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Table of Contents |
Document Information |
Download Instructions |
| ABN | airborne |
| acclimatization | the physiological changes that allow the body to adapt or get used to the effects of a new environment, especially low oxygen saturation at higher elevations |
| ACE | armored combat earthmover |
| acetazolamide | a pharmaceutical drug used to accelerate acclimatization |
| ADA | air defense artillery |
| ADAM | area denial artillery munitions |
| AH-64 | attack helicopter also called the Apache |
| aid | in mountaineering, a climbing device, such as pitons, bolts, chocks, and stirrups, used for body support and upward progress; also used for artificial height in the absence of handholds and footholds |
| ALOC | air lines of communications |
| AM | amplitude modulation |
| ambient temperature | encompassing atmosphere |
| AMS | acute mountain sickness |
| anchor | a secure point (natural or artificial) to which a person or rope can be safely attached |
| aneroid | using no liquid |
| ANZAC | Australia and New Zealand Corps |
| AO | area of operations |
| apnea | temporary suspension of respiration |
| ARSOF | Army special operations forces |
| ART | Army tactical task |
| ARTEP | Army training and evaluation program |
| assault climber | military mountaineer possessing advanced (Level 2) skills, capable of leading small teams over class 4 and 5 terrain and supervising rigging/operation of all basic rope systems |
| AT4 | a man-portable, lightweight, self-contained, antiarmor weapon |
| ATGM | anti-tank guided missile |
| basic mountaineer | a military mountaineer trained in fundamental (Level 1) travel/climbing skills necessary to move safely and efficiently in mountainous terrain |
| belay | a rope management technique used to ensure that a fall taken by a climber can be quickly arrested; belay techniques are also used for additional safety/control in rappelling, raising and lowering systems, and for mountain stream crossings |
| BFV | Bradley fighting vehicle |
| BSFV | Bradley Stinger fighting vehicle |
| BN | battalion |
| C2 | command and control |
| CAFAD | combined arms for air defense |
| CFV | cavalry fighting vehicle |
| CHS | combat health support |
| CNR | combat net radio |
| continental climate | bitterly cold winters, extremely hot summers; annual rain and snowfall is minimal and often quite scarce for long periods |
| cordillera | principal mountain ranges of the world, named after the Spanish word for rope |
| crampons | climbing irons, attached to the bottom of boots, used on ice or snow in mountaineering |
| crevice | a narrow opening resulting from a split or crack as in a cliff |
| CS | combat support |
| CSS | combat service support |
| DA | Department of the Army |
| defile | a narrow passage or gorge |
| DPICM | dual-purpose improved conventional munition |
| DZ | drop zone |
| ECWCS | extended cold weather clothing system |
| edema | a local or general condition in which the body tissues contain an excessive amount of tissue fluid |
| evacuation team | a team trained to move casualties over steep slopes, cliffs, and other obstacles that would significantly impede the mobility of standard litter bearers |
| EW | electronic warfare |
| F | Fahrenheit |
| FARP | forward arming and refueling point |
| FASCAM | family of scatterable mines |
| FEBA | forward edge of the battle area |
| fixed alpine path | a mountain path created by any combination of aids, to include steps, stanchions, standoff ladders, suspended walkways, cableways, or other improvements made of materials available; normally an engineering task. |
| fixed rope | a rope, or series of ropes, anchored to the mountain at one or more points to aid soldiers over steep, exposed terrain; usually installed by lead climbing teams (normally Level 2 qualification) |
| flash defilade | to arrange fortifications to protect from fire |
| FM | field manual; frequency modulation |
| FSMC | forward support medical company |
| FOX system | a lightly-armored, wheeled laboratory that takes air, water, and ground samples and immediately analyzes them for signs of weapons of mass destruction |
| gabion | a wicker basket filled with earth and stones often use in building fortifications; can also be created out of similar materials, such as wire mesh/fence, lumber, plywood, or any suitable material that forms a stackable container for rocks, gravel, and soil |
| giardiasis | parasitical illness |
| glaciated | covered with glacial ice |
| GPS | global positioning system |
| GTA | graphic training aid |
| guide | a soldier experienced in all aspects of mountaineering who has the skills and knowledge to identify obstacles and ways to overcome them; commander's advisor on technical mountaineering matters that could affect the tactical scheme of maneuver; primary function of mountain leaders (Level 3 qualification) |
| HACE | high altitude cerebral edema |
| HAPE | high altitude pulmonary edema |
| HE | high explosives |
| Hellfire | tank-killing missile carried by the Apache attack helicopter |
| high mountains | mountains that have a local relief usually exceeding 900 meters (3,000 feet) |
| HUMINT | human intelligence |
| HWY | highway |
| hygrometer | an instrument used to measure humidity or moisture content in the air |
| hypoxia | a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body |
| ice fog trails | steam/smoke trails created by firing weapons |
