Air Force Slang

A

• A-10: A model of Armoured Ground Attack aircraft used by the USAF
• AA: Anti-Aircraft Weapons used to down aircraft.
• AAA: Anti-Aircraft Artillery. Also "Triple-A" or "flak;" heavy version of the AA gun, often mounted on an armored vehicle.
• AAM: Air-to-Air Missile.
• AANCH: All Afterburner, No Compass Heading. Moving a lot with nothing being accomplished. “The new Lieutenant is All Afterburner with No Compass Heading”. Also: "All Mach, No Vector."
• AB: Afterburner capability; also an acronym for an air base outside of the United States; also an acronym for Airman Basic (E-1).
• ABU: Airman Battle Uniform.
• ACC: Air Combat Command; We gave these guys nukes!?
• ACM: Air Combat Maneuvering.
• AF Form 1: Air Force Form One. Toilet Paper
• AFI: Airmen Fighting Inactivity, a state of government funds being spent wisely while airmen "Await Further Instruction".
• AFE: Aircrew Flight Equipment, the people who keep pilots alive.
• AFMC: Air Force Materiel Command; group of people far removed from the flightline, making rules for the flightline from when they did it in the 70s.
• AGL: Above Ground Level. Measure of a plane's altitude above the terrain it is flying over. In other words, a plane maybe be flying at 1,500 ft. ASL, but be only 500 ft. off the ground.
• AGM: Air-to-Ground Missile.
• AGS: Aircraft Generation Squadron. The crew chiefs and everyone else involved in the day to day business of sortie generation. AKA: Ain’t Generating Shit, Ain’t Got Shit.
• AIM: Air-Intercept Missile.
• AIC: Airman in Charge. Usually a derogatory term for an airman who acts like he is in charge of airmen of equal rank (but has been given no authority by an NCO).
• A1C: Airman First Class (E-3).
• Airman Snuffy: USAF equivalent of the Marines' Private Gomer Pyle. A young enlistedman who is a total idiot.
• Air Off on Two: Usually means shut the fuck up someone is coming.
• Air Warrior: A mock air war supporting the Army, held all the time by the Air Force at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Mostly Air Force assets and another reason to go to Vegas for two weeks to get rolled by the ladies downtown.
• Air Warrior II: Another mock air war supporting the Army, held every now and then by the Air Force at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Again mostly Air Force units are invited to have an opportunity to eat Gator and have a mini Mardi Gras outside the gate.
• ALARM: Air-Launched Anti-Radiation Missile. Missile with active infrared transmitter in nose that homes in on targets emitting radar energy.
• ALL U DID: Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Also known as Camp Care Bear.
• ALPHA FOXTROT UNIFORM AFU = All Fucked Up
• ALS:"At Last Some Time Off" the cry of Maintainers who will be in class for 8 hours a day rather than on the flightline for 12 hours or more. AKA Airman Leadership School.
• AMC: Air Mobility Command, formerly known as the Military Airlift Command. Also known as Alcoholics Moving Cargo.
• AMMO: Munitions Systems specialists. Nicknamed "BB-Stackers", "Ammo Troops" "461s" are notoriously tightknit and perceived, perhaps accurately, as completely crazy compared to the average Air force career field. Ammo troops yell: "IF YOU AIN'T AMMO, YOU AIN'T SHIT!" and believe this to be true. The acronym is "IYAAYAS". The means of death and destruction. (2) Second most likely career field to be discharged due to drugs (1st SFs).
• Amn: Airman (E-2)
• AMRAAM: Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. Missile with active radar transmitter in nose that tracks target, allowing "fire and forget" tactics. (see: Slammer, AIM-120)
• Angels: Altitude in thousands of feet. "Angels ten" indicates 10,000 feet of altitude.
• AoA: Angle of Attack. Aerodynamic angle formed between the chord of an airfoil and the direction of the relative wind.
• AoT: Angle off Tail. Angle between the flight path of an attacker and its target.
• APU: Auxiliary Power Unit not to be confused with an EPU which is a Emergency Power Unit which is utilized on single engine single tail pieces of junk...see "Yard Dart" or F-16.
• Aardvark: The F-111. Also known as the “F-1 a-lemon”. The 111 featured side by side seating so the crew could pass a joint back and forth while hoping the TFR worked. Yes, the 111 had ashtrays. In the “kinder, gentler” Air Force, aircrew are permitted to hold hands.
• AETC: Airmen Evading Tours of Combat. AKA Air ETC(etcetera), AKA Adults Eternally Treated Like Children, AKA The Air Education and Training Command. (see:ATC)
• Aerospace Parking Attendant:The crew chief. (see crew chief and Booger Hooker).
• ASE: Aircraft Survivability Equipment. An aircraft's defensive systems (RWR, jammers, chaff, and flares).
• ASL: Above Sea Level. Aircraft's altitude above sea level (in feet).
• Ass Shot: Infra-Red Homing missile. (See: Fox 2)
• ASTOVL: Advanced Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing. X-32 fighter development program.
• ATC : Air Training Command, Allergic to Combat, American Toy Company. Currently called AETC, Air Education and Training Command.
• ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighter. Group of fighter prototypes that employ state-of-the-art design, materials, avionics, and weaponry to enhance combat performance. Term comes from the original name for the F-22 program. (See: A Toy Fighter).
• A Toy Fighter: Didn’t we just cover this? Pay attention. (See:ATF)
• ATGM: Anti-Tank Guided Missiles. Missiles used against armored ground vehicles; guided by lasers, wires or infrared signals (such as Hellfire and TOW-2). Officers shoot them in the Air Force. Privates shoot them in the Army. Go figure.
• Auditorium Whiplash: A condition experienced by officers (especially pilots) attending Squadron Officer's School (SOS) at Maxwell AFB, when they fall asleep during lectures and their head snaps forward involuntarily. (See: Nine G Head Snaps,Touch and Go's)
• AWACS: Airborne Warning And Control System. Aircraft fitted with long-range radar (the big skunk striped M&M) that provide tactical and target information to air and ground control units. Usually big, slow and extremely high priority, both to defend and to attack.
• Awful AFB: Offutt AFB in Nebraska.

