam.
-
WETSU :
-
(wet-sue) We Eat This Shit Up!, being the only suitable
response by enthusiastic trainees to additional work, or to
miserable duty conditions ... "We like it! We love it! We've
finally found our home!"; see HOOAH, OORAH, GUNG-HO, HOISE,
STRAC, FIDO, DIEHARD, ROOT HOG OR DIE, BATTLE CRY, GUSTO,
SIGNATURE, AHOY, HEAVE-HO.
-
WET SUIT :
-
a close-fitting rubber garment worn by a skin or SCUBA diver in
cold water, that allows a thin insulating layer of water to
collect between the diver's body and the suit, in order to retain
body heat. Compare DRY SUIT, HARD SUIT; see DIVER. [v: Diving Terms]
-
WETWASH ALPHA :
-
designation given to a submarine cable, laid by submarine cable
project 493L.
-
WHARF :
-
a structure built on the shore of a harbor or estuary, or
projecting into such a body of water, for the mooring of vessels
and the transfer of passengers or cargo; also called pier, quay,
dock. See BOLLARD, BERTH, PORT, MOLE, PONTOON, BREAKWATER.
-
WHIP :
-
to overlay or cover cordage or ROPE with thread or LINE, as for
prevention of damage by friction, fraying, or raveling [cf:
puddening, mousing, baggywrinkle]. Also, a TACKLE consisting of a
fall rove through a single standing BLOCK (single whip), or a
fall secured at one end and rove through a single running and a
single standing BLOCK (double whip); see FAIRLEAD, CRAB, BOOM.
Also, a lashing, beating, whisking, whirling, wrapping, or
winding motion. Also, to sew with a light overcasting stitch.
Also, to urge, inspire, train, or castigate by words or deeds, as
if from flogging or flailing.
-
WHIPSAW :
-
a double play, a two victory win, or a triumph over two opponents
is called a "whipsaw"; therefore, being simultaneously attacked
by two adversaries is to be "whipsawed", or double teamed.
Compare HAT TRICK.
-
WHIRLY BIRD :
-
affectionate term for any helicopter; see CHOPPER.
-
WHISTLE-BLOWER :
-
a person who makes a public disclosure of corruption or
wrongdoing by informing on another's misconduct, especially when
regular reporting is prevented; such an informant cannot be
charged with unauthorized absence (UA) when consulting the IG,
JAG, chaplain, or political representative outside of his
CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. Sometimes known as a source, informer, tattler,
tipster, snitch/-er, talebearer, tattletale, blabbermouth,
gossip, rumormonger, scandalmonger, squealer, fink, rat, stool
pigeon, stoolie, ratfink; also spelled "whistleblower" or
"whistle blower". [v: qui tam ("Who as well?")] See GAO; compare
WONK.
-
WHISTLER :
-
an artillery FUZE deliberately set to make noise during its
trajectory onto target so as to demoralize the enemy; also called
WHIZ BANG. Designed in imitation of the psychological effect of
the "Screaming MeMe", "Moaning Mini", and "buzz-bomb" from WWII.
[nb: hysteria is also known as the "screaming-meemies"] [v:
"Stalin's Organ" at MISSILE]
-
WHITE CAP :
-
slang reference to a sailor's traditional cap, as a nautical
play-on-words (ie: broken wave with a foaming crest), also called
a "white hat" and DIXIE CUP; a "flotation device" and improvised
bucket, worn brim down in tropics as sun shield and Jones-style
for visor, both unauthorized. See JARHEAD, BLUE JACKET, SQUID,
SWABBY.
-
WHITE ELEPHANT :
-
(l'elephant blanc) a rare albino variety of
elephant which is highly venerated in some Asian countries. Also,
any burdensome or costly possession not valued by its owner, and
not desired by others, but which must be retained or maintained.
Derived from a royal gift which imposes an excessive toll upon
the recipient; such an exchange between Siam (Thailand) and Burma
(Myanmar) caused a war that was decided by the intervention of
the "monkey people" (mountain tribesmen, see INDIG), who were
honored for their aid by a shrine in Lop Buri. Also, an
impractical, useless, or worthless scheme, operation, or process,
which must be implemented or executed; as an imposing and
persistant problem with no good solution, such as a QUAGMIRE or
albatross. See BELL THE CAT, PAPER TIGER, YELLOW DOG, WHITE MICE.
[v: fardel]
-
WHITE FEATHER :
-
symbol of cowardice, dishonor, or betrayal, as "to show the WHITE
FEATHER"; derives from cockfighting, where a white tail-feather
signifies degenerate (domesticated) stock, so is not a true
gamebird, possessed of innate fighting spirit [v: BATTLE ROYAL].
During the World Wars, earnest and ardent patriots, as an
expression of contempt, presented a WHITE FEATHER to seemingly
fit men who were suspected of avoiding military service; the
police also checked the draft status of such men as a further
inducement to social conformity. See WHITE FLAG, STRIKE THE FLAG,
SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT, DRAFT DODGER, LILY-LIVERED, FRENCH
FLU.