| ID | infantry division |
| IFV | infantry fighting vehicle |
| IHFR | improved high frequency radio |
| IMINT | imagery intelligence |
| installation team | a team organized to construct and maintain rope installations used to facilitate unit movement; usually comprised of Level 1 and 2 mountaineers |
| interdiction | to stop or hamper |
| ionospheric | a part of the earth’s atmosphere of which ionization of atmospheric gases affects the propagation of radio waves; starts at about 30 miles above ground |
| IPB | intelligence preparation of the battlefield |
| IV | intravenous |
| JSTARS | joint surveillance, target attack radar system |
| km | kilometer |
| lead climbing team | a roped climbing team (usually Level 2 qualification) trained to lead on class 4 and 5 terrain; establishes/prepares the entire route for the remainder of the unit |
| leeward | the side sheltered from the wind |
| lenticular | having the shape of a double-convex lens |
| LOC | line of communication |
| local relief | the difference in elevation between valley floors and the surrounding summits |
| look-down angles | the angle from the aircraft to the target |
| low mountains | mountains that have a local relief of 300 to 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000 feet) |
| LPT | logistics preparation of the theater |
| LRS | long-range surveillance |
| LRSU | long-range surveillance unit |
| LSDIS | light and special division interim sensor |
| LTC | lieutenant colonel |
| LZ | landing zone |
| MANPADS | man-portable air defense system |
| maritime climate | mild temperatures with large amounts of rain or snow |
| MBA | main battle area |
| METT-TC | mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, civil considerations |
| MK-19 | 40-mm grenade machine gun, MOD 3 |
| MOPP | mission-oriented protective posture |
| motti | Finnish word meaning "a pile of logs ready to be sawed into lumber"; used in military terms to describe setting the conditions so a larger force can be defeated in detail |
| mountain leader | a military mountaineer possessing the highest level (Level 3) of mountaineering skills with extensive experience in a variety of mountain environments in both winter and summer months |
| MSE | mobile subscriber equipment |
| MSRT | mobile subscriber radio terminal |
| MTF | manual terrain following |
| NBC | nuclear, biological, and chemical |
| OCOKA | observation and fields of fire, cover and concealment, obstacles, key terrain, and avenues of approach |
| OH-58D | a scout and attack helicopter known as the Kiowa Warrior |
| OP | observation post |
| OPORD | operation order |
| OPSEC | operations security |
| OR | operational readiness |
| orographic | pertaining to the physical geography of mountains and mountain ranges |
| PADS | Position Azimuth Determining System |
| POL | petroleum, oils, and lubricants |
| protection | in mountaineering, special anchor points established during a roped party climb to limit potential fall distances, protecting climbers from severe fall/ground-fall consequences |
| PSYOP | psychological operations |
| RAAMS | remote antiarmor mine system |
| rappel | method of controlled frictional descent down a rope |
| RCW | ration, cold weather |
| rockfall | rockfall occurs on all steep slopes. It is caused by other climbers or by the continual erosion of the rock on a mountainside resulting from freezing, thawing, and heavy rain; grazing animals; or enemy action. |
| SATCOM | satellite communications |
| scree | small unconsolidated rocks or gravel, fist-size or smaller, located mostly below rock ridges and cliffs |
| screening crest | a hill or ridge located in front of a radar set to mask it from unwanted returns (clutter) at close range, and to provide security against electronic detection or jamming; screening crest also prevents visual observation and attack by direct fires |
| SEE | small emplacement excavator |
| SHELREP | shelling report |
| SHORAD | short-range air defense |
| SINCGARS | Single-channel Ground and Airborne Radio System |
| SOF | special operations forces |
| squall | a sudden, violent wind |
| SR | special reconnaissance |
| talus | accumulated rock debris that is much larger than scree, usually basketball-size or larger |
| TBP | to be published |
| TC | training circular |
| TCF | tactical combat force |
| TCP | traffic control point |
| temperature inversion | when the temperature is warmer at higher elevations than lower elevations |
| TM | technical manual |
| TOC | tactical operations center |
| TOW | tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided, heavy antitank missile system |
| TRADOC | United States Army Training and Doctrine Command |
| tundra | treeless, black, mucky soil with permanently frozen subsoil; located in mountainous regions above the timberline |
| tussocks | grassy clumps |
| UAV | unmanned aerial vehicle |
| UGR | unitized group ration |
| UHF | ultrahigh frequency |
| Venturi effect | as a fluid (such as air) flows through a constriction (like a mountain pass), the speed increases and the pressure drops |
| VFR | visual flight rules |
| VT | variable time |
| wind chill | the rate at which a man or object cools to the ambient temperature; wind increases the rate of cooling and adds to the risk of frostbite, hypothermia, and other cold-weather injuries |
| windward | being in or facing the direction from which the wind is blowing |
| WP | white phosphorous |