The Coming Storm: Liberators Part 29

Line Conditioning: Elimination of unintentional signals or noise induced or conducted on a telecommunications or information system signal, power, control, indicator, or other external interface line.

LLDR: Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder.

LNO: Liaison Officer.

Low Side: An uncla.s.sified network. High-side (cla.s.sified) networks are always physically disconnected ("air gapped") from low-side networks. This prevents unintentional or intentional copying and pasting of cla.s.sified information into low-side messages. See also High Side.

LP: Liquid Propane.

LPCs: Leather Personnel Carriers.

LP/OP: Listening Post/Observation Post.

LRRP: Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol.

LZ: Landing Zone.

M1 Abrams: The United States' current main battle tank, with a 120mm cannon ("main gun").

M1 Carbine: The U.S. Army semiauto carbine issued during World War II. Mainly issued to officers and second-echelon troops such as artillerymen, for self-defense. It fires .30 U.S. carbine, an intermediate (pistol-cla.s.s) .30 caliber cartridge. More than six million were manufactured. The folding-stock version designed for use by paratroopers was designated M1A1. See also M2 Carbine.

M1 Garand: The U.S. Army's primary battle rifle of World War II and the Korean conflict. It is semiautomatic, chambered in .30-06, and uses a top-loading, eight-round en bloc clip that ejects after the last round is fired. This rifle is commonly called the Garand (after the surname of its inventor, John Garand). Not to be confused with the U.S. M1 Carbine, another semiauto of the same era, which shoots a far less powerful pistol-cla.s.s cartridge.

M1A: The civilian (semiauto only) version of the U.S. Army M14 7.62mm NATO rifle.

M1911: The Model 1911 Colt semiauto pistol (and clones thereof), usually chambered in .45 ACP.

M2 Carbine: The selective-fire (fully automatic) version of the U.S. Army semiauto carbine issued during World War II and the Korean conflict.

M4: The U.S. Armyissue 5.56mm NATO selective-fire carbine. (A shorter version of the M16, with a 14.5-inch barrel and collapsing stock.) Earlier issue M16 carbine variants had designations such as XM177E2 and CAR-15. Civilian semiauto-only variants often have these same designations, or are called "M4geries."

M4gery: A civilian semiauto-only version of an M4 Carbine, with a sixteen-inch barrel instead of a 14.5-inch barrel.

M9: The U.S. Armyissue version of the Beretta M92 semiauto 9mm pistol.

M14: The U.S. Armyissue 7.62mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. These rifles are still issued in small numbers, primarily to designated marksmen. The civilian semiauto-only equivalent of the M14 is called the M1A.

M16: The U.S. Armyissue 5.56mm NATO selective-fire battle rifle. The current standard variant is the M16A2, which has improved sight and three-shot burst control. See also M4.

M60: The obsolete U.S. Armyissue 7.62mm NATO belt-fed light machine gun that utilized some design elements of the German MG-42.

M240: The U.S. military variant of the 7.62mm NATO FN-MAG light machine gun. See also FN-MAG.

M249: The U.S. military variant of the 5.56mm NATO FN Minimi light machine gun.

MAG: See FN-MAG.

MAG-58: See FN-MAG.

Maglite: A popular American brand of st.u.r.dy flashlights with a machined aluminum casing.

MAPEX: Map Exercise.

MC: Master of Ceremonies.

MCRU: Mobile Control and Reporting Unit.

MG3: A German belt-fed light machine gun, chambered in 7.62mm NATO.

MG4: A German belt-fed light machine gun, chambered in 5.56mm NATO.

MI: Military Intelligence. See also CI, HUMINT, and SIGINT.

Mini-14: A 5.56mm NATO semiauto carbine made by Ruger.

Minimi: See M249.

MOIS: Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Iranian spy agency. See also VEVAK.

MOLLE: Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.

Molotov c.o.c.ktail: A hand-thrown firebomb made from a gla.s.s container filled with gasoline or thickened gasoline (napalm).

MOS: Military Occupational Specialty.

MP: Military Police.

MRAP: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (vehicle).

MRE: Meal Ready to Eat. See also IMP and CR1M.

MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

MSS: Depending on context, Ministry of State Security or Modular Sleep System.

MTBE: Methyl tert-butyl ether. An oxygenating additive for gasoline.

MultiCam: See OCP.

MURS: Multi Use Radio Service. A VHF two-way radio service that does not require a license. See also FRS and GMRS.

