Mogas: The military name for unleaded. Because everything in the Army needs its own name. Also good for making napalm or burning "FUCK YOU" into the 1K Zone.

MOS: Military Occupational Specialty, basically the job a soldier was assigned. Each MOS performed different functions, although all MOS's were trained in basic combat. Yours is full of psychopaths that managed to survive, is always understrength, and nobody believes it's a real MOS.

MRE: Meal Ready to Eat/Meals Rejected by Ethopians. A brown plastic envelope containing a meal, crackers, a desert, and candy. Provides enough calories, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to allow a soldier to survive on one a day. Usually considered unpalatable due to the bad taste and poor selection. Everyone fought over the ham slices, and nobody but you likes the dehydrated beef or pork patty. Because you are a freak.

Motorpool: The area where the vehicles were kept, usually in neat rows by vehicle type and by number. The motorpool also contains mechanic's bays where minor work can be done on vehicles. Most minor work was done by those assigned to the vehicles, while more complicated jobs were performed by motorpool staff. 2/19th was denied the use of higher level repair facilities, usually referred to as "Third Shop", so mechanics were tasked with all repairs of vehicles, including a complete engine, transmission, or power train rebuild. If you're not at Atlas, you're here fixing your vehicles, smoking cigarettes, or sleeping under your truck.

MP: Military Police, usually known as those assholes busting up the best fights and/or parties, or those cool guys who give you a ride when you're stumbling home drunk.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a multi-national organization charged with the collective defense of member states. You don't really care.

NBC: Nuclear/Biological/Chemical. Weapons of mass destruction. These are what you live for, but pray you don't use. People protest them, but they seem pretty harmless in the bunker. Oh, wait, they'll kill you if they get the chance. Oh well, so will everything else. You aren't leaving here alive anyway.

NCO: Non-Commission Officer: Ranks E-5 and above, considered upper enlisted rather than actual officers. He's convinced the enlisted are lazy and stupid. The enlisted are convinced that the NCO is stupid and lazy. Both are right, but for different reasons.

NCOIC: Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge. He's usually a dick. Oh, wait, at Atlas, it's you.

Nihilistic: A realist. You aren't going to live to get out of here.

NVG's: Night Vision Goggles, usually monocular, with everything behind shown as green. NVG-7's, offering stereoscopic vision, had been issued to some units by 1985, but not many. Early runs gave people headaches, and in some cases, seizures. A common prank was to flash a camera in front of early versions and laugh as the wearer screamed in pain. Then you kick them in the balls and run off. Why? Because they'd do it you.

Orderly Room: Where the clerks who managed the paperwork, as well as the CO and 1SG office, were located. The place most fantasized about being lit on fire.

PAC Clerk: AKA Orderly Room Clerk, AKA That Jackass Who Lost Your Paperwork. Soldiers responsible for the entire unit's paperwork, from leave requests to morning reports to unit strength, and everything in between. Orderly Room staffs were often undermanned, but often contained at least one mean spirited individual who deliberately slowed or lost paperwork, giving all PAC Clerks a bad name. The only thing commonly thought to be more lazy and stupid than a PAC Clerk was a tanker.

Paranoia: No such thing. They're really out to get you. Ivan is listening. The KGB are watching. Your phone is tapped. Your mail is read. LT Simms was gunned down with two in the chest and one in the head and his keycards stolen but over $500 left behind. SSG Bates was found with his throat slit in his car on his way to his site and his keys, keycards, and little green notebook missing. You're next.

PCS: Permanent Change of Station, reassignment to another unit or post. Considered a myth by most of 2/19th.

PFC: Private First Class, E-3. Usually convinced he's better than everyone else below him and a suckup toward everyone above him in hopes of getting that E-4 rank. Being thrown down a flight of stairs might make him into a real soldier. Or kill him. You don't really care.

Piker: Usually referring to someone who thinks he's God's gift to whatever, but isn't. Nobody is sure who came up with it, but it's a 2/19th reference. Most pikers are privates, but some spectacular ones have been officers. You found out that throwing them down the stairs a few times usually straightens them out.

PLDC: Primary Leadership Development Course. A several weeks course designed to train enlisted to be NCO's. In order to be promoted to E-5, all E-4's had to attend PLDC. Due to limited slots, PLDC was a highly coveted training course, and could delay an E-4's promotion to E-5 for up to a year unless the unit promoted the soldier due to "mission essential status".

Pogey Bait: Basically snacks, candy, porn mags, stuff like that. You don't need it in the field, but it sure makes life nicer. You usually stash some in your go-kit or in your ruck, or behind the seat of the Gypsy Wagon, or in the Growler's driver side toolbox, or out at Atlas, or in Bomber's ruck. You like peach rings best. Everyone does it, it's one of your few joys in life.

POS: Piece of Shit. Basically, all of the equipment in the Army, and 2/19th in particular. Not only is it made by the lowest bidder, who cut every corner they could, 2/19th got the crap nobody else wanted, which means your rifle was a rifle that nobody else wanted. And people wonder why you feel like your own equipment is out to kill you. It also applies to people, like that goddamn orderly room clerk who keeps losing your leave request.