B

• Bag of Balls: A jet always broke, getting canned, or can't fly a single go without a repeat/recur. (see Penguin)
• Bandit: Dogfight adversary positively identified as a bad guy. Hostile aircraft. (see: Gomer).
• Barely Legal: An F/A-18 Hornet.It's only 18...get it? Duh. It gets extremely awkward when Air Force types brag about flying F-15's and F-16's. USAF retort is "The Navy flew F-14's!" (See F-18)
• Barkatraz: Barksdale Air Force Base.
• Barn: A hangar.
• Base-X: The last place you were stationed; and it was ALWAYS better than where you are now.
• BASH: Big Ass Speed Handle, also known as a 1/2-inch drive tool. Used for loading aircraft gun systems and giving impromptu facial reconstruction to armament troops. Also Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard.
• BB Stackers: SEE: AMMO. The nemesis of the "Load Toads" (AKA Armament troops)
• Beak-to-beak: Head on pass with another aircraft.
• BFH: Big Fucking Hammer. Usually a favorite tool of AMMO troops. A BFH will fix MOST things!
• Bogey: Unidentified aircraft.
• Boards: Speed brakes.
• BARCAP: Barrier Combat Air Patrol. Fighters form a "barrier" to prevent enemy aircraft from entering a designated airspace or approaching a friendly target. Generally set up along most probable corridor of approach, often involves fighter relays.
• Bat-turn: A tight, high-G change of heading. A reference to the rapid 180-degree Batmobile maneuver in the old Batman television series.
• Bear: The Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO), the GIB. Refers to pilot’s opinion that a trained bear can replace the GIB. (See: FUF, BIB). Also the nickname for Russian Bomber, the Tu-95.
• Bentover: RAF Bentwaters. Suffolk, England.
• Big Skunk:The AWACS. The E-3D. Also "The Striped M&M" or "The Big M&M".
• Bingo: 1.Minimum fuel for a comfortable and safe return to base. Aircraft can fly and fight past bingo fuel in combat situations, but at considerable peril. 2. Can also refer to any zero condition. “The Lt. is bingo leadership",or a game played by old people.
• Bitching Betty: The female voice which is the voice warning system on numerous fighters.
• BIB: Bitch in Back, a Female Bear. With the on set of female pilots, there may be a Bitch in Back.. But can also be non gender specific denoted and whiny co-pilot EWO, WSO or Bear.
• Behind the Power Curve: Not keeping up with expectations. Technically, any airspeed less than that for the maximum lift-to-drag ratio, which is that portion of the power curve (a graphical plot of engine power vs. aircraft speed) at which the aircraft requires more power to go slower in steady level flight. “Airman Jones is way behind the power curve.”
• Blind: Unable to see your wing man/leader.
• The Blue Zoo: The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Also known as “Colorado Kool-Aid U” and “The Colorado Home for Wayward Boys”
• BMI: Body Mass Index. A statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height; currently the only standard used for promotion in AFMC. 6 foot 135 lbs = "Normal" on the BMI scale.
• B/N: Bombardier/Navigator. US Navy term for co-pilot operator that handles navigation and targeting operations on bombing missions. The NAVY doesn’t even let them near a control stick.
• BOHICA: Pronouced Bo-he-ca, Stands for "Bend Over Here It Comes Again"
• Bomb Dump: Slang (popular) term for a Munitions Storage Area.
• BONE: Slang for the B-1B Lancer bomber, as in "B-One"
• Booty: Slang for "The Duty" "Weekend Duty" or just "The Booty".
• Booger Hooker: Term used by pointy heads, spark chasers, and puddle jumpers to refer to a crew chief.
• Box Nasty: Term used for the cardboard box holding a submarine sandwich frozen brick-solid, w/frozen Gatorade box. Issued when MRE's are deemed not needed. Note: During initial training, the Oreos are removed.
• Bought the Farm: Died. Originated from the ability of the service members family to "buy the farm" (or their home, etc.) using the proceeds from the government life insurance paid to them after the service member's death.
• Box Office: Formerly known as the Cockpit. Renamed by Female Pilots. (see BIB)
• Bravo Zulu: Atta-boy. Job well done. Not as emphatic as Sierra Hotel.
• BTZ: "Below-the-Zone" - a promotion system for A1Cs who spend time underneath the desk of supervision. Knee pads required per ORM.
• BUFF: Big Ugly Fat Fucker. B-52 Bomber.
• Bus: Any two seat aircraft where the aft seat is not a crewed position ie: F-16D or F-15D. The F-15E is NOT a Bus because you’ve got a Bear back there.
• Bus Driver: Anyone wearing Class A Blue Uniform.
• BVR: Beyond Visual Range. (ie: A BVR Bitch Slap, you didn't see that one coming.).

C

• Cann Bird: Usually the Hangar Queen but it can be any aircraft that has been designated to have parts cannibalized from it.
• CBW: Crash by wire. Cause of most F-16 mishaps. In which the computer controling the Fly by Wire system fails.
• CAP: Combat Air Patrol. Cruising at medium-to-high altitude over a certain area in search of enemy planes.
• Carrier Landings: Drinking game wherein shit faced pilots, GIB’s and the occasional crew chief, would leap unto a greased platform, a table or even better the bar and try to catch the “wire”. The “wire” is a rope or other suitable restraint (I’ve seen ties used). The object is to slide under the wire and “hook” it with uplifted calves. Hint: Ice works pretty good to lube the deck.
• CAS: Close Air Support. Dropping bombs in support of ground troops -- also known as an air strike, MUDCAP.
• CBPO: Consolidated Base Personnel Office; now called MPF. Commissary, BX and Post Office. "I'm going to the CBPO", sounds official but really means your going to goof off during lunch. (Also see OSI)
• Chaff: Strips of metal film released to confuse and reflect signals from radar-guided weapons.
• Charlie Bravo: AKA cock blocking.
• Check Six: Visual observation of the rear quadrant, from which most air-to-air attacks can be expected. Refers to the clock system of scanning the envelope around the aircraft; 12 o’clock is straight ahead, 6 o’clock is directly astern. Also a common salutation and greeting among tactical pilots. Keep an eye on your behind, be careful.
• Chock:The chuck of wood that is placed to keep the jet from rolling away. And obstacle to progress. "Lt Jones is a chock." (see Grinners, Noners and Static Display)
• Crash and Dash: See Also: Touch and Go: When a pilot practices his landings by completing an approach, touching the ground briefly, and then taking back off. Often done while attempting to drive the landing gear through the top of the airplane upon impact with the runway.
• Crew Dog: The crew chief, the person responsible for the day to day condition of the aircraft.(Also see: Aerospace Parking Attendant, Booger Hooker).
• Coneheads: Electronic specialists. “Call the Coneheads, the radar is Tits Up again.”(See: Grinners)also the name given to missile launch control officers by maintenance and ammo officers
• Container: PC replacement for the word "Box". (See Cranium and Box Office.)
• Comic Book: A Technical Order detailing the servicing and repair procedures for aircraft.
• Commander’s Doorbell: The stores release button. That's because you've got something to explain when you press that button...
• Chocks out:leaving to go home
• Clusterfuck:A squadron function or daily op turned chaotic by lack of leadership knowing what they're doing. (See BIB)
• CM: Countermeasures. Used by airborne vehicles in defense against air-to-air or SAM weapons (chaff, flares, and jammers).
• CTK: Composite Tool Kit. Government-owned tool boxes used by government-owned tools, generally for aircraft maintenace. Usually has approximately the same monetary value as an IKEA furniture set. Can also be used as an insult, when someone has gone beyond being just a "tool" and is the entire tool box, he is a "CTK".
• Cranium: Generic replacement of the word “head”. “I busted my cranium on that weapons station.” Replacement required for PC purposes involving the derogatory use of the word “Head”.(see: WAF).
• Crew Chief: The Ultimate Badass when it comes to changing tires, fueling jets, polishing the canopy, or sucking up to the pilot. However, a Bomber crew chief is always considered cool. (See Aerospace Parking Attendant, Booger Hooker).
• CRS: Component Repair Squadron. The electronic repair folks. Also known as Can’t Repair Shit.
• Cut Back: Unheard of. Unthought of. (See Lol)
• Charlie Oscar: Captain Obvious

