SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper (43 page)

Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town”

Third Phase (Dive Phase) of BUD/S

Third Phase (Advanced Field Skills and Mission Employment) of Scout Sniper School

Thornton, Michael

362nd Engineers

tomato juice

training.
See also
BUD/S; Scout Sniper School; Task Conditions and Standards op

Australian SAS

winter warfare

tridents

Trijicon

25th Aviation Regiment

UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams)

defined

underwater knot tying

underwater swimming

Unertl 10-power sniper scope

Unit, defined

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

United Nations (UN).
See also
Operation Restore Hope

Unknown Distance and Stalking phase of Scout Sniper School

UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia)

defined

USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command)

VC (Vietcong)

defined

Veterans Affairs

Vietnam War

Boesch and

Garrison and

Knepper and

Norris and

vitamin C

volleyball

Vuarnet sunglasses

Wasdin, Blake

birth of

Body Shop incident

desire to become SEAL

family and military life

front-butt story

Wasdin, Carroll

Wasdin, Debbie

Wasdin, Eryn

Wasdin, Laura

birth of Blake

birth of Rachel

Body Shop incident

dating and marriage to

divorce from

Little Debbie incident

military life and

Wasdin, Leon

beatings by

death of

death of Uncle Carroll

fear of

marriage to Laura and

pecan trees and

physical affection of

Wasdin, Millie Kirkman

Wasdin, Rachel

Wasdin, Rebecca

Wasdin, Sue Anne

Wasdin, Tammy

watermelon field

Waters, Ms.

Wayne, John

Webster, William

Weems Free Clinic

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

defined

Wilbanks, Ben

Wilcox, Ron

Wilkinson, Tim

windage, as primary consideration for sniper shots

wind flags

wind speeds

Win Mags (Winchester Magnum . 300 rifles)

defined

winter warfare training

Wolcott, Cliff

World War II

XOs (executive officers), defined

Zaidan, Muhammad (a.k.a. Abu Abbas)

Zippo lighters

GLOSSARY

AC-130 Spectre:
It superseded the Vietnam-era AC-47 gunship a.k.a. “Spooky” or “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The spectre is an air force plane capable of spending long periods of time in the air, sometimes carrying two 20 mm M-61 Vulcan cannons, a 40 mm L/60 Bofors cannon, and a 105 mm M-102 howitzer. Sophisticated sensors and radar help it detect enemy on the ground.

AK-47:
The name is a contraction of Russian:
Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda
(Kalashnikov’s automatic rifle model of year 1947). This assault rifle fires a .308 (7.62 × 39 mm) round up to an effective range of 330 yards (300 meters) and holds 30 rounds. It was developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov in two versions: the fixed-stock AK-47 and the AKS-47 (S:
Skladnoy priklad
) variant equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock.

AT-4:
An 84 mm, one-shot light antitank rocket.

Agency:
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Also known as “Christians in Action.”

Asset:
Local personnel providing intelligence.

BDU:
Battle Dress Uniform.

Blowout kit:
Medical pouch.

Booger-eater:
Generic term for “bad guy.”

BS:
Bull excrement. A synonym for “dishonesty.”

BTR-60:
Brone-transporty
or “armored transporter,” an Armored Personnel Carrier, the last one in the series was the 60PB, which had a boatlike hull and sloped armor.

BTR-60PB:
Soviet eight-wheeled (8 × 8) armored personnel carrier armed with 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun (500 rounds), and PKT coaxial 7.62 machine gun (3,000 rounds). It was replaced by the BTR-70.

BUD/S:
Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training.

CAR-15:
Colt Automatic Rifle-15. One of the family of AR-15 (Arma-Lite Rifle) and M-16 rifle-based small arms. Later versions of the AR-15/M-16 assault rifles were short-barreled. Typically 11.5 inches for a Colt Commando (Model 733), a 14.5 in. barrel for the M-4 Carbine, and a 20 in. barrel for an M-16. The CAR-15 is an earlier version of the M-4 assault rifle with a retractable telescopic buttstock, firing .223 (5.56 mm) rounds, and holding 30 rounds in the magazine. Colt wanted identification of the CAR-15 with its other products, but the CAR designation eventually wound up as a law-enforcement weapon and the M-16 as a military small arm.

