Oscar Mike to the glossary. Copy that.
Attacking an enemy's computer networks and digital infrastructure instead of their physical stuff. It's warfare for the internet age, featuring nation-states committing what would otherwise be serious felonies.
The military capability to match or exceed an opponent's use of force at every level, from conventional warfare up to nuclear. It's strategic superiority at all degrees.
An arrangement of soldiers in close formation with overlapping shields, or more modernly, a ship-based defensive system that's basically automated paranoia. Originally ancient Greek military formation.
Using unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver missiles at targets, combining the distance of aerospace with the precision of modern targeting systems. It's what air strikes look like in the 2000s.
A reinforced, often underground facility designed to survive attacks and house military leadership during conflicts. It's basically a really expensive bunker for generals.
An identifying armband or badge worn on the upper arm to display affiliation, rank, or purpose—think ARP wardens in WWII or modern security personnel badges.
Digging in so deep that the enemy has to physically remove you, both literally and figuratively. A defensive position that's fortified and reinforced for long-term resistance.
The military art of parking people in specific places so they're ready to do military things on command. Basically, organized waiting with a purpose. Example: The stationing of troops along the border was a show of force.
Military terminology for 'we're retreating,' but it sounds much more strategic when you call it a tactical withdrawal. The military's most optimistic way to describe running away.
Analyzing international relations through the lens of military capability and territorial interest. It's politics with guns, or is it guns with politics?
A retreat that sounds classy and planned, as opposed to just running away from losing because that's what it definitely is.
The process of evaluating whether something is likely to kill you before you kill it. Critical military thinking, though the results are frequently wrong.
Destroying important infrastructure instead of just killing soldiers. It's genocide with better intentions.
An area absolutely full of military targets—basically a military shopping mall where destruction is the purchase.
Removing classified information from documents before public release—essentially redacting classified stuff so aggressively that nothing interesting remains.
An acronym too good to explain here that means a tactical situation has progressed beyond 'concerning' into 'we might need a drink' territory. Officially stands for 'Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition.'
A nuclear weapon designed for battlefield use with smaller yield than strategic nuclear weapons. It's supposed to be 'limited' in scope, which is a horrifying concept when applied to weapons of mass destruction.
Temporarily halting military operations to regroup, resupply, or avoid making things worse—the military's version of calling timeout.
Post-operation analysis of what happened, what went wrong, and what we'll definitely forget before the next operation.
A counterinsurgency strategy of winning over civilian populations through benevolence rather than bullets—theoretically sound, historically difficult.
When a soldier or diplomat embedded with a foreign group adopts their customs, language, and allegiances—basically cultural assimilation with security clearance concerns.
A concise summary of current military situation—basically a status update, but significantly more likely to involve explosions.
A 21,600-pound conventional bomb that's basically the military's way of saying 'we hope we don't have to use this, but we definitely can.'
When trained local forces (green) turn their weapons on allied forces (blue)—the military's worst trust exercise.