D

• DBA: Dirt Bag Airman. A piece of shit wearing a uniform. Also see "SDBA".
• The Deed: Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Hell for airmen, luxurious vacation destination for soldiers and Marines.
• DEROS Date Estimated Return Over Seas. Yeah right! Date Eventually Rotating Out of this Shit Hole!
• Desert Term for Afghanistan "It's in the Desert sir"
• Dipsy Doodle: A momentary dive made by an aircraft to quicken the transition to supersonic.
• Dirty: Aircraft configured for landing with gear and flaps down.
• DNIF: Duty Not Involving Flying. Seriously? You want an explanation.
• DOB: Designated Officer to Blame, the poor sod who gets blamed for any and all mishaps. Aka Fall Guy
• Doctor Mo: Defense reutilization and management organization. A fancy term for a big, dusty warehouse at DM.
• Donkey Dick: Normally a large phallic shaped tool used to drain fuel out of aircraft pylons, but it also can simply refer to a big penis.
• Don't Matter AFB:Davis-Monthan AFB ("DM"). "Don't matter" when you leave here you will be back. "Don't matter" how much maintenance does Ops wants more. "Don't matter" if PT is important to the Air Force getting the jets off the ground is more important. "Don't matter" what the regs say DM will do it differently. Sounds like RAF Lakenheath too.
• Doofer: Generic name for symbols on the HUD and other mysterious lights associated with the avionic package.
• Doolie: FNG at The Blue Zoo.
• Dope On A Rope: Aircrew member calling flight controls, or seeing if the maintenance guys are around to turn the systems on for the pilot who did not follow his checklist.
• Download: The removal of weapons from an AC or your wife giving birth.
• Downtown: From the 1960s song by Petula Clark, meaning any enemy target area where lots of anti-aircraft opposition can be expected. During the Vietnam War, flying missions into the Hanoi-Haiphong complex in North Vietnam, which was defended by multiple SAM and conventional AAA sites, was referred to as “Going Downtown.” Any hazardous mission, “We’re going downtown to Baghdad.”
• Double Ugly: Fond nickname for the enormously capable but less than beautiful F-4 Phantom. See also Rhino.
• Double Bubble: (1) Two seater U-2 Trainers. (2) A miracle epoxy in a small packet that fixes everything on an aircraft (Screws, cockpit knobs, wings, etc.)
• Drag: Force that counteracts an object in motion through the air, such as air resistance.
• Dragonlady: Nickname for U-2 (forget TR-1!) due to loud roar of engine as it takes off and climbs to altitude.
• Dreamland: Area-51. It's like Fight Club, people who are actually in it don't talk about it.
• Drone: 1.An unmanned aircraft. 2. Any single seat aircraft flown by a female. This because the aircraft is not “manned”. (See: Box Office). Also a Production yes man.
• DYESS: "Did You Expect Such Shit?" Dyess AFB, Texas

E

• ECM: Electronic Countermeasures. Countermeasures that use the electromagnetic spectrum to confuse or defeat enemy radar and sensor systems. Maintainers of ECM known as Easy Chair Maintainers or Extra Cleanup Man.
• Eddie’s: or “Eddies Air Patch” Edwards AFB Calif.
• EFM: Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability. Aircraft designed with the aim of increasing turn and AoA performance during combat.
• Electric Jet: The F-16 Fighting Falcon, so nicknamed because of its fly-by-wire controls (see Viper,FBW,CBW). Also called a Lawn Dart.
• El Forko Grande: Grand Forks AFB, ND.
• Elmo: Elmendorf AFB AK. The Alaskan Air Command is different. Eielson AFB postponed an exercise because it interfered with Moose season. Flying is cut back when the Salmon are running.
• EMS: Equipment Maintenance Squadron. Oddly enough, mostly the munitions folks. AKA: Emergency Manning Squadron, Even Mom Smokes, Every Munition is Safe.
• EPU: An extremely dangerous hydrazine powered generator that provides electrical and hydraulic power in an emergency. Sissy jets like F-16's use it because they have one motor and are prone to drop out of the sky without it.
• ETOPS: engines turn or people swim. What happens during an overwater flight