[nb: the "Blue Hens Chickens", originating as the Delaware
MILITIA during the Revolutionary War, was NICKNAMEd after its
commanders, who indulged in "cock fighting" whenever encamped,
while also instilling a "gamecock" spirit into the troops; this
phrase henceforth became a compliment for any tough or spirited
unit, as during the CIVIL WAR] [cf: the "white cockade" was the
badge representing the followers of Charles Edward Stuart, the
Young Pretender, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie]
-
WHITE FLAG :
-
symbol for mercy or surrender, used to request a truce or parley;
see WHITE FEATHER, LILY-LIVERED, FRENCH FLU, BLACK FLAG, STRIKE
THE FLAG, FALSE FLAG, SHOW THE FLAG, RED FLAG, YELLOW JACK.
-
WHITE HORSE :
-
NICKNAME of the South Korean Ninth Infantry Division, deployed to
Vietnam in September 1965. See ROK, CRID.
-
WHITE MICE :
-
South Vietnamese National Police. The NICKNAME came from their
uniform white helmets and gloves. See NPFF, NPSS, QC, SNOWDROP,
YELLOW DOG, POLICE.
-
WHITE MOUSE :
-
in NavSpeak slang, a lower DECK informer or spy for the
master-at-arms; a snitch, squealer, fink, stool pigeon, stoolie,
tattletale, or TELLTALE. [v: intelligencer]
-
WHITE NIGHT :
-
a night without sleep; see DOGWATCH, MIDWATCH, O-DARK-THIRTY.
Also, the period when the sky does not completely darken during a
solstice in the fartherest latitudes of the polar circles, which
perpetual daylight is also called the "midnight sun"; see TIME.
[nb: not to be confused with its homophonous "white knight", that
valiantly chivalrous champion of the downtrodden]
-
WHITEOUT :
-
(forthcoming);
compare BROWN-OUT, see ZERO-ZERO, FLAT LIGHT, CHOPPER, BIRD.
-
WHITE PAPER :
-
an authoritative report, especially an official government
summary or policy statement. The color cited does not refer to
the body of the document, as if to distinguish it from vellum or
foolscap, but to the report's cover. A "blue-backed" document is
a formal legislative proposal or legal decision, often complex
and lengthy, and the shorter plain-language brief which
summarized these documents were "white-backed" papers, often
called "background reports", issued for the relief that their
pithy readability lent to the proceedings. WHITE PAPERs are now
less like pamphlets, and are becoming as dense with statistics
and legalese as the reports they formerly replaced, so a new
"brief" will soon have to be invented! See RED TAPE, FORM,
FINDING, REPORT, PAPER BULLET, UNCLAS, BUCK SLIP, MILICRAT. [nb:
"If it isn't documented then it doesn't exist!"]
-
WHITE PROPAGANDA :
-
the methodical dissemination of information and ideas designed to
bolster or reinforce, to promote or support a cause, movement, or
national interest, as officially sanctioned, accredited,
authorized, or acknowledged by its sponsor or agency; also known
as the "good news" or PARTY LINE. Compare TRUTH, TRUE BELIEVER,
RUMOR, FALSE FLAG, DECEPTION, PSYOPS, PROPAGANDA.
[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]
-
WHITE STAR :
-
advisory project of Mobile Training Teams (MTT) from July 1959? /
19 April 1961 under MAAG-Laos assigned to establish and improve
training of Laotian Army and HMONG tribesmen; withdrawn by summer
1962 after Geneva Accords. See PEO, MILLPOND, RLA.
-
WHITE VC :
-
the infamous rogue warrior of popular legend, being an elite
soldier so enamored of combat or so dedicated to professionalism
that he deserts his own military (variously American, Australian,
German, British, or Russian) to affiliate with the enemy; this
notorious "Soldier of Fortune" is alleged to be pursuing a
spiritual quest for the ultimate battle [v: Hinduism]. This
mythic persona, a fictitious staple of the VIETNAM WAR, is
entirely apocryphal, without any factual basis. See MERCENARY,
DESERTER, TRAITOR, TREASON, TURNCOAT, HACK, WAR STORY.
[nb: the British Free Corps was a unit of the Waffen-SS
consisting of United Kingdom POWs who were sympathetic to fascism
and had been recruited by the Nazis; although small, this unit
fought with the Wehrmacht against the Allies during WWII;
(french) ; (irish) ... also insert this note at "traitor"
"turncoat"]
-
WHITE WALLS :
-
a haircut that is so short on the sides that skin shows as the
dominant color (instead of hair color), as with a crew-cut or
BUZZ-cut, FLATTOP or FLATHEAD haircut; also known as "white
side-walls", "high 'n' tight", and "butch-cut". This is a hair
style favored by the SUPER-TROOPER, SWEAT HOG, HARD CHARGER,
LIFER, BRASS HAT, TICKET-PUNCHER, RING-KNOCKER, MILICRAT, or
other career MIL-PERS. Such men also prefer no sideburns, cutting
them even with the ocular canthus, or upper-ear junction.
