Thursday, February 12, 2009

Codewords

There are many military terms used in Sunrise over Fallujah. Here are some good to know terms:

AK-47: The first true automatic assault rifle. It is made in Russia and is one of the terrorists favorite weapons.

Al-Qaeda: An international terrorist organization whose goals are to get rid of foreign influences in Islamic countries and establish a world order based on strict, fundamentalist Islamic laws. Al-Qaeda was founded in 1989 by Osama bin Laden.

Detonator: A device used to trigger an explosive

Fedayeen: A group of guerrilla fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein.

Final Roll Call: A military ritual in the memorial services for slain personnel.

HMMWV: A hybrid vehicle, outfitted for a number of different military purposes, with a top speed of 80 mph; commonly called a Humvee.

IED: An improvised Explosive Device.

Insurgents: People fighting in armed revolt against a civil, military, or political authority.

Kevlar: A dense material that resists penetration by bullets and can be woven into many forms. US troops wear Kevlar vests with ceramic front plates inserted into specially designed pockets. The US military helmet is also made of Kevlar.

KIA: Killed In Action.

M-16: The standard infantry rifle of the US Army.

Medevac: The abbreviation for medical evacuation, the process by which wounded soldiers are quickly moved by helicopters or ground vehicles to hospital centers.

Molle: Moduler Lightweight Load carrying Equipment. A Molle vest has special webbing and loops that can hold personal armor and upon which other equipment can be fastened.

POW: Prisoner Of War.

Red Crescent: Middle Eastern equivalent of the Red Cross. A white flag with a red crescent moon on it denotes an organization or vehicle that's on an errand of mercy and, according to international treaties, should be immune to attack.

ROE: Rules Of Engagement are established by US military authorities and define when and what kind of force US soldiers can engage in.

RPG: The Rocket Propelled Grenade is a shoulder-fired weapon with an effective range of up to 500 yards. It is favored by Iraqi insurgents because of its light weight.

SAW: Squad Automatic Weapon; a light- or medium-size machine gun.

Up-Armored: The additional armor added as needed to vehicles in the field.

WIA: Wounded In Action.

WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction.

These terms were taken from the back of Sunrise Over Fallujah.

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