squirter n.— «The two platoons burst out of their Humvees to the side of a four-story building in the Abu Saif neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday. One squad sprinted to the back to catch any “squirters,” as the soldiers call fleeing...
ratpack n.— «It is a helicopter ride away from a military hospital, food comes from 24-hour ration packs, known to soldiers as ratpacks or compo and far from fresh, and the water is almost exclusively for drinking and cooking.» —“‘I...
compo n.— «It is a helicopter ride away from a military hospital, food comes from 24-hour ration packs, known to soldiers as ratpacks or compo and far from fresh, and the water is almost exclusively for drinking and cooking.» —“‘I...
speed bump n.— «So he began looking down a series of alleys perpendicular to a main road. Turning down one of them, his driver struck a roadway bomb, the kind soldiers call “speed bumps” or “stop-and drop” bombs because they’re laid down...
shock and hee-haw n.— «The surge really has accomplished a reduction in the violence, and things are safer. But convoys are still being hit by the IEDs and the vehicle-borne IEDs. They’re even putting explosive devices under satchels on...
dental casualty n.— «“In Desert Storm there were 35,000 dental casualties,” military parlance for soldiers who could not perform their duties because of problems with their teeth.» —“N.J. units prepare for active duty in...