[v: glaber/glabrous]
-
WHITE WAY :
-
slang for the prestigious E-ring of the Pentagon, being the
outermost corridor where the highest ranking officers are
situated with window-views of the capital district; also
expressed as "the Great White Way", in imitation of the
dazzlingly lit theater district along Broadway, near Times Square
in New York City ... which refers to the shine of so many stars
in this circumferential. Also known as "elephant's row". Compare
SUICIDE ALLEY, GROUND ZERO; see PUZZLE PALACE. [cf: Jotun, Titan,
Anak/Anakim]
-
WHIZ BANG :
-
an artillery FUZE deliberately set to make noise during its
trajectory onto target so as to demoralize the enemy; also
spelled "whiz-bang", and also called WHISTLER. Designed in
imitation of the psychological effect of the "Screaming MeMe",
"Moaning Mini", and "buzz-bomb" from WWII. Compare FLASHBANG.
[nb: hysteria is also known as the "screaming-meemies"] [v:
"Stalin's Organ" at MISSILE]
-
WHIZ KID :
-
a successful young person who's exceptionally talented and
intelligent; being strong, energetic, smart, articulate, and
idealistic. The Johnson Administration WHIZ KIDs, including
Robert McNamara, Earl "Bus" Wheeler, et al, who were sometimes
known as the "new frontiersmen" or "the BEST AND the BRIGHTEST"
[re: 1972 bestselling book by David Halberstam]; consisted of
quantitative analysts and statistical managers intent upon
reforming the military and revising governmental procedures. See
YOUNG LION; compare WISE MEN, MANDARIN, OLD BREED, MAVERICK.
-
WHOLE MAN :
-
retention policy for permanently disabled servicemen, usually
resulting from combat injury, for the good of the service in
keeping this human resource available despite any physical
limitations; see PROFILE, LIGHT DUTY, MILLION DOLLAR WOUND, HORS
DE COMBAT.
[nb: during the American CIVIL WAR, the disabled and mutilated
were formed, after examination and recommendation, into an
"Invalid Corps" consisting of organized brigades and separate
companies, which freed many able-bodied men to serve in combat;
first formed in April 1863 under the command of the Surgeon
General, the personnel of the Union's "Veteran Reserve Corps"
performed nursing, cooking, guard, staff, and other support
activities in various locations, as did the less well organized
Confederates from 1864, so as to continue to serve their cause]
-
WIA :
-
(w-i-a) Wounded In Action, and sometimes known as "Wounded in
Hostile Action" (WHA); may be refined as "gunshot wound" (GSW) on
a casualty report. Hospitalized casualties during the American
Revolution had a 25% survival rate, during WWII 71% survived
wounds severe enough for hospitalization, during the KOREAN WAR
74% survived wounds with hospitalization, and during the VIETNAM
WAR 81% survived wounds with hospitalization. The use of IEDs in
Iraq and Afghanistan during GULF WAR 2 has generated 9 WIAs for
each KIA, which ratio is triple the 3:1 rate during WWII, Korea,
and Vietnam. See GSW-TTH, PH, DUSTOFF, MEDEVAC, MILLION DOLLAR
WOUND, PROFILE, LINE OF DUTY; compare SIW, DOW, KIA.
-
WIDOW MAKER :
-
the M-16 rifle, which NICKNAME derives from its propensity to
malfunction, and put the rifleman at greater peril, more than any
combat efficiency. This extremely controversial rifle would
undergo more than 400 refinements in the next thirty years before
finally becoming a satisfactory battlefield weapon. See BURST,
BLACK MAGIC, CAR / XM-177E2, ACTIV, OVER 'n' UNDER, TUPPERWARE.
Also, refers to the combustible SHERIDAN light recon TANK, with
earlier flammables known as "Ronson" (a brand-name of cigarette
lighter advertised as "They Light Every Time"); compare SHERMAN,
STUART, GENERAL LEE, CHAFFEE, WALKER-BULLDOG. Also, a dysphemism
for a mechanical ambush (MA), due to its lethal prevalence; see
AMBUSH, ALL AMERICAN, ALPHA-ALPHA, BOOBY-TRAP.
-
WIEU :
-
(woo) Weekly Intelligence Estimate Update, briefing for
COMUSMACV; see FIVE O'CLOCK FOLLIES.