F

• F-18: A young lady, 18 years of age. "I flew an F-18 last night." "Scope out that F-18 over by the Hot Dog Stand". Can be awkward when pilots start talking about flying F-15's and F-16's. (see Barely Legal).
• F-35: The "All Service Fighter". Each Branch will have it's own nickname. The Air Force will call it "The Lightening II". The Navy will call it "The Super Cat". The Marines will call it "The Up and Down Flying Thingy".
• Face Shot: Radar guided missile shot. (See: Fox 1)
• Fangs Out: An aircraft in the attack. “He rolled in Fangs Out.”
• Fairchild Freestyle: Fairchild Air Force Base- Often known for ignoring the directives of both the regulations, and headquarters, and doing whatever they damn well please, just for the fun of it.
• FBW: Fly By Wire. Computer-aided flight control -- flight computer corrects pilot control input according to the flight condition data (altitude, airspeed) it receives, and uses this to adjust flight surfaces. (see CBW)
• FCF: Functional Check Flight. A test flight after heavy maintenance and phase inspections.
• Fellow: Politically correct replacement for the word “Fucker” (see BUFF, FUF).
• FDW: Flying Dog Whistle, Nickname for T-37 Tweet because of loud whining J-69 engines.
• FIGMO:" FUCK It, Got My Orders" The cry of those who get their PCS or Retirement orders.
• Fight Club: Black budget spooks, Skunkworks etc.
• Fire Pond: A reservoir about the size of a swimming pool used to store water runoff for use in firefighting in munitions Storage Areas.(AKA Bomb Dumps) Fireponds were dotted throughout the MORBACH AMMO Storage area; and doubled as "greeting points" for new and departing troops!
• Flare: 1. Cartridge-shaped source of heat energy used to divert infrared-homing missiles. 2.An increase of AoA during landing.
• Flaw AFB: Shaw AFB, SC.
• Flightline: Stretch of concrete pad where aircraft park
• Flight Suit Insert: A pilot. Also “Stick Actuator”, “Drag in a Bag”and “Stick-Throttle Interconnect”, “ACES II Counterweight” and “Zipper Suited Sun Gods”.
• FLIR: Forward-Looking Infrared. Sensor that "reads" the heat signatures of nearby objects.
• FLUF: Abbreviation for "Fat little ugly fucker". The A-7 attack aircraft.
• FM: Abbreviation for “fucking magic”: very high-tech; a branch of theoretical particle physics used to describe how something works that you don't really understand. The ASQ-8 1 Magnetic Anomaly System works by “FM.” A repair that was not done, or was very complicated.” We fixed it with FM, Captain”. Not be confused with PFM which is Pure Fucking Magic and can only be accomplished during swingshift.
• FMC: Fully Mission Capable, meaning an aircraft has no known problems and can do it's mission, AKA "Fried Monkey Chicken". "Yeah my jet is 'Fried Monkey Chicken' and good to go".
• FNG: Fucking New Guy
• FOE: Foreign Object Eater. The flightline sweeper constantly driving up and down the ramp.
• FOD: Foreign Object Damage. A constant concern on airfields and carrier decks where jet engines operate. Jet intakes can ingest loose objects, and even the smallest item — a rock, a bolt — can seriously damage jet turbine blades. Since it is commonly used as a noun, “I found some FOD on the ramp.” the term Foreign Object Debris is commonly used. If an Airman becomes pregnant, she is considered FOD’ed out.
• Four Fan Trash Can: C-130.
• Fox 1: Radar guided missile shot. (See: Face Shot)
• Fox 2: Infra-Red Homing Missile shot. (See: Ass Shot)
• Fox 3: Unguided missile shot (See: Mad Dog)
• Fox 4: A mid-air collision.
• Fox 5: Impacting the Ground. (The ground has a PK factor of 1.0)
• FRED: Fucking Ridiculous Economic Disaster. (Nickname for such cost inefficient aircraft as the C-5)
• FUBAR: Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition or Repair
• FUF: Fucker Up Front. Pilot in two seat aircraft such as an F-4 Phantom. Also can be Female Up Front. (See GIB, BIB)
• Fur ball: A confused aerial engagement with many combatants. Several aircraft in tight ACM. Can also be used to describe Wing briefing or argument. (One notch above Goat Fuck)

G

• GBS: German Break Shack, refers to a building at the MORBACH bomb dump. It was the FIRST place to look for "wayward" AMMO troops or "unmotivated" German civilians during work hours.
• GIB: Guy in Back. Slang term for EWO, WSO, RIO, and B/N. The guy behind the FUF. (See Bear, BIB and of course, FUF))
• Going to Guns: Switching to cannon. Assuming leadership. Taking control of any situation.
• Goat Fuck: Any disorganized function or activity. “Are you the HMFIC of this Goat Fuck?”. Not to be confused with "Organized Chaos".
• Goat Rope: Same as above, usually used in polite company. "That was a goat rope getting ready for the Wing King's visit." (See Wing King)
• Gomer: Slang for a dogfight adversary or members of the aggressor squadron, the usage stemming from the old Gomer Pyle television show.
• Greasy Side: The bottom of the aircraft. “Try to land with the shiny side up and the greasy side down”.
• The Great White Hope: The AIM-7 missile. Reflecting the confidence pilots had in this weapon during Vietnam. Statistics relate that there was one (yes,one) successful intercept for every 111 launches. (see missiles and hittles)
• Green Apple: The control knob for the cockpit’s emergency oxygen supply.
• Green Flag: A smaller mock air war than Red Flag, held all the time by the Air Force at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Various flying assets from all over and yet another reason to go to Vegas for two weeks and get rolled by the ladies downtown, play the slots, or stuff yourself at a all you can eat buffett.
• GMT: Greenwich Mean Time (pronounced gren'ich) For a town in England ('english town' being London) that sits on the ZERO Meridian. (See Zulu)
• Grinners: Anyone (mostly specialists) who stand around with a Shit Eating Grin while others work.

H

• Hahn: refers to the former Hahn Air Base, near Frankfurt, Germany. Hahn Air Base was a Cold War front line Fighter Base. First Base in Europe with the F-16, it was once commanded by Chuck Yeager and it is rumored that a young troop named Chuck Norris was once stationed there as well.
• HMFIC: The Head Motherfucker in Charge.
• Hangar Queen: 1.An aircraft that suffers chronic “downs”; hangar queens are often pirated for spares for the squadron’s other aircraft (the “queen’s” ejection seats are especially well preflighted). 2. An attractive WAF who is known to say “Yes” a lot. (See:WAF)
• Haji: Anyone of Arab decent, or even of a brownish skin tone, be they Afghanis, Iraqis or even Bangladeshis. See "towel head".
• Haji Bus: Any bus holding up to 20 people in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
• Haji Van: Small vans found in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Also known as suicide van.
• Hanoi Jane: Jane Fonda. (See Jane Fonda)
• Happy Valley: Lackland Air Force Base.
• HARM: High-speed, Anti-Radiation Missile. Missile whose seeker head homes in on radar-emitting sources.
• HAS: Hardened Aircraft Shelter.
• H.A.W.K. Holiday And Weekend Killer (CV-22)
• Headshed: reference to the Squadron Headquarters (Building 726) at MORBACH. See: MORBACH
• Head on a Swivel: Keeping an eye peeled for an ACM adversary; also called “doing the Linda Blair,” for the 360-degree head rotation in the movie The Exorcist.
• Heater: Sidewinder missile (AIM-9), which homes in on heat sources. (See: Fox Two)
• Heath, The: RAF Lakenheath.
• Hell AFB: Hill AFB, UT.
• Herms: The Local Population of Germany. Short for Herman the German.
• Hittiles:Rhymes with Skittles. The opposite of missiles. (See- Missiles)
• Hospitality Check: [archaic] A group of no less than 10 drunken pilots from a single squadron paying a visit to their Commander's home at no earlier than 1:00 a.m. on a Friday night to gauge his sensitivity to their concern for the health and well-being of his spouse, young children, refrigerator, and liquor cabinet. This particular check-list was deleted from all T.O.s in late 1979.
• HUD: Heads-Up Display. Glass mounted at the front of the cockpit. The pilot looks forward through the glass, and important combat and flight information is reflected onto the HUD and superimposed over his view of the outside world.
• Hun: The F-100, not Germans; who are instead referred to as “Herms”.
• Hush House: building used by maintenance to test jet engines, supposedly cancels out engine noise.
• HVM: High-Velocity Missile.

