Important Announcement

We would like to thank our loyal fellow members of the Nike Historical Society for your continued support over the years. We will be closing the Society, including the store, as of March 31, 2024. We have acquired a large repository of Nike technical information. The web site will continue to be available. It has been our pleasure to keep the legacy of the Nike missile's contribution of the successful conclusion to the Cold War.

the Board of Directors
Nike Historical Society

HOME   MENU

Glossary, Abbreviations, Acronyms

AAAAnti-Aircraft Artillery
AADCPArmy Air Defense Command Post
ABARAlternate Battery Acquisition Radar
ADAir Defense
ADAAir Defense Artillery
ADLAutomatic Data Link
adminadministration
ADOCAir Defense Operations Center
ADPAutomatic Data Processor
ARADCOMUS Army Air Defense Command
ATBMAntitactical Ballistic Missile
BdeBrigade
BMEWSBallistic Missile Early Warning System
Bn OCBattalion Operations Central
bnbattalion
BOQBachelor Officer Quarters
BTOEsee: TOE
BUICBackup Interceptor Control
CBRChemical Biological Radiological (from RL "Butch" Ball)
CBSCommon Battles Signals (such as hand and arm signals)
CINCNORADCommander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command
CINCONADCommander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command
CMMICommand Maintenance Management Inspections
COCCombat Operations Center
CONADContinental Air Defense Command
CPXCommand Post Exercise
CQ

After hours and on weekends, an E-5 or higher is designated as the Charge of Quarters (CQ) and as his assistant an E-4 is assigned as his runner- called a CQ Runner. The CQ makes sure everything that happens after hours is taken care of and recorded on the Morning Report. His runner is just that, he is the gofer and mans the Orderly Room when the CQ is out. (definition by Rocky Stovall)

(from Wikipedia)CQ or charge of quarters is a tasked duty in which a United States armed forces service member is to guard the front entrance to the barracks. It is usually a 24-hour shift in which the two service members, one a non-commissioned officer (NCO) and the other a lower enlisted service member, sit at a desk to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic into the barracks. There are usually additional duties, such as sweeping the entryway, cleaning the entrance restrooms, and checking the barracks laundry room for laundry left overnight. Other duties may include performing radio checks every few hours with other company barracks and battalion headquarters around the base or surrounding installations as well as bed checks to ensure service members are in their rooms with their doors locked by curfew. For example, some U.S. Armed Forces service members stationed in South Korea have a curfew for being on post, and another one for being in their own individual rooms with their doors locked.

Weekend shifts usually start at 0700 hours (7:00 a.m.), depending on the military branch and installation, and go for 24 hours. During the work week, the duty starts at between 1600 and 1630 hours (4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.), also known as Close Of Business (COB). Service members are typically excused from duties the following day after being relieved by a senior NCO, in most cases the unit's first sergeant.

CWContinuous Wave
DARDefense Acquisition Radar
DEWDistant Early Warning
DO

(from Wikipedia) Duty Officer. A rotating position assigned to a junior military officer in a duty or watch system. The duty officer is charged with responsibility for a military unit and acts as the commanding officer's representative. The duty officer attends to menial tasks for the commanding officer such as being at the scene of an incident and being on call during the night. This duty is in addition to the officer's normal duties.

The duty officer's tour is generally 24 or 48 hours, after which he will be relieved by the oncoming duty officer listed on the roster or watchbill. The offgoing duty officer will turn over relevant data and documentation to his relief about the previous day's happenings, before returning to his normal duties (or going on liberty if his duty ends on a weekend or other non-work day).

ECCMElectronic Counter-Countermeasures
ECMElectronic Countermeasure
FDSFire Distribution System
FUIFFire Unit Integration Facility
HEhigh energy explosive (not nuclear)
HIPARHigh Power Acquisition Radar
ICBMIntercontinental Ballistic Missile
IFCIntegrated Fire Control
IFFIdentification, Friend or Foe
IGInspecting General
INHImproved Nike Hercules
KPKitchen Police: cleaning, serving, food preparation (e.g. cracking eggs, peeling potatoes, but not cooking) duty in the mess hall
kTkiloTon. Measures the explosive power of nuclear bombs as the equivalent thousands of tons of conventional explosive
LCTLaunch Control Trailer
LOPARLow-Power Acquisition Radar
Mermite containersThermally insulated containers usually used to keep food hot or cold.
mess halldining room
MOSMilitary Occupational Specialty: A code used to identify a specific job
mslmissile
MTOEsee: TOE
MTRMissile Tracking Radar
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
NBCNuclear, Biological, Chemical
NCONon-Commissioned Officer
NORADNorth American Air Defense Command
NPSNational Park Service
nukeNuclear explosive (usually in reference to missile warheads)
OD or OOD

(from Wikipedia) The officer of the day (OOD) is a detail rotated each day among the unit/post's commissioned officers and/or warrant officers. The OOD oversees security, guard, and law enforcement considerations as well as conducts inspections of dining facilities. Even if the officer has never served as aMP or is not qualified to serve as a provost marshal, all officer basic training courses include the training necessary to perform this duty. Specialist officers such as dentists, physicians, and lawyers have their own Officers of the Day who are responsible for carrying out the various missions of their respective specialties after the duty day is over. The dental officer of the day is called the DOD; the medical officer of the day is called the MOD.

ORIOperational Readiness Inspection
OTOEsee: TOE
P1 and P2Propay or Proficiency Pay (from RL "Butch" Ball)
POVPersonally Owned Vehicle
PPIPlan Position Indicator
PXPost Exchange (a department store for military personel)
RBSRadar Bombing Scoring
RCATRemote Controlled Aerial Target
SACStrategic Air Command
SAGESemiautomatic Ground Environment
SAMSurface-to-air missile
SFC Sergeant First Class
SgtSergeant
SNAPShort Notice Annual Practice
SOPStandard Operating Procedure
TDAsee: TOE
TOE or TO&E

(From Wikipedia) In the U.S. Army, there are four basic types of TOEs:

  • The Base Table of Organization and Equipment (BTOE)
    • An organizational design document based on current doctrine and available equipment. It shows the basics of a unit's structure and their wartime requirements (both for personnel and equipment).
  • The Objective table of organization and equipment (OTOE)
    • An updated form of the BTOE, usually formed within the last year. It is a fully modern document and is up to date with current policies and initiatives.
  • A Modification table of organization and equipment (MTOE)
    • A document that modifies a Basic TOE (BTOE) in regard to a specific unit. Used when a unit's needs are substantially different from the BTOE.
  • A Table of distribution and allowances (TDA)
    • A type of temporary TOE that is applicable to a specific mission. Used in an instance when there is no applicable TOE.

Each TOE has a unique number that identifies it. When changes are needed, a table is not modified, instead, a new table is drafted from scratch.

TPITechnical Proficiency Inspections
TRRTarget Ranging Radar
TTRTarget Tracking Radar
UHFUltrahigh Frequency
USAADSUnited States Army Air Defense School
VHFVery High Frequency
WSMRWhite Sands Missile Range (New Mexico, USA)