Understanding Military Jargon

Considering entering the military service? If you are, the very first thing that you need to learn is the language that soldiers speak. As you spend more time in your school or preferred branch of service, you will slowly learn how to speak and understand military jargon.

AAR is an acronym for After Action Review. All actions done in the Army must conclude with an AAR to point out lessons that can be used to make improvements for the succeeding operation.

Blue and Red can be your favorite color but in the military they refer to friendly and hostile forces, respectively. "Blue on Blue" is a code that means an incident occurred as a result of friendly fire. "Red on Red" means hostile forces are not getting along with each other.

Another military jargon you need to learn is combined and joint. The former refers to a command consisting of forces from more than one country. The latter refers to forces consisting of more than one branch of service. If armies from Australia and the United States are together in one command, it is combined. If the Marines substituted the Australian forces, this is a joint command. It is likely to be combined and joint simultaneously.
Concealment represents something that keeps you from being seen by your enemies. A cover, on the other hand, serves as protection so you would not be hit.

EPW stands for Enemy Prisoner of War. POW is an acronym for Privately Owned Weapon. POV is an acronym for Privately Owned Vehicle. FA is initials for Field Artillery, which distinguishes the Army from the Boy Scouts.

Formation is a term that denotes the unit having to assemble into a standard position, such as a rectangle. During a formation, the troops will remain in their places for inspections, speeches, roll calls, or to prepare the soldiers for future use. In a marching formation, when the troops are about to cross the road, some soldiers will be dispatched to block the traffic. They are then called Road Guards.

Gun refers to a specific kind of artillery tube. Rifle is a handheld weapon that is pointed at the enemy. BRM stands for Basic Rifle Marksmanship, which can be obtained through constant practice at the rifle range.

The Main Supply Route (MSR) is the direction which supplies and replacements are headed. There is also an Alternate Supply Route (ASR). OPFOR means Opposing Force, which is a friendly unit responsible for being the opponent in a training event. Ironically, the OPFOR sometimes stands for real enemies.

PT is an acronym for Physical Training and not Practical Torture. ROE are the Rules for Engagement that can be modified from time to time as a reaction of the chain of command to varying situations. It can vary from one theater to another. Serious soldiers need to adhere and understand Rules of Engagement.

SNAFU stands for Situation Normal, All Farked Up. On the other hand, JANFU means Joint Army/Navy Fark Up. FUBAR is an acronym for Farked Up Beyond All Recognition.

SOF represented the elite Special Operations Forces. They are popularly known as Commandoes. Finally, TLAR is an acronym for That Looks About Right.

In order to survive in their world, it is important for a soldier to understand military jargon. This way, you will be able to speak the language of the military.