ground-owner n.— «During the war in Iraq, young Army and Marine captains have become American viceroys, officers with large sectors to run and near-autonomy to do it. In military parlance, they are the “ground-owners.” In practice, they are power...
acoustic ranching n.— «Researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole hope to prove fish can be trained to associate certain sounds with feeding, by putting thousands of black sea bass in a dome-shaped structure at the bottom of...
shoot and scoot mission n.— «It’s a well known Taliban tactic to use what the Marines call “Dickers” (spotters) to monitor their patrols and choose if and when to attack, usually in very short burst of what the commandos call “shoot and scoot”...
dicker n.— Note: Related to dick ‘to watch or to keep under surveillance.’ «It’s a well known Taliban tactic to use what the Marines call “Dickers” (spotters) to monitor their patrols and choose if and when to attack, usually in very short burst of...
helicopter engagement n.— «Later Rasheed, dressed in a floor-length black overcoat, held three town meetings where Haditha residents begged for help from the provincial government, based in Ramadi. The sessions were part of what the Marines call...
flotsamist n.— «Where and when something reaches shore depends mainly on weight, wind, and currents. Experts can study flotsam—driftwood, in particular—that help them understand ocean currents and weather patterns. Nature also provides indicators...