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I

• IFE: In Flight Emergency. You'll usually have to start drinking water for the piss test.
• IFF: Identification Friend or Foe. A coded message sent to a target's IFF transponder.
• IFR: Instrument Flight Rules. Also "I Follow Roads".
• IHTFP: I hate this fucking place. Sentiment occasionally uttered by doolies. Also, I have truly found paradise.
• ILS: Instrument Landing System. A radio device at airfields that assists pilots in landing when all that can be seen out the window is white Christmas
• IR: Infrared. Range of the electromagnetic spectrum where a signal's intensity is directly related to its heat signature.
• IYAAYAS: "If You Ain't AMMO, You Ain't Shit!" This phrase is used by USAF AMMO troops often; from Commander's calls to AMMO calls. SEE ALSO: AMMO

J

• Jammer: Electronic countermeasure that emits microwaves to distort/confuse enemy radarscopes; or piece of shit weapons vehicle that is constantly driven backwards to load fake bombs
• Jane Fonda: Any lying traitorous bitch. NOT gender specific.
• Janet Flight: White aircraft with a red stripe down the side, shuttles people to Groom Lake. Just Another Non-Existent Terminal. (See Dreamland)
• Jink: To maneuver violently to avoid a threat. “I jinked to ditch that SAM”. “I jinked to avoid the First Shirt”.
• Jippo: A gravy or stew
• Johnson Bar: A tool for removing stuck screws, comes in two sizes big and small. "Were gonna need the Big Johnson to break this bitch loose"
• Judy: Radio call signaling that your quarry is in sight and you are taking control of the intercept. “Darkstar, Judy, Judy. I’m going in for Guns.”

K

• "K's" An AFTO 781 Delayed Discrepency form used to write up bullshit issues on AC. It is also a way for Crew Chief's to procrastinate or blow off pilots complaints.
• Kick the Tires and Light the Fires: Formerly, to bypass or severely shorten the required routine of physically inspecting the aircraft prior to flight. Currently meaning, “Let’s get this aircraft preflighted and outta here pronto!” (See Rapid City Freestyle).
• KLF (Korean Labor Force):90% of AAFES employees married over to the states by senior AF members.
• Knock It Off: Cease maneuvering (as in BFM or ACM).
• Knot: Measure of speed equal to 1.15 miles per hour.
• Knuckle Dragger: A.K.A. crew chiefs.
• The KUN (pronounced coon): Kunsan Air Base, Korea.

L

• Lakengrief: RAF Lakenheath
• Lakenknob: RAF Lakenheath
• Lakenhell: RAF Lakenheath once again.
• Lawn Dart: A nickname for the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
• LBFM: Little Brown Fucking Machine. The local talent in PACAF. (See: Local Talent,PCOD)
• Leading: Refers to aiming just ahead of an enemy's flight path or a management technique seen on occasion.
• LGB: Laser-Guided Bomb.
• LifeisoverDover: Dover AFB, Hellawhere. Also know as the Dirty D.
• Lights Out: Radar off.
• The Lik: Incirlik AB, Turkey
• Load Barn: Weapons Standardization. A group of armament personnel designated to train flightline armament personnel to do things they already know how to do and have instructions for anyway. They generally do not have any actual clue how to do what they're training other personnel to do, and constantly contradict themselves.
• Load Toad: Armament troop.
• Local talent: Derogatory term used to describe any female living near an Air Force Base who does nothing but have sex and use airmen for money. Said females have usually been married and divorced at least three times before they turn 25.
• Lol: Laugh Out Loud. (See Cut Back)
• Lost Wingman: A procedure performed by aircraft in formation that guarantees safe separation in the event a wingman loses sight of lead. Also refers to a squadron-mate who leaves the bar early with the ugliest woman in sight.
• Lower Hemorrhoid: Upper Heyford AB, England.
• Lunch: A Mysterious Ceremony unknown of on the Ramp. Noners, grinners and Tool Room Commandos are high priests of "The Lunch".
• LPA: Lieutenant Protection Association.