CCT:
Combat Control Team/combat controllers. Air force special operation pathfinders who can parachute into an area and provide reconnaissance, air traffic control, fire support, and command, control, and communications on the ground—particularly helpful in calling down death from above.

CO:
Commanding officer.

CQC:
close quarters combat.

CVIC:
Aircraft Carrier Intelligence Center. The first
C
actually stands for “cruiser.” The
V
comes from the French word
voler,
meaning “to fly.” Used together,
CV
is the navy hull classification symbol for “aircraft carrier.”

Cadre:
Instructors. Sometimes means leaders.

Cammy, cammies:
Camouflage.

Caving ladder:
Portable wire ladders for climbing.

Chemlights:
Glow sticks. Light sticks containing chemicals activated by bending.

Christians in Action:
Nickname for Central Intelligence Agency.

Correct dope:
Adjust the scope to adjust for windage and distance.

Cutvee:
a cut down Humvee without a top, doors, or windows; a.k.a. M-998 cargo/troop carrier.

Dam Neck:
Dam Neck, Virginia, home of SEAL Team Six.

Delta:
Delta Force. The army’s tier-one commando unit tasked with conducting counterterrorism and counterinsurgency.

Deuce-and-a-half:
A truck that carries 2.5 tons.

Dope:
knowledge, intelligence, poop (Navy Slang).
Also see
Correct Dope.

E&E:
Escape and evasion. Getting out of Dodge.

Exfil:
Exfiltrate.

External fixator:
A device used in treating fractures. A surgeon drills holes into the uninjured part of the bone near the fracture, then screws pins into the bone. Outside the limb, a metal rod attaches to the pins to hold them in place. The pins and rod make up the external fixator. A.k.a. “halo.”

Fantail:
A ship’s stern overhang.

Fast-rope:
Kick a thick rope out of the door. Then, wearing special gloves to prevent burning the hands, grab the rope with hands and feet while sliding down.

FFP:
Final Firing Position; a sniper’s hide, i.e., the camouflaged pit or tree blind from where a sniper fires.

Fireflies:
Handheld infrared strobe lights.

Flashbang:
Stun grenade using a nonlethal flash of bright light and loud blast to disorient enemies.

FOB:
Forward operating base.

Full package:
In Mogadishu, this was at least a hundred men, including a Humvee blocking force, Little Birds with Delta snipers, and Black Hawks with Rangers and Delta operators.

HAHO:
High Altitude High Opening; a parachute jump by personnel at 25,000 to 35,000 feet wherein the parachute is opened quickly (while high in the air).

HALO:
High Altitude Low Opening; a parachute drop made delivering supplies, equipment, or personnel by freefalling until the dropped objects are low enough to open the chute and safely land on target.

Helo:
Helicopter.

HRT:
Hostage Rescue Team.

HUMINT:
Human intelligence. Intelligence gained and provided by human sources: agents, couriers, journalists, prisoners, diplomats, NGOs, refugees, etc.

IED:
Improvised explosive device. A homemade explosive device used in unconventional (illegal) warfare.

JOC:
Joint Operations Center.

JSOC:
Joint Special Operations Command.

KIM:
Keep In Mind; memorization games for scout-snipers.

Khat:
A flowering plant native to Somalia, which contains a stimulant that causes excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria (a.k.a. African “speed”).

KN-250:
Night-vision rifle scope. Night vision amplifies available light from sources like the moon and stars, converting images into green and light green instead of black and white. The result lacks depth and contrast but enables the sniper to see at night.

Knot:
One knot equals roughly 1.15 miles per hour.

LAW:
Light Antitank Weapon that fires one 66 mm unguided rocket. Replaced by the AT-4.

Little Bird:
Special operations light helicopters. The MH-6 and AH-6 (attack variant) were both used in Mogadishu. Armament includes guns, rockets, and missiles.

LST:
Lightweight Satellite Terminal; an encrypted radio that can send burst packets to a satellite for fast relay.

MRE:
Meal, Ready-to-Eat. Field ration in lightweight packaging. Sometimes referred to as “Meal, Refusing-to-Exit” because the low dietary fiber content can cause constipation.