PV2: Private Second Class, Private, E-2. A little more pay, still expendable. Still, now he's basically worth learning his name. Maybe.

PVT: Private, E-1. Nobody wants to be this guy. AKA Expendable. You really don't care that much. He might have a name, but so do other people's pet rocks.

QASI: Quality Assurance, Site Inspection: The group of officers and upper NCO's who inspected ammunition sites to make sure everything was in compliance, compute net explosive weight to ensure that the bunkers were not a safety hazard, and inspected outgoing ammunition shipments to ensure that the ammunition was being shipped safely. Everyone hates these guys.

QRF: Quick Reaction Force: A small team whose job is to wait in case of any hostile aggression toward the unit. Usually only used during war-time or during exercises, 2/19th was required to have a peacetime QRF in order to protect the company in case of an early strike against the unit by the Soviet Union. Usually found smoking cigarettes, pumping iron, and sleeping while everyone else is working. Everyone hates these guys, and secretly wants to be them. They secretly hate this job and will often "accidentally" fail their next weapon qualification.

Rear-D: Rear detachment. The small group of soldiers left behind at the company area while the majority of the unit is deployed. Supposedly used in 2/19th during the winter to supposedly ensure that the vehicles and barracks were undamaged by the extreme weather. By the second year, looked at as a death sentence by the members of 2/19th.

Red Card: A red plastic rectangle about four inches wide, eight inches long, and a ½ inch thick. It has a groove down the middle so you can snap it in half and open it to get at the paper card inside. These usually hold nuclear arming codes, the code to the War Fighter Tunnels, and probably who shot JFK. A secure item that you're supposed to keep track of but threw in the back of your desk drawer. You'll be dead before you can open it

REFORGER: REturn of FORces to GERmany. The largest field exercise held yearly to simulate NATO holding off the Soviet Union long enough for reinforcements from the US and other nations to come to the rescue. Looked at as a pain in the ass by the enlisted, the NCO's, the officers, and everyone else who wasn't a politician or General.

REMF: Rear Echelon Mother Fucker, referring to someone with a desk job or a job that keeps them well away from the front. REMF's often look down on those who have non-clerical jobs or field duty and in return are despised by line-slime.

ROTC: Reserve Officer's Training Course. A program through which college students could pay for their education through agreeing to enter the military as an officer. Usually viewed as being completely unaware of how the military actually works when they first leave ROTC and enter a unit. The term "Rot-See" is usually derogatory. Not even other ROTC like these guys.

S-2: Unit Security, usually in charge of secure documents, Military Intelligence briefings, and unit secure items. This guy and his minions can ruin your life by triggering another round of security clearance sweeps, another background check, suspending your clearance, or ordering an early psych-eval. Usually staffed by hellspawn in human form, sociopaths, and sadists. They don't see people when they look at you, they see body count. You're looking for a chance to shoot them before you get killed. Both of you will be killed by the Russians before you can off the other one.

Sergeant of the Guard: The NCOIC of the guard force, if any, that the unit has out. He sits in the tent with the radio, drinking coffee, while everyone else freezes their ass off.

Shammer: Someone who comes up with all kinds excuses to get out of work. More than usual. You usually wait till you get these assholes out to Atlas and beat a work ethic into them.

Short: Referring to less than a year before PCS or ETS. Those with less than a hundred days were often referred to as "double digit midgets". Considered a death sentence in wartime. Everyone hated them who wasn't short. Almost certain death in 2/19th.

Shiner: A brand new 1st Lieutenant. Named so because they were constantly shining their brand new rank. Usually a sadist. He's convinced you're too stupid to pour piss out of a boot. You're convinced he's trying to murder you to get medals. Even the butterbars hate him.

SF: Short for Special Forces, AKA snake eaters. Used often as a catch-all to refer to Rangers, SEALs, Recon, and Air Force Commando. At first these guys seemed like assholes, now you like them and they like you. They understand, even if they think your job makes you a psychopath. Oh, you train them to survive on the nuclear battlefield. Hint: They won't. You will.

SFC: Sergeant First Class, an E-7. He's probably in charge of the platoon. He's the one with the bright ideas that are probably going to get you killed. He either is eyeing a promotion or just wants to finish his time in the military. Either way, he doesn't give a fuck about you. You just ignore him unless he's, like, right in front of you.

SGT: Sergeant, an E-5. It might take them several months to adapt to their lobotomy after their promotion to E-5. He hates everyone above him and below him, and is blamed for the screw-ups of both sides. He's probably a drunk. You look forward to being one too.

Snake: What the special forces dwonks call each other to sound cool. It doesn't.

Snake Eater: Derogatory term for special operations soldiers, mainly because of the rumor that they eat snakes in training. You can't teach these guys anything because their heads are a solid mass of bone. They want you to be one, but you just laugh at them. You'll pass on the required lobotomy.