-
WIGGLE ROOM :
-
latitude, being room for interpretation or room to maneuver when
given impractical or disastrous ORDERs; it is often the only
honorable or reasonable alternative to the ambitious schemes of
micromanagement ... depending upon their outcome, such creative
solutions to bad or stupid commands are usually represented as
contrivances or ruses (instead of artifices or stratagems), as
second-guesses or hairsplitting quibbles (instead of intrepid or
incisive initiatives), and typically result in greater
specificity! ... a self-defeating degenerative cycle. See OFF THE
RESERVATION, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, VFR DIRECT, UNODIR,
READ-BACK, SCRIPTURES, RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE, VIETNAM SYNDROME,
LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, COMBAT EFFECTIVE, NO EXCUSE, ZERO
TOLERANCE, OVERSIGHT, WANGLE, SHOW THE FLAG.
[nb: real life always transcends the rule book]
-
WIGWAG / WIGWAGGER :
-
slang for signaling by light (lamp or heliograph), panel or flag
(semaphore), arm or hand; being a method of visual communication,
using standardized gestures and postures, for communication when
quiet was essential, when radio was not appropriate, or when
voice communication was prevented by noise or distance.
PATHFINDERS, MPs, and other ground guides used these hand and arm
signals to direct vehicles. LRRP's expanded this symbolic
language to include finger-spelling and hand phrases. Also called
"hand and arm signal", HAND SIGN, "dumb-show", or "hand-jive"
as forms of pantomime. Compare WAVE OFF, PADDLES, TAP CODE,
BURGEE, GUIDON, MAGGIE'S DRAWERS, FLYING BRAVO, RED FLAG, DAP.
[v: Alphabet Codes]
Also, slang for the branch insignia for Army Signal Corps
(crossed flags ca1864, torch added ca1884) based upon semaphore
flags and torches; which section or division of communications is
designated S-6/G-6/J-6.
[nb: the kite, called a "flying sail", has been used militarily
since the fifth century BC by the Chinese to signal situations,
send commands, scatter leaflets, and lift observers.]
-
WILD WEASEL :
-
designation for an Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) equipped
aircraft that can detect Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) sites and
neutralize RADAR tracking with NOISE or Air-to-Ground Missiles
(AGM), as well as possessing self-defense armaments. Configured
as either the F-100 SUPER SABRE, the F-105 THUNDERCHIEF, or the
F-4C/-G PHANTOM II; and classified as an Electronic Warfare (EW)
RADAR-suppression attack aircraft.
-
WILLIE PETE :
-
informal version of WWII-era phonetic representation of WP (qv)
for 'William Peter', meaning white phosphorous incendiary
munitions; compare ALFA, ZERO. [v: Alphabet Codes]
-
WILLIE THE WHALE :
-
the SKYNIGHT, the Douglas EF-10 /-10B aircraft.
-
WIND :
-
air in natural movement, as caused by temperature differentials
and the Coriolis effect [v: breeze, susurrus, sough, zephyr,
windstorm, rainsquall, line squall, storm, thunderstorm, gale,
whole gale, blow, squall, williwaw, cyclone, anticyclone,
tornado, hurricane, bora, blizzard, chinook, MONSOON, mistral,
khamsin, sirocco, harmattan, Santa Ana wind, foehn; leeward,
alee, abeam, aback, aweather, windward, headwind, tailwind,
upwind, downwind, eddy, whirlwind, crosswind, trade wind,
anti-trade wind, jet stream, gust, bluster, waff, turbulence,
veer, wind shear, boreal, corrasion, halcyon, doldrums, becalm,
calm, driftage, windage, windiness, anemometer]; see BEAUFORT
SCALE, SAFFiR-SIMPSON SCALE, STORM WARNING, WINDSOCK, TELLTALE.
Also, breath or breathing. Also, some influence, trend, or force;
see TWIST IN THE WIND. Also, some intimation or revelation. Also,
empty or meaningless talk; see BRAVO SIERRA, TALK TRASH, SHOOT
THE SHIT, BLOW SMOKE, HOT AIR, GAS BAG, CONFETTI, SNOW, RUMOR,
SEA STORY, WAR STORY. Also, vanity or conceit. Also, stomach or
abdominal gas; discharge, emission, emanation, expulsion, burp,
belch, eructation, fart, flatus.
-
WINDSOCK :
-
a tapered tubular cloth vane ("weather vane") or TELLTALE, that
pivots to catch the wind, swinging freely so as to indicate the
direction toward which the wind is blowing; often mounted on the
APRON near the control tower or HANGAR, so as to be visible from
the RUNWAY near the THRESHOLD or TOUCHDOWN. Airplanes normally
land into the wind, and take-off with the wind. See BEAUFORT
SCALE, SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE, FUJITA SCALE; compare SLEEVE.
-
WING :
-
an administrative and tactical unit of the Air Force, containing
two or more air groups, together with support and headquarters
units. [nb: similarly for Marine Air Wing (MAW) and subordinate
Marine Air Group (MAG)] Also, the side portion or extension of an
army or fleet; a flank. Also, an airfoil, typically paired,
attached transversely to the fuselage of an aircraft, and
providing the necessary lift for flight.