M

• Mach: Speed of sound at sea level (760 ft/s) that is measured in multiples (Mach 1, Mach 2, etc).
• Mach, Mach: Going really fast or at a classified airspeed. “The Blackbird goes Mach Mach.”
• Mad Dog: An unguided missile.
• Maple Flag: A large mock air war, held annually by the Royall Canadian Air Force at Cold Lake Air Base, Canada. Many non-Air Force assets {Navy/Marines, Army, foreign} are invited to have an opportunity to see moose and line up beer bottles in the dorms.
• Maverick: The Hughes AGM-65 anti-armor missile. Also, the name of the lamest fictional fighter pilot in cinema history.
• McThrill: MacDill AFB, Florida
• MDS: Model/Design/Series . . . aircraft designation system in USAF . . . the MDS for the Strike Eagle is F-15E.
• MICAP:Mission Incapable. In reference to ordering replacement aircraft parts that are not in supply.
• Mickey D’s: MacDill AFB again.
• MIGCAP: Close Air Patrol. Patrol of an area in search of enemy aircraft, no specified objective to protect.
• Missiles: Objects that fall from the rail and then do anything they want. The opposite of “Hittles”.
• Mixed Company: A group of pilots which includes those so unfortunate as to not be fighter pilots.
• Mobile Bench Stock: The aircraft parked next to your where screws and other small part can be “acquired” thus preventing the long walk to the Bench Stock in the hangar.
• Mohmback: Command used by the Gomers to tell wingmen to get back into the engagement.
• Moldy Hole: RAF Mildenhall, UK
• Morbach: Shortened (popular) term for the Morbach/Wenigerath Non-Nuclear Storage Area, located in the Hunsrueck region of (then West) Germany. Morbach was the largest "Bomb Dump" in Western Europe; and thus regularly photographed by Soviet satellites. It has now been converted into an "Energy Park."
• Mortaritaville: Balad AB, Iraq.
• Mos Eisley: Baghdad International (Sather AB) Iraq.
• Mountain Hole: Mountain Home AFB.
• Movie Star: Member of the Air Demonstration Squadron. See T-Birds.
• Mozam(bique): Something really pissed you off.
• MPF: Military Personnel Flight, formerly CBPO. No one knows what they do now, it's all automated. "Nonerland". (see Noner)
• MRE: Meals Ready to Eat. Also: Meals Rejected by Everyone, & Meals Refused by Ethiopians. Three lies in one. They are not a meal. They are not ready and you can't eat them.
• MST: Moral Suppression Team, Production Superintendent (Pro Super), Anyone of supervision who attempts to take away a Crew Chief’s fun.
• MUDCAP: An Air to Ground Mission. Aka, CAS. “We were doing MUDCAP for some Marines.”
• Mud Hen: F-15E/F Strike Eagle. Sometimes employed on a MUDCAP.
• Mud Mission: Any air to ground strike or bombing mission.
• Mud-mover: Low-level attack aircraft such as the A-10. (Also see Mud Hen, Mud Mission).
• MuneLager: German slang for Munitionslager or Munitions Loader or most anyone working within the "Bomb Dump."
• Music: Electronic jamming intended to deceive radar.
• My Fun Meter is Pegged: Sarcastic comment for, “I am not enjoying this any more.”
• MUZZLE FUCKER: another name for weapons loaders came back in the day of loading gun pods on F-4 aircraft when they had to shake the pod on installation by holding the front of the pod.

N

• Navy Common: 243.0 mhz . . . the international guard/emergency frequency on UHF . . . also called "Air Force Common" by Navy and Marine Corps aviators
• No Hope Pope: Pope AFB, now Pope AAF under the Army, but with all the previous Air Force units still based there. (also Fayette-nam)
• No Joy: Failure to make visual sighting; or inability to establish radio communications.
• Nautical mile: Aeronautical measurement of distance equal to 6,076 ft.
• Nine G Head Snaps:Repeatedly falling asleep in a meeting or a class while trying desperately to stay awake. After nodding off, the person's head will dip forward almost to his chest, whereupon he will snap back into a very brief state of semi-consciousness and repeat the process. See "Touch and Go's" and "Auditorium Whiplash".
• The Nose Bleeds: High altitudes. "We had The Sled at Mach Mach up in the Nose Bleeds." Also refered to when Hydro Fluid leaks from the Nose of an aircraft like a F-15C/D/E Models.
• Noner: Pronounced "non-ner". 1) A noner can be a person that works in finance, behind a desk in the warmth of a office. Their biggest threat is a chance that the stapler may break and a staple come screaming out into their eye. 2)"Anyone who does not work on the flight line is a noner" Pronounced (non-ner) 3) Originates from “NON-mission essential.”
• Nose Goes: The act of touching ones nose and yelling "NOSE GOES" to determine who does the bitch job, last one to touch their nose, goes.
• NRTS: Pronounced "nertz". Not Repairable This Station. A designation for a piece of aircraft equipment that is broken beyond the repair capabilities of the current repair facility. See CRS.
• Nylon Letdown: Ejection and subsequent parachute ride.

O

• Off It: referring to Offutt AFB in Nebraska. As in "Once you get Offutt, you can' get off it".
• One in the Hangar: Pregnant. If you have a child and your wife (or YOU!) is pregnant, you have one on the ramp and one in the hangar.” ( See: Foreign Object Damage, FOD)
• Operation Deny Christmas: Overseas deployment beginning before 24 Dec and ending after 26 Dec.
• Opportunity to excel: A disagreeable job without the time or resources to properly complete.
• ORM: Operational Risk Management. An attempt by leadership to inject common sense into daily activities by weighing the risks involved. Such as assessing the need to wear goggles and apron when using dish soap.. Failed because there is no common sense allowed in the Air Force.
• OSI: Everyone knows the folks who investigate the real screw ups, the Office of Special Investigations, but when CBPO went away and you had to go goof off and did not want to be asked where you were, you would sign out on the board "OSI" which meant "Other Side of Installation".
• Out The Box: Slang for Out of the box; thinking out of the norm. Can be used in place of AFU such as: That dude's out the box..
• OCS: Officer candidate school (for the USAF) pronounced "ox"
• Organized Chaos: Cluster fuck with positive results. Not to be confused with "Goat Fuck".

P

• PACAF: Pacific Air Forces. Just about everything west of California. Land of “The Fire Empire”, short times, Yobo’s, LBFM’s and PCOD’s.
• PACAF Form 1: $20 bill for drinking/partying and "long time".
• PCOD: Pussy Cut-off Date. An interval of time before your DEROS to insure that no STD symptoms manifest themselves before you present your virginal self to your spouse.
• PCS: Permanent Change of Station; moving to another base/location for a temporary term, usually 1-4 years.
• Penguin: The jet that never flies, it might have once had a chance to be fixed but after 2 days down production canned the shit out of it. (see Bag of Balls)
• PFM: Pure fucking magic. See also FM
• PGM: Precision Guided Munitions. (Nicknamed "Smart Bombs") refers to any bomb unit in which a GCU (Guidance Control Unit) & fin assembly's are added to achieve laser-guided results.
• PIG: Nickname for variants of the C-135 aircraft.
• PINGERS: 1. New recruits after their basic training haircut - the sound of new hair growing. Also rumored to be the sound when you bounce coins off of their heads. 2. Management types who, when put under stress, bounce around like the ball during a game of plinko, never get anything useful done, and piss off everyone within 2 nautical miles. 3. New Electronic school trainees fresh out of basic, short for: Person In Need of Graduation Education Relaxation and Sex.
• PK factor: Probability of Kill factor. "The ground has a PK of 1." (See Fox 5)

POL: Petrolium, Oils, and Lubricants. AKA: Painting, Odd-jobs, and Landscaping or Poorly Organized Labor.

