Armyspeak
Army slang explained.
ANA
Afghan National Army. Very brave. Not as safety conscious as you’d like.
Army 100
Sharp shooting competition to find the top 100 shots in the army.
Atmospherics
The vibe
ATO
TLA for Ammunition Technical Officer. ‘The bomb guy’ who does the long walk to defuse the bomb (see also Render Safe) Balls of galvanized steel required.
Beep Test
Standard fitness test used through the world in various services.
Blast Pants
Something to protect your crown jewels from the explosion should the unthinkable happen.
Contact
Engaging the enemy in more than a casual conversation. Bullets involved.
Det
The room/tent where the EOD Detachment are based.
Drills and Skills
A general encouragement to rely on your training (drills) and your expertise (skills).
EOD
Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Ie. The guys that get rid of stuff that goes bang, like IEDs.
HTEA
The tiresome necessity of Having To Explain Acronyms.
Hexiblocks
A small hexamine fuel block, like a slow burning fire lighter.
Hexi-telly
When you’re sitting around in the middle of nowhere, and the only thing to watch is a burning hexiblock.
Hook and line
Kit the ATO uses to pull the IED out of the ground. Like fishing. But for bombs.
IED
Improvised Explosive Device. Or bomb. Handmade by the Taliban and planted by a road or pathway.
Mark One Eyeball
The ultimately searching device that has never been improved. The human eye.
Op Barma
Sweeping an area for IEDs with a Vallon.
Op Minimise
Communications shut down so that relatives can be the first to be informed about an injury or fatality of a soldier.
Padre
A Chaplain. Like an army vicar. Always called Padres (which means ‘Father’) even if they're women. S’pose we should call them Madres. But we don’t. Always good for sweets.
PE7
Plastic Explosive used to blow stuff up.
Phots
Photos. For when you just don’t have time to say the word photos.
Pressure Plate
One of the triggers for an IED. Tread on it and it goes bang.
Proff
Steal. Pinch. Reassign for personal use.
Queen’s Regs
Her Majesty’s Big Book of How She’d Like Her Troops to Behave. Optimistic.
QGM
Queen’s Gallantry Medal.
Render Safe
Defuse Bomb.
SA80
Like all military hardware, the standard issue SA80 rifle was designed at immense cost, delivered late and found wanting. Much-maligned but begrudgingly accepted.
Screech
Unpalatable powder that the army insists can be turned into a form of drinkable squash. Possibly radioactive.
Spin the Dit
Tell the story. The recycled, apocryphal and obscene story.
Terp
Interpreter. You’re not meant to call them this for some reason. But they do.
The Wedge
Royal Engineers. Why they are called this is a matter of debate and mystery.
Thursday Nights
You might just have to ask a soldier to explain that one. Bear in mind Bird’s Boogie Night was always held on a Thursday.
TLA
Three Letter Acronym.Like ATO, EOD, RLC, TLA and IED. As you can see, the army likes TLAs. You’d better get used to them PDQ.
Vallon
Metal detector for sweeping an area.
Warry
Describes those time when the politicians says it’s a peaceful operation, but you can’t help notice you’re being shot at.
WISWO
Not amazing wizard, but a Weapons Intelligence Specialist Warrant Officer. Much easier to call them a WISWO.
50-Cal
Fifty mm calibre machine-gun that will hurt – in the sense that it will cut you in half.