-
WINGING :
-
the informal and unofficial pinning ceremony for newly qualified
navigators (NAV) and PILOTs; similar to PROP BLAST, SHELLBACK,
GOLDEN DRAGON, DOLPHIN DIVE, and SALTING activities. Such
festivities have usually been preceded by the necktie or
shirttail cutting rite performed by the instructor (IP)
immediately after a trainee's first successful solo flight. See
EARRING, BLOODING.
-
WINGOVER :
-
an airplane maneuver involving a steep, climbing turn to a near
STALL, then a sharp drop of the nose, a removal of bank, and a
final leveling off in the opposite direction. See AEROBATICS.
-
WINGS :
-
a skill badge for PILOT, PARACHUTE, RIGGER, or AIR ASSAULT
qualification; usually gradated into novice/basic, senior, and
master ratings. See TRASH, Q-COURSE, BUSH PILOT, MUFF DIVER,
JUMPMASTER, MASTER BLASTER, PATHFINDER, JSD, FLASH, OVAL; compare
DIVER, SCUBA, DOLPHIN, WATER WINGS, BUDS, EOD, BOLO BADGE, Q-TAB,
GONG, FRUIT SALAD, DEVICE, CREST, PATCH.
[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"]
-
WING WIPER :
-
NICKNAME for Marine aviation support staff and ground crew, as
used since before WWII; also known as PENGUIN. Compare GROUND
HOG, GROUNDED; see BIRDMAN, PILOT, JET JOCKEY, AIRDALE, BROWN
SHOE / BOOT, ZOOMIE, ROTOR HEAD, WOBBLY, WOP, PROP JOCKEY, CREW
DOG.
-
WINNIE THE WAC :
-
(forthcoming); fictional cartoon character created by Vic Herman
-
WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS :
-
slogan purporting to embody the pseudo-military mission of NATION
BUILDING; being the charitable element in the "carrot-and-stick"
policy which was supposed to entice Southeast Asians into
military cooperation, voluntary intel reporting, and political
allegiance by governmental largess. The pacification program was
generally characterized by soldiers as: "Grab 'em by the balls,
an' their hearts and minds will follow!". [nb: currency of this
phrase during the VIETNAM WAR derives from a passage in a 1965
speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson: "... so we must be ready
to fight in Vietnam, but the ultimate victory will depend on the
hearts and minds of the people who actually live out there". The
phrase was coined by President John Adams in correspondence; a 24
August 1815 letter to Thomas Jefferson states: "The revolution
was in the minds of the people ..."; and a 13 February 1818
letter to Hezekiah Niles states: "The Revolution was effected
before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the hearts and
minds of the people .... This radical change in the principles,
opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real
American Revolution." In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt used
the phrase: [the secret to popular rule is] "to put into words
what is in their hearts and minds but not in their mouths." All
allusions probably derive from "The peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds ...."
Philippians 4:7 in the Bible.]
-
WINTER SOLDIER :
-
any MIL-PERS who willingly endures personal sacrifice and extreme
hardship, such as during combat operations or under battle
conditions, for the sake of a mission or goal that surpasses
reward or survival; as expressed: "These are the times that try
men's souls .... The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot
will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but
he that stands it NOW deserves the love and thanks of man and
woman." by Thomas Paine [Pennsylvania Journal (19 Dec
1776); intro to The American Crisis (23 Dec 1776)], which
was read to American troops on the eve of the Battle of Trenton.
See CODE OF CONDUCT, DUTY, BITE THE BULLET, V-CAMPAIGN, LITMUS
TEST, CANNON FODDER, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS, VIETNAM IS
FOREVER, GUTS, MOXIE, SPUNK, ONIONS, BEARING, HERO, YELLOW
RIBBON.
[nb: during WWII, Adolf Hitler labeled German 'sunshine patriots'
as "March violets", being showy Spring flowers that disappear in
the next snow] [v: numinous, deontology, eudemonism; cf:
meliorism] [nb: "Yours is not to reason why, yours is but to do
and die." by J. Rudyard Kipling]
-
WINTER WARRIOR :
-
a person trained to operate in conditions of ice and snow,
freezing temperatures, limited daylight, and other hazards, as
taught by U.S. Army Alaska (USARAL) command in the two-week
Winter Warfare training course at Fort Richardson Alaska, or in
the three-week Northern Warfare training course at Fort Greely
Alaska. The mountain phase of the course includes climbing,
rappelling, and medical evacuation. The watercourse phase covers
boat operations, stream crossing, river charting and navigation.