PNVS: Pilot's Night Vision Sensor. Device that aids night vision by translating heat emissions into pictures. Allows pilots to crash at night. (Also: NVG’s).

• Pointy End: The nose of the aircraft. (See shiny side and greasy side.}
• Pointyhead: Specialist.
• Pond: The Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. "I'm going PCS across the pond".
• Pee Pee Smack: Receiving disciplinary action. "I was late to work today and got a huge pee pee smacking."
• Puddle Jumper: Hydraulic Specialist. If they can jump across the puddle of hydraulic fluid the aircraft is air worthy.
• Pull Chocks: Removing the chunks of wood (or plastic now) from the wheels so that the jet can taxi out. To leave. “This party is dead. Pull Chocks!.”
• Punch Out: To eject from an aircraft. To leave, “This party is dead. Let’s punch out.”

R

• Rag Wrench: Repairing hydro leak on jet before pilot sees leak during walk around. "Get your rag wrench ready here comes the pilots."
• Rainbows: New recruits just arriving for basic training - very colorful in their civilian clothes.
• RAM: Radar Absorbent Material. Material containing thousands of absorbent pockets that convert radar beams into heat or small electromagnetic fields, reducing overall radar cross-section.
• The Ramp: The flight line. Where the planes are parked.
• Rapid City Freestyle: Launching an aircraft as quickly as possible, disregarding normal procedure. Originally from the Alert Launches of B-52’s at Ellsworth Air Force Base (formally Rapid City AFB, SD). “I’m late Chief. Sure thing Captain, one Rapid City Freestyle coming up”.
• The Rapist: The F-22 Raptor. Also known as the "Boat" (as in "Showboat") and "Toucan Sam".
• RAT: Ram Air Turbine.
• RCS: Radar Cross-Section.
• Red Flag: A large mock air war, held quarterly by the Air Force at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Many non-Air Force assets {Navy/Marines, Army, foreign} are invited to have an opportunity to crash in Nevada..
• Rhino: 1.The F-4 Phantom II in all its Glory. 2. An unattractive WAF.3. NOT, NEVER, CANNOT BE an F-18.
• RHIP: Rank Has It's Privileges.
• RIO: Radar Intercept Officer. US Navy term for back-seat weapons and targeting systems operator. See GIB, BIB and FUF.
• Right Pitiful: Wright Patterson AFB
• The Rock: Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
• R.O.A.D.: Retired On Active Duty, refers to someone who is approaching retirement so they don't care about getting any real work accomplished.
• RWS: Range While Search. Radar mode that uses continuous wave emissions to provide contact range and bearing at extremely long range.
• RWR: Radar Warning Receiver. Aircraft device that warns the pilot if he is being tracked by an enemy missile guidance system or air intercept radar.

S

• The Sand Box: Iraq.
• SAC: Strategic Air Command, also "Stay on Alert Constantly". Now the Air Force Global Strike Command (SAC is Back, Jack!)
• SAC Salute: A rock formation located along Highway 85, outside of Cheyenne, WY. Looks like a hand with the middle finger extended, facing east towards the old SAC HQ. Known to Peacekeepers who drove out to Sierra-1.
• SAM: Surface-to-Air Missile.
• SAR: Search and Rescue
• Scumter: Shaw AFB (See: Show AFB)
• SDBA: Stellar Dirt Bag Airman. An airman who is a complete piece of shit unless higher-ranking personnel are around; also an airman who is exceptionally good at doing nothing. Also see "DBA" and "Load Barn".
• SMA: Suck My Ass. Politely saying no to a job EX: "No, you can suck my ass"
• See More Johnson: Seymour Johnson AFB NC. ( Really “Suck More Johnson”…but you know… kinder, gentler…wait a minute, also “See My Johnson”.)
• Sharks in the Water: Quality Assurance on the ramp.
• Seven Level Screwdriver: 1. The biggest screwdriver in the CTK. Applications are limitless. 2. The smallest, virtually-useless screwdriver (coffee stirrer?) in a HVAC tool bag, the only tool in a 7Lvl's bag since they don't actually work.
• Shiny Side: The top of an aircraft. “Try to land with the shiny side up and the greasy side down”.
• Shit Can It: Throw it away, chunk it, put it in the circular file!
• Shit Magnet: Basic Airmen/Cadets/Candidates who have a tendency of "f'ing up" to the point that they are constantly singled out causing a positive feedback loop of "shit"; also known as "That Guy"
• Sierra Hotel: Phonetic abbreviation for “shit hot,” high praise; the pilot’s favorite and all-purpose expression of approval. Substitute “Well Done” in mixed company. (See Mixed Company)
• Show AFB: Shaw AFB, SC. As in “All Show, No Go”. Also Share Husbands And Wives AFB. Also, Stay Here A While and Sit Here and Wait.(See Flaw AFB).
• Slammer: AIM-120 air to air missile. (see: Hittle, AMRAAM, missile)
• SLAR: Side-looking Airborne Radar.
• Sled: The F-100, The F-4 or the SR-71. Take your pick.
• Smash: Air speed.
• SLUF: Slow Little Ugly Fucker. The A-7D.
• SMART Bombs: SEE: PGM
• SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
• Sneaker Weeker: Trainees in zero week of BMT. Sneaker weekers wear their running shoes with unbloused ABUs before lunch. This is to protect their precious little feet while they break in their boots.
• Snake: High drag Mk-82.
• SRDH: Shit rolls down hills. When the brass fucks up, the lowest ranking guy involved gets the blame.
• SSM: Surface-to-Surface Missile. How did this get on the USAF page?
• SPMF: Sortie Producing Mother Fucker
• Spangledesh: Spangdahlem AB, Germany (also Spang-quentin)
• Speed of Heat: Very, very fast. “We egressed the target at the Speed of Heat”. (SEE: MACH,MACH)
• Static Display: Aircraft on display as at an air show. Inactive or worthless, “Airman Jones is on Static Display”.
• Stall: "Loss of lift" condition that occurs when the angle of attack is too steep for the airfoil to provide any lift. During a stall, the normally streamlined flow of air over the wing is disrupted.
• Station Wagon: Two seat aircraft such as an F-16D or a F-15D. An F-15E is not a bus because there’s a Bear back there. (See: Bus, Bear)
• STOVL: Short Take Off and Vertical Landing. Group of aircraft that redirects thrust using vanes; nozzles or lift fans for yaw and/or pitch maneuverability.
• Swap Paint: Euphemism for a mid-air collision or ground incursion between a flying object on the first part and an object that may or not be airworthy and/or may or may not be permanently affixed to the ground.
• Switchology: A combination of switch positions needed to get a system working. Pilots frequently fuck this part up.
• SWAT Team: What heavy aircraft crew chief say their job is to make it sound cooler. Derived from "Shit, water and trash" team.

