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Say What You Will, Coalition Slang is Not Just Alphabet Soup

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030402-13
Release Date: 4/2/2003 7:20:00 PM

By Chief Journalist (SW) Douglas H. Stutz, Combined Forces Air Command Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA (NNS) -- Ask a British military person what football means and the retort will be that it refers to soccer. Ask a similar question to an Australian military person, and the answer will most probably be rugby. An American asked that question would probably inquire if you mean college or the NFL.

But on a desert air base located on the Arabian Peninsula, the word football takes on a completely different meaning in the Combined Air Operation Center (CACO). Football refers to the overall plan of the current Air Tasking Order (ATO) that is being coordinated and implemented. Huh? Welcome to the high-tech lexicon of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As any amateur wordsmith, practiced linguist or devotee of crossword puzzles knows, military terminology has always seemed like hieroglyphics, which is only befitting, because that specific word means 'difficult to decipher.' Every branch of the military has long had its own slang, from antonym and oxymoron, to acronym and synonym. During the current campaign, that still holds very true.

There are incredible amounts of information that are communicated around the clock in support of the air campaign against the regime of Saddam Hussein. The information that flows into the CAOC is nothing short of staggering. Officials estimate that the available data roughly equates to what is required for up to 30 entire carrier battle groups (almost 300 naval vessels). Under the guidance of Combined Forces Air Component Commander, Lt. Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley, that information drives the air campaign. But the information is only good if understood. Uncertain interpretations are not needed in the middle of war.

"Those of us who have not been in a joint or coalition environment before might have some confusion initially, but that goes away quickly by just talking," said Cmdr. Ken Sours, forward-deployed from Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas. Sours is currently handling the duties as the football carrier, which is a position akin to an offensive coordinator who has diagramed and designed a particular set of plays for a specific day. Sours has worked in joint and coalition environments before, from such diverse locales as Louisiana to Korea. He has heard the slang, exchanged the jargon, with other militaries. Still, there are noticeable differences, even if subtle.

"One big difference is between the Army and Navy," Sours related. "The Army is much more multifaceted and has much more moving parts. Information from them is incredibly complex, down to the last detail. When planning the ATO, they give me all I truly need and more to know where and when they need air support."

"I also think the Army just might have acronyms for everything," Sours quipped.

According to Staff Sgt. John Campbell, Army personnel non-commissioned officer in charge, the classic Army slang is just one word - "Hoah."

"Hoah keeps it simple," said Campbell. "It is a method for Army people to bring esprit de corps and camaraderie into our conversation."

Hoah has a multitude of uses; what to say when at a loss for words; good copy, solid copy; message received and understood; I don't know the answer but I'll check; I'm not listening; and Amen.

"Precise communications is a huge factor for us in the Targeting world," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Douglas Frickey, Time Sensitive Targeting non-commission officer, forward-deployed from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). "When dealing with critical information, we clarify everything and leave nothing to chance. Our British counterparts use the same jargon as we do on our job, so there's no trouble understanding each other. Off the job though, the British do have some very different phrases than Americans for describing something or someone."

Generational and regional differences aside, U.S. servicemembers for the most part can understand one another, and seem to have no trouble with coalition allies either. Although sometimes, it's the Americans who need to slowly repeat what they just said.

"Sometimes, American jargon is definitely not easily decipherable," mentioned Royal Air Force Flt. Lt. Ros Ewer. "It does take time to understand all the TLAs (three letter abbreviations). When a Brit speaks to Americans, it sometimes feels like we are speaking a foreign language. And by the way, we don't call football soccer, you do!"

The differences that do exist are minor. They are even a unique part of the coalition experience. Ask an airman what a boomer is and the answer will most probably be an operator of a boom on a tanker refueling aircraft. Ask a similar question to a Sailor, and the response will be that it refers to a ballistic missile submarine. Ask that same Sailor what mud refers to, and the answer might very well be it is a slang term for mess decks coffee. Ask a soldier the same question, and that soldier might very well reply it's something that Iraqi sand turns into after a rain.

The consensus among servicemembers is that the quirky jargon and unique terminology that each service culture brings to the coalition campaign is a positive addition. Especially when it involves some sort of football.