The glacier phase covers crevasse rescue, step cutting, group
climbing, belaying and anchors. Acquired skills include basic
knots, mountain walking techniques, and route selection. The
schooling emphasizes mobility in mountainous terrain, on
glaciers, and inland waterways, culminating in a three-day field
exercise (FTX) situated on Gulkana Glacier. The WWII Mountain and
Winter Warfare Board commenced training in 1942 at Fort Lewis
(Mount Rainier and Mount Bryce), in 1943 at Elkins Maneuver Area
(Seneca Rocks), and in 1943 at Camp Hale (Aspen, Vail, Mount
Albert, Sawatch Range). The volunteers who formed the 10th
Mountain Division (officially activated August 1943) received
training in skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, and
climbing with related snow shovel, ice axe, and rope work. Their
infantry and recon elements were augmented by heavy weapons,
including 81mm mortar and 75mm pack howitzer. The Mountain and
Winter Warfare Board was assisted by members of the Sierra Club
in developing specialized equipment, including boots, mummy-style
sleeping bags, mountain stoves and rations, a rucksack that
converted skis into a toboggan, and the first operational
snowmobile. See LRRP-RATIONS; compare MOUNTAINEER, JUNGLE EXPERT.
[nb: the Marine Corps Cold Weather Training Center (MCCWTC) is
located at Bridgeport, California]
[nb: due to axial tilt during earth's rotation, the hemispheric
seasons are not the same length, with the southern summer /
northern winter being the shortest season, and northern summer /
southern winter being the longest]
-
WISE MEN :
-
an ex-officio tribunal, formally known as the Presidential
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB), composed of renown
statesmen and emeritus leaders convened by the Kennedy - Johnson
Administrations as an ostensibly autonomous entity to consider
America's role in world politics during the VIETNAM WAR, which
conclusions and recommendations were independent of the
government, and lent an air of causal detachment and misdirection
while insulating the cabinet from the citizenry. This advisory
council originally included: Dean Acheson, Eugene Black, Omar
Bradley, Arthur Dean, Ros Gilpatric, Arthur Larson, Robert
Lovett, John McCloy, and Henry Stimson. This independent advisory
council on international crises was reconstituted under the Nixon
Administration with the following members: Nelson Rockefeller,
William O. Baker, Edwin Land, Frank Pace, Franklin D. Murphy, ADM
George W. Anderson, GEN Maxwell D. Taylor, and Gordon Gray. See
WHIZ KID, MANDARIN, BEST AND BRIGHTEST, DOMINO THEORY, DECENT
INTERVAL, SILENT MAJORITY.
[nb: after the coup that toppled the Diem regime in Nov 1963, a
"council of sages", consisting of prominent SVN citizens and bloc
representatives, was established to advise the government on
resumption, reformation, and redirection] [v: know-it-all,
besserwisser; realpolitik, machtpolitik]
-
WIZARD :
-
a person of amazing skill or accomplishment, especially a
technical expert, who may also be known as whiz or boffin, WONK
or PROFESSOR; term undoubtedly derives from "wise man", and
implies magician or sorcerer, but probably entered the lexicon
from computer usage. Also, slang for a psychologist or
psychotherapist; see HEADSHRINKER. Also, descriptive of
outstanding performance, amazing achievement, or demonstrated
excellence, such as imaging wizardry or requisition enchantment,
a superb PRANG or a wonderfully "winking wizard" [v: PRICK].
-
WM :
-
abbreviation for Woman Marine, appertaining to females serving in
the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, being a support auxiliary
established 30 July 1942; known as a Woman Reserve (WR) until
1948, thereafter as Woman Marine until 1994, and subsequently
simply as Marine. All separate women's military service corps
were dissolved in 1978 and female servicemembers were then fully
integrated into the RANKS. See BAM, SKIRT.
-
WMD :
-
(w-m-d) Weapons of Mass Destruction; see CBR, NUKE, BOMB,
GENOCIDE, APOCALYPSE.
-
WO :
-
Warrant Officer; see MISTER, WOC, WOBBLY. Although some Warrant
Officers, as branch specialists, have been introduced into
leadership positions (eg: XO of an SF A-Team), most are
technical experts slotted into the TO&E, but excluded from
the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND; so if a commissioned officer is unavailable
for command, the duty skips over any available Warrant Officers,
and passes to the "hard-stripe" NCO of highest RANK. The Naval
Warrant Officer has been a technical specialist since the
establishment of the seagoing services, with command assumed by
the leader of the combat forces on-board. The color divided
bands, on hat and sleeve, adopted by Naval Warrants probably
influenced the striped bars of RANK used by military Warrants,
with Navy and Air Force in blue on gold or silver, Army and
Marine in brown on gold or silver, but altered to black squares
since the post-VN redesign for improved recognition. The RANK of
Warrant Officer was created on 9 July 1918 to cover field clerks
and mine engineers (Army Mine Planter Service of Coast
Artillery), with sleeve insignia created 17 Jan 1920, and grade
insignia created 12 May 1921. A second grade of Warrant Officer
was created on 21 Aug 1941, adding Chief to Junior, and their
grade insignia was created on 4 Sept 1942. From 1942 through
1945, a flight officer in Junior Warrant Officer grade existed.