T

• Tango Uniform: Polite phonetics for “tits up”, broken, not functioning.
• T-birds: The Thunderbirds, the USAF Air Demonstration Team. Also known as the “T-Kids” and “Thunder Chickens”. (See "Movie Stars")
• Texaco: Any Refuel Tanker such as a KC-135 or KC-10. Why “Texaco” and not something like “Exxon”??? Texas A and M produces more Air Force Officers than the Academy, however they are often not qualified to spell their own name.
• TFR: Terrain Following Radar. Most notably in the F-111. TFR allowed the aircraft to fly itself at extremely low altitude. When it was still new the TFR would try to fly over hills at AOA’s that stalled the wing. On one memorable flight, as they crossed the shoreline of North Carolina the TFR started tracking the seabed and plunged the jet right into the ocean. The crew never felt a thing.
• Throttle Back: To slow down, take it easy. “You better throttle back before you get a DUI”.
• Thud: The F-105 Thunderchief. Detractors say the name stems from the sound the 105 makes when it hits the ground.
• Three-Forty-One (341): A disciplinary form carried by enlisted Recruits during Basic and Technical Training. If a T.I. screamed "GIMME A 341 Puke!"; you were SCREWED!
• Thrust: Horizontal, directional force that overcomes drag and powers the aircraft in the desired direction.
• Tits Up: Inoperable or broken, for example “The radar is “Tits Up”. Based on the inability of an individual to perform any useful function while passed out flat on his back.
• Touch and Go's: Repeatedly falling asleep in a meeting or a class while trying desperately to stay awake. After nodding off, the person's head will dip forward almost to his chest, whereupon he will snap back into a very brief state of semi-consciousness and repeat the process. Named after practice landings where the aircraft descends, briefly touches down while still rolling forward, and quickly becomes airborne again. Also can be called "Nine G Head Snaps" and Auditorium Whiplash
• Traveling AFB: Travis AFB, Ca.
• Truffle Shuffle: Keesler AFB, MS. Known for the "Keesler Shuffle" and the pilots that stretch their flight suit in the mid-section.
• TWS: Track While Scan. Radar mode that uses pulse-Doppler radar to target a contact, providing detail

d tracking information at short range.

• TUB: Fighter aircraft with two-seats; usually used for training and the RARE incentive flight...See Station Wagon.
• Towel head: Anyone from middle eastern decent. See "haji".

U

• USAFA: (pronouced "you-saf-ah") The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Also known as; Colorado Kool Aid U, The Blue Zoo, The Zoo, and The Colorado Home for Wayward Boys.
• Up and Locked: As in “Brain Disengaged.” Derives from that bad thing that happens when you try to make a gear-up approach. “The Boss is Up and Locked about this”,
• Upper Hemorrhoid: RAF Upper Heyford. Former USAFE F-111 base in Oxfordshire, England; now closed.

V

• Vandyland: Vandenberg Space Force Base
• Viethahn: Hahn AB, Germany. Former USAFE F-15 base, now closed.
• Viper: The F-16 Fighting Falcon. Named after the fighters in Battlestar Gallactica. (See: Lawn Dart)
• VTOL: Vertical Take Off and Landing
• VSI: Vertical speed indicator.

W

• WAF: Women of the Air Force. A female. Term replaced by generic “Airman” because of the widespread use of “We All Fuck”.
• Wall to Wall Counseling: Pre-21st century disciplinary action that included a wall, a shit-bag airman, and many NCOs.
• WC Wing Commander, kick ass game series from 90s.
• Warthog: Universal nickname for the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft.
• "What are you gonna do; send me to Texas and shave my head?! Universal phrase of hopelessness while going through USAF Basic Training at Lackland AFB.
• Whiskey: Is to help you fly the plane properly.
• Whiskey Charlie: Phonetics for “Who cares.”
• Whiskey Delta: Phonetics for “Weak Dick,” a pilot who can’t cut it. Such a scurrilous term that it’s almost never used.
• Whiskey Mike: Originated from Women Marine, now referring to Walking Mattress ie a girl that sleeps w/everyone, but you. Also refers to "Weapons Movement" in the munitions world, a sign that either 1) the work week is starting or 2) the work week is done. Or you really fucked up, causing you to move the weapon back.
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: What The FUCK!, What in the world is going on? Usually asked after supervision makes a questionable decision or when you have to take your Airman to see the First Shirt or Commander after a phone call from either.
• White Rocket: Nickname for T-38 Talon also original lawn dart.
• Whynot Minot: Minot AFB, ND. (“Why not Minot? Freezin’ is the Reason.”) Also home of the Tundra Wookies.
• Wing King: The Wing Commander or Base Commander of a base.
• Wingman: Second pilot in a two-plane formation. Responsible for ensuring that his leader’s six o’clock remains clear. Your Buddy. “You’re my wingman tonight, right?”
• WSO: Weapons Systems Officer. US Air Force/US Navy/US Marine Corsp/RAF term for back-seat weapons and targeting systems operators. (See Bear, GIB)
• WTFO: What The Fuck...Over or a civilian term WTF or What the Fuck!. The "Over" at the end of WTFO signifies that the disdain for the WTF issue has been stipulated and the transmission has concluded.
• WWBD: What Would Beam Do. Only if you know him, you know what he would do.

X

• X (Red) A symbol placed in the forms to signify that the aircraft is not airworthy.

Y

• Yankee Mike: Phonetic alphabet for "Your Mother" or the Ebonic "Yo Mama.".
• Yobo: Cohabitant Korean girlfriend.

Z

• Zebra: Anyone with more than six stripes. A formation of two or more is a Zebra Patrol.
• Zero-Dark-Thirty: Technically a half-hour after midnight, but commonly used to describe any event that is scheduled to take place after midnight and before sunrise.
• Zipper Head/Zipper Suit: Aircrews (people who wear flight suits; they zip up)
• Zoomie: Graduate of the Colorado Home for Wayward Boys. USAFA Ring Knocker.
• Zulu: Standardized clock setting where all military clocks are set to the same time (pilots only know Zulu) (See GMT)

External links

• The Lucky Puppy
• 313th AMU/TFS