If you have never served in the military and suddenly find yourself among service members, it may seem like they speak a foreign language. “I’m Oscar Mike to the DFAC for chow” sounds like a cryptic code but it just means “I’m going to get some food.” Admittedly, it can be pretty confusing.
I remember when I first joined the military in 1997 and learned that many of the words I knew to mean one thing now meant something entirely different. Flashlights were now called “moonbeams.” A pen was an “ink stick.” My tennis shoes were now “go fasters.” While it took a minute to adjust my vocabulary, it eventually made sense. After all, my tennis shoes did help me go faster, so why not call them go fasters?
There are several reasons why the military uses jargon and codes for various things. Two of the main reasons are building a cohesive unit and communicating more efficiently. By changing the meaning of words, service members become indoctrinated into a system that starts by breaking them down and then builds them up. Changing one’s vocabulary is just one part of integrating a civilian into military life.
Even more helpful than indoctrination is achieving greater clarity and efficiency in communications. Military communications and jargon are designed to be clear and concise. This is crucial in high-stress, high-stakes situations, like combat, where seconds matter, and effective communications can literally be the difference between life and death.
If you are working with the military or in an industry where military jargon is used, it is important to learn the basics. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the more useful terms and standards everyone should know. I’ll cover the phonetic alphabet, how to say numbers over the radio, and some of the more common terms and abbreviations you will likely see.
One of the first things you learn is the NATO phonetic alphabet. Imagine trying to talk on a radio where the sound quality is not very good but still good enough to hear what the other person is saying. Now, imagine having a list of 26 targets to bomb, one for every letter of the alphabet. How confusing would it be if the radio transmission requesting a target for you to attack said a letter with the long “e” sound. Do they want you to bomb B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, or Z?
First phonetic alphabet
The first phonetic alphabet was invented in the 1920s by the International Telecommunications Union. In this version, each letter was a city. For example, A – Amsterdam, B – Baltimore, and C – Casablanca. Over the years, various countries and militaries developed their own version of the alphabet. As the world became more connected, this created some confusion. To address this issue, NATO developed the current phonetic alphabet in the 1950s. This system is widely used and avoids the confusion caused by everyone coming up with their own phonetic alphabet. The current NATO phonetic alphabet used in military communications, as well as in civil aviation and other fields, is as follows:
A – Alpha B – Bravo C – Charlie D – Delta E – Echo F – Foxtrot
G – Golf H – Hotel I – India J – Juliett K – Kilo L – Lima
M – Mike N – November O – Oscar P – Papa Q – Quebec
R – Romeo S – Sierra T – Tango U – Uniform V – Victor W – Whiskey
X – X-ray Y – Yankee Z – Zulu
Reading through the list, you’ll notice that each of these words sounds nothing like the others. Now when that radio transmission comes in asking to bomb target “Delta” there is no mistaking what the sender is asking for.
Just like the letters of the alphabet, numbers are said in a specific manner to avoid confusion. Phonetic numerals are spoken as 1 = “WUN” 2 = “TOO” 3 = “TREE” 4 = “FOW-ER” 5 = “FIFE” 6 = “SIX” 7 = “SEV-EN” 8 = “ATE” 9 = “NINER” 0 = “ZE-RO” 10.
Once you have the phonetic letters and numbers down, you learn phrases that help to standardize radio transmissions even more. With military and tactical communications, certain words and phrases have specific meanings to enhance and clarify the flow of information. It is important to note that military terms can have uses that are very different from their use in the civilian world. For example, “repeat” in the civilian world means saying the same thing you said again. In the military world, this means firing the same artillery mission in the same location again. One can see the use of this word will produce very different outcomes depending on the audience.
With some phrases meaning vastly different things, procedural words are crucial for communicating messages quickly and without confusion. Here are a few of the more common words or phrases you should be familiar with when talking on a radio.
When starting to send a message, you announce who you are trying to reach and who you are. This is accomplished by saying “TO (the intended recipient of the message),” “THIS IS (your identity), over.” An example would be “TO Headquarters, THIS IS Recon, over.”
Our example leads us into our next terms; “OVER” and “OUT.” “OVER,” signifies the end of a transmission when you expect a reply, and “OUT,” signals the end of a transmission with no response expected. Here is an example, “What is the commanding officer’s call sign, over?” The commanding officer’s call sign is Bravo 6, out.”
While there are far too many terms to go over in the scope of a single article, here are a few you may run into if you are working around the military and, specifically, military communications.
C2:
This alphanumeric combination stands for “Command and Control.” C2 is the practice whereby authority and direction is given to commanders over people and resources to allow them to accomplish a mission.
C3:
As an extension of C2, C3 stands for Command, Control, and Communications. Starting with C2, the addition of communications encompasses the systems and procedures that allow for authority and direction by a commander over assigned and attached forces.
C4:
Continuing the trend, C4 is Command, Control, Communications, and Computers. The addition of computers is significant because it shows the importance of technology as a tool for the management of military operations, enhancing the ability to plan, communicate, and execute missions.
ISR:
This term can stand on its own or be in combination with others, such as C4ISR. ISR stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. In military jargon, this term refers to the integrated activities and operations conducted to collect, process, and disseminate information about the operational environment, enemy forces, and other conditions of interest.
Situational Awareness:
Sometimes called “SA” this term refers to the ability to identify, process, and comprehend critical information about an operation or environment. It involves understanding the relationship between various elements within a given environment, including the location, status, and other specifics of friendly and enemy forces, as well as relevant geographical, environmental, and infrastructural factors.
The world of military jargon is filled with specialized terms and acronyms like C2, C3, C4, ISR, and the phonetic alphabet. These terminologies and systems go beyond simple linguistic shortcuts, embodying crucial standards and procedures for ensuring clear, concise, and swift communication. If you work alongside the military, you’ll need at least a basic knowledge of these terms and practices.
Remember that no one learns these terms before being exposed to them, but rest assured that with a little practice, they will become second nature to you. This specialized language is not just a simple code but is a critical conduit for achieving precision, clarity, and success in the sometimes complex domain of military communications.