Four grades of Warrant Officer were authorized 12 Oct 1949, with
designation (WO1 - CW4) and insignia approved 20 Sept 1956, then
redesigned and extended two additional grades on 10 June 1970.
The USAF has not included Warrant Officers since 1979. In 1988, a
Master Warrant Officer rating distinguished CW4s who completed
the Warrant Officer School; with the Master Warrant Officer (MW5)
grade approved on 5 Dec 1991, and the 1970-insignia approved 16
Dec 2003. As a result of joint operations, Warrant Officers are
now authorized to wear branch specific colors and insignia
effective 24 Feb 2004. Compare SPEC.
[nb: although the USAF phased-out their Warrant Officer ranks in
1979, designating technical personnel as NCOs and command
personnel as officers, they did not resume the WWII Army Air
Corps program of "Flying Sergeants", inasmuch as pilots and
weapons officers are "technicians" ... so a Lieutenant "commands"
a one- or two-person aircraft worth $20-million but a Sergeant
"commands" a three- or four-person tank crew worth $60-million!]
-
WOBBLY :
-
slang for a Warrant Officer, especially a ROTOR HEAD or PROP
JOCKEY, as derived from classic definition of wobble: "inclined
alternately side-to-side, as an improperly balanced rotating
body; to move unsteadily; to quaver or tremble; to vacillate or
waver"; term may be extended to include pay-grade RATING, such as
WOBBLY One for WO-1 or WOBBLY Four for CW-4.
-
WOC :
-
Warrant Officer Candidate; see CADET, compare OC.
-
WOG :
-
contraction of POLLYWOG, as used in NavSpeak. Also, slang for any
non-white person, or any lower-class person of non-European
culture; derived from "foreigner", as the reciprocal of
'firange'/'firanji'. The term may be a truncation of 'golliwogg',
which was the name of a grotesque black doll in an illustrated
series of children's books by Bertha Upton and Florence Upton; an
alternative origin alleges it to be an acronym for "Wily Oriental
Gentleman". See DINK, GOOK, SLOPE, RICE BALL, ZIP, NIP, JAPE,
CHINK, LITTLE PEOPLE, FOREIGN DEVIL; compare LITTLE BROWN
BROTHER, BUDDHAHEAD, INDIG. [v: Names of
Foreigners or Foes]
-
WOLF :
-
slang for the unit's lead element, including reconnaissance and
surveillance functions with pathfinding; also called HAWKS. See
I&R, LRSP, LRP, RECON, PEEPERS, PATHFINDER.
-
WONDER WOMAN :
-
(forthcoming); created 1941 by psychologist to improve self-image
of girls; originated on Paradise Island, an all-female society;
"weapons" used by Diana Prince are non-violent and defensive; see
GI JANE, SKIRT
-
WONK :
-
technical expert, usually lacking in social skills; also known
as techie, boffin, artificer, troubleshooter, nerd, dweeb, geek.
Probably originated as palindrome of "know"; but may be derived
from Chinese 'yellow dog' (cur) for an informant. See MILICRAT,
BEAN-COUNTER, CHIEF, PROFESSOR, WIZARD, PUKE, POGUE, WALLAH,
GUNNER. [cf: apparatchik, nomenklatura, nabob, nibs]
-
WOODLAND :
-
informal designation for the green-dominant multicolor or leaf
pattern camouflage uniform issued in 1981 for field utility, as
derived from the mottled ERDL uniform worn in Vietnam after 1968,
which replaced the tropical-weight green jungle uniform that had
displaced FATIGUES, and would themselves be later displaced by
Battle Dress Uniforms (BDU) and DIGITALS. The woodland pattern is
not authorized for wear after 30 April 2008. See CAMMIES, CAMO,
DRESS.
-
WOOF :
-
BLACK slang for verbal confrontation, being onomatopoeically
derived from a barking dog, not a mispronunciation of 'wolf'.
WOOF or "woofing" is indicative of the danger posed by a chained
guard dog, and imitative of that challenge, having the objective,
like other forms of threat display, of getting the adversary to
surrender without a fight; it's "big talk, no action", "all show,
no go", and "all bark, no bite" ... if the "woofer" can bluster
successfully enough to make the "woofee" back-down or back-away,
retreat or recoil, then he "sold a woof ticket" ... turning-tail
is "buying a woof ticket". Although this posturing is a mechanism
to avoid violence, such confrontation can escalate into combat
... most fighters don't waste words, but a cornered coward will
fight to escape. This dialogue resembles word-play, rhyme,
banter, persiflage, badinage, ranking, rake, pun, jest, jive,
jeer, rag, raillery, rigmarole, rap, witticism, or the like (eg:
"doin' tha dozens" was a form of "battle rhyme" or 'verbal
combat' among BLACK troops). See SMACK, TALK TRASH, SHOOT THE
SHIT, SNOW, GAS BAG, HOT AIR, BRAVO SIERRA, MOTOR MOUTH, BLOW
SMOKE, CONFETTI, GODDAM, OATH, BAD-MOUTH, COUNT COUP, ATFU;
compare CHICKEN SHIT, MIL-SPEAK.