MVPA: Military Vehicle Preservation a.s.sociation.

MWR: Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.

NAB: Naval Amphibious Base.

Napalm: Thickened gasoline, used in some flame weapons.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

NBC: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical.

NCO: Noncommissioned Officer.

NFA: The National Firearms Act of 1934. The law that first imposed a two-hundred-dollar transfer tax on machine guns, suppressors (commonly called silencers), and short-barreled rifles and shotguns.

NiCd: Nickel cadmium (rechargeable battery).

NiMH: Nickel Metal Hydride (rechargeable battery) improvement of NiCd.

NIMTC: Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center.

NIPRnet: Noncla.s.sified Internet Protocol Router Network. This network replaced MILNET. It is now known as the Uncla.s.sified but Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network, but still commonly called "Nipper Net."

NIST: National Inst.i.tute of Standards and Technology.

NLR: Nous sommes la resistance. (Translated: "We are the resistance.") NOC: Nonofficial cover. (Clandestine agent.) Nondiscussion Area: A clearly defined area within a SCIF where cla.s.sified discussions are not authorized due to inadequate sound attenuation. See also Secure Working Area.

Norinco: The China North Industries Corporation. A weapons and military vehicle maker.

NRO: National Reconnaissance Office.

NSA: National Security Agency.

NSA-Net: The National Security Agency's secure intranet. Commonly called "the high side."

NSA-W: NSA Was.h.i.+ngton.

NSTS: National Secure Telephone System.

NSWC: Naval Special Warfare Center.

NWO: New World Order.

OB: Order of Battle.

OCONUS: Outside the Continental United States.

OCP: Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, commonly called by its civilian trade name, MultiCam.

One-Time Pad: A manual one-time cryptosystem produced in pad form.

OP: Observation Post. See also LP/OP.

Open Storage: The storage of SCI material within an accredited SCIF in any configuration other than within GSA-approved security containers. Open storage is approved while the facility is unoccupied by authorized personnel. See also Closed Storage.

OPORD: Operations Order.

OPSEC: Operational Security. The systematic and proven process by which potential adversaries can be denied information about capabilities and intentions by identifying, controlling, and protecting generally uncla.s.sified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities. The process involves five steps: identification of critical information, a.n.a.lysis of threats, a.n.a.lysis of vulnerabilities, a.s.sessment of risks, and application of appropriate countermeasures.

OSINT: Open Source Intelligence. Gathering intelligence from public, uncla.s.sified sources, such as periodicals. OSINT sources are uncla.s.sified, but once a.n.a.lyzed, they become cla.s.sified, usually at low level.

P90: A bullpup 5.7x28 caliber personal defense weapon, manufactured by FN.

PAL: Possession and Acquisition License. (For firearms, in Canada.) Paracord: A contraction for Parachute cord.

PCS: Permanent Change of Station.

PDD: Presidential Decision Doc.u.ment.

PEDs: Personal Electronic Devices.

PETN: Pentaerythritol tetranitrate.

PF-89: The Chinese 80mm equivalent of a LAW rocket.

P.I.: Philippine Islands.

Pindad SS2: The Pindad Senapan Serbu 2 Indonesian variant of the FN FNC 5.56mm battle rifle.

PLA: People's Liberation Army (China).

PM: Prime Minister.

P-MAG: Polymer magazine.

POL: Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants.

POV: Privately Owned Vehicle.

PPCLI: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. A Canadian army unit, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Pre-1965: U.S. silver coins with 1964 or earlier mint dates, usually with little or no numismatic value. They are sold for the bullion content. These coins have 90 percent silver content. Well-worn pre-1965 coins are sometimes derisively called "junk" silver by rare coin dealers.

Project Tall Oak: A fict.i.tious DIA working group, later renamed DCS Task Group Tall Oak.

ProvGov: Provisional Government (in the United States).

PSYOPS: Psychological Operations.

PV: Photovoltaic (solar power conversion cell or array). Used to convert solar power to DC electricity, typically for battery charging.

PVC: Depending on context, Poly-Vinyl Chloride (white plastic water pipe) or Progressive Voice of Canada.

PVCL: People's Voice of Canadian Liberation.

QBZ-95: Bullpup-style a.s.sault rifle manufactured by a.r.s.enal 266, part of Norinco and a.r.s.enal 296, under Jianshe Corp., China South for the People's Liberation Army. These bullpups shoot the Chinese 5.8x42mm cartridge, which was rarely exported, and only for military contracts.