Softcap: A straight side, flat topped, curved bill hat with ear flaps that can be folded down in cold weather. Yours has been run over by trucks, jammed in back pockets, and slept in.

SOG: Special Operations Group AKA SOCOM (Special Operations COMmand). What the snake-eaters belong to. They think it makes them special and all classified and shit. You know it's nothing but a collection of bone headed idiots who are lucky they don't put VX up their nose or lick nuclear rounds. Familiarity breeds contempt, and you're very familiar with SOG and the uniformed chimps that make it up.

SOP: Standard Operating Procedure. Usually the most complicated and fucked up way of doing something. You usually ignore it and just get shit done.

Soviet Union: Russia and its satellite nations. Came into power after World War Two. You care about as much about them as you do about NATO and the DoD. After all, if they want to kill you, they better get in line.

Specialist: non-combat MOS rank. E4-E-7 were listed as Specialist-# or Spec-E, with E-8 being a Master Sergeant. E-4's were often listed as SPC. Specialists who put in leadership positions were usually laterally promoted to the NCO rank of the same Enlisted Grade. Specialist hate NCO's, and vice versa. If you should be a specialist but have been laterally promoted, everyone hates you. That's OK, you hate them more.

Spetsnaz: Soviet Union snake eaters. Probably as dumb and gung-ho as your side's are. These guys can supposedly walk through walls and all kinds of crap. You don't care, they'll die from VX just like everyone else. Choke on that, "snake."

SSG: Staff Sergeant, an E-6. He's realized that he's somehow gotten trapped in his worst nightmare. If he tries to get away, he'll be sent to Asshole, Alaska, if he stays, he's a fucking dead man. He's got wild eyes and one hand always near his weapon. You kind of like him.

Stateside: AKA The World. The United States of America. You hate everyone who lives there because you aren't there.

TA-50: A soldier's equipment. From his LBE to his helmet, to his flak vest, to his rucksack, TA-50 encompassed all of the soldier's equipment outside of his rifle, uniform, and boots. Considered one of the most important things, usually to the point that the soldier was just considered something to carry the TA-50 and weapons into battle. All of it made by the lowest bidder, and stacked on to you by geniuses who figured out just how much soldiers can carry into battle. Note: None of them are in shape enough to walk down a flight of stairs without chest pains, so to compensate they load you up with enough gear to crush a horse.

TDY: Temporary DutY assignment, an official assignment that puts a soldier into another unit to temporarily fill at TO&E slot or for training. Used by 2/19th to hide the fact that 2/19th was the originating unit. TDY was known to screw up pay, promotions, awards, and your life in general. But hey, it paid an extra $79/month!

Training Accident: Usually what kills people during peace-time. Everything from falling off a truck to being in a helicopter crash to being run over by a drunken officer. In 2/19th you'll be killed by some Soviet asshole and it'll be called a "training accident" for your parents and the public. You guess morticians need training too?

TO&E: Table of Equipment and Organization. The list of how much and what kind of equipment a unit required, as well as the number and types of MOS's that the soldiers within the unit should be made up of. The TO&E also listed the minimum and maximum size of the unit, as well as how the ranks were arranged and how the company was made up. Often referred to as why people who didn't belong in the Army were retained even though everyone hated them, they sucked at their job, and were dumber than a C-DAT. It was all about numbers.

USAREAR: US Army Europe, high command of all US forces stationed in Western Europe. These assholes are why you are here.

Wall Locker: Often an upright lockable cabinet. Used to hold uniforms, TA-50, and civilian clothing and allow the soldier to lock it to prevent theft. In 2/19th the lockers were built into the walls, creating a short, narrow hallway that led into the main room. No matter how neat you make them, something always falls out and hits you in the face during inspection. You suspect a monkey may be hiding in there. It's probably plotting to kill you. Kill it first. With fire.

War stocks: Equipment stored for use if and when war ever occurred. The theory behind the war-stock was that it was better to have full replacements for every soldier's gear than run the risk of their everyday gear having become damaged during training and everyday use. You won't live long enough to use it.

War Fighter Tunnels: An underground complex designed to withstand a near nuclear hit, as well as allow survivors to coordinate the war effort against the Soviet Union. There's one under the 2/19th barracks as well as Atlas. They won't work, and you'll just make burial easy.

Wildflicken: One of the most feared training posts in Western Germany. Nobody wanted to be there, and people who said they did, or said they enjoyed their time there, had Stockholm Syndrome and/or were liars. The place was a hole that had the nickname "Top of the Rock."

WINTEX: WINTer EXercizes, when units go to the field for training to ensure they can fight during the winter. Viewed as a serious pain in the ass by the enlisted, who usually spend the month freezing while the officers and upper NCO's being rated stay in heated tents. You will get frostbite, and you will get bitched at by those assholes in the heated tents for getting it.

XO: eXecutive Officer, the second highest ranking officer in the unit. Often the S-2 OIC. He hates with the burning passion of a 1,000 suns. You hate him so bad you can taste it in your balls. Yes, even if you're a woman.