[nb: "His battleship mouth got a rowboat ass!"] [nb: 'hooey',
allegedly an Americanism used as an interjection for nonsense or
tripe, is actually a corruption of the Russian vulgarity ("khuy")
for penis, and is commonly used alone (eg: dick, dickhead,
dick-wad) or in phrases (eg: dumber than dick; he doesn't know
dick; don't dick around; don't stir your tea with your dick)]
[cf: migration of "putz" from shine through ornament to penis and
dolt; as sexual lure] [v: lucky stiff]
-
WOP :
-
NICKNAME for Warrant Officer PILOT, namely a WOBBLY, ROTOR HEAD,
or PROP JOCKEY; perhaps a reverse construction from the
onomatopoeic "wop-wop-wop" sound of the propeller. Also,
disparaging reference to a non-English-speaking immigrant or
refugee, as derived from Italian or French or Spanish words for a
"worthless person", but may also be an abbreviation for "Without
Official Papers", "WithOut Papers", or "WithOut Passport";
compare WOG [cf: Guinea / Ginney].
-
THE WORD :
-
reliable information received from a dependable source, being
facts or news, a true account; also known as POOP, scoop, skinny,
GOUGE, DOPE, HOT-SHIT, GREEN GREASE, HEADS-UP, FYI, BULLETIN.
-
THE WORLD :
-
originally designated any place outside of the VIETNAM WAR or the
INDOCHINA conflict, but especially referred to America or to the
United States of America; but has since been extended to mean any
civilized place outside of a combat zone. The distinction is
between a "normal" and predictable (peaceful) environment, such
as a homey planet where nobody is trying to kill you, and an
"abnormal" and unpredictable (hostile) environment, such as an
alternate universe where alien or surreal laws prevail. See LAND
OF THE BIG PX.
-
WP :
-
abbreviation for White Phosphorous incendiary munitions, which
are popularly NICKNAMEd WILLIE PETE, "Willie Peter", "Whiskey
Papa" from the phonetic alphabet, including artillery, MORTAR,
GRENADE, and as spot-marking target rockets by FACs directing
bomb runs; formerly the exclusive province of chemical munitions
teams. See THERMITE, ROCKEYE.
-
WPB :
-
designation for a USCG Patrol Boat; with "W" representing
Coast Guard, and "PB" denoting Patrol Boat. USCG numbers its
small craft by adding the vessels length to the hull number
(ie: 82301 is a 82' boat with a hull number of 301); and the hull
number also defines the class of boat. USCG initially sent A and
B Class boats to Vietnam, which were later replaced by C hull
versions.
-
WSO :
-
(wizzo) Weapon Systems Officer, or backseater in fighter
aircraft; see GIB, BEAR, EWO, RSO, RIO; compare FUF.
-
WTFO :
-
literally "What The Fuck, Over", or just "What The Fuck" (WTF),
imitative of a RADIO transmission; being a sardonic expression
similar to "What Me Worry?" or "Ask Me If I Care", made popular
during the VIETNAM WAR, and since expanded to include the 5-Ws:
Who..., What..., When..., Where..., Why.... Compare XIN-LOI; see
FUCK, FUCK-UP, FUCKED-UP, CLUSTER FUCK, WTFO, SOL, BOHICA,
PYHOOYA.
-
WWI :
-
World War One, also abbreviated WW1, and referred to as the
"Great War" or the "War to End All Wars"; fought mainly in Europe
and the Middle East, from 28 July 1914 to 11 Nov 1918, between
the Central Powers (ie: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey,
Bulgaria, etc) and the Allies (ie: Great Britain, France, Russia,
Japan, Italy, U.S., etc); the U.S. declared war on 6 April 1917,
and the first American Expeditionary Force (AEF) troops arrived
in Europe that summer to continue training and fight with
borrowed arms or materiel.
-
WWII :
-
World War Two, also abbreviated WW2, and referred to as the "Big
War" or the "Good War" (by later contrast with the "bad war" in
Vietnam); fought mainly in Europe, north Africa, the Middle East,
and the Pacific islands, beginning with the German INVASION of
Poland on 1 Sept 1939, ending on 8 May 1945, and with the
Japanese Pearl Harbor attack on 7 Dec 1941, ending 14 Aug 1945,
between the Axis powers (ie: Germany, Italy, Japan, etc) and the
Allies (ie: Great Britain, U.S., etc).
[v: 1938 anschluss of Austria with Germany as the province of
Ostmark; union was annulled by the Moscow Declaration in 1943]
[nb: "One day President Roosevelt told me that he was asking
publicly for suggestions about what the war should be called. I
said at once 'The Unnecessary War'." by Winston L.S. Churchill in
Second World War (1948)]
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