AGL— Above Ground Level
AN/UWQ-1— Avenger optionally manned mobile air defense unit
ARCHER— Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance — aerial imaging system used by the Civil Air Patrol that assists visual searches
ATC— Air Traffic Control
Avenger— mobile optionally manned air defense vehicle, carrying both Stinger surface-to-air heat-seeking missiles and a 20-millimeter Gatling gun
BAM— aviation identifier for Battle Mountain
C-57 Skytrain— advanced blended-wing transport plane
Cessna P21 °Centurion— single-engine pressurized light airplane
CFI— Certified Flight Instructor
C-Four-I— Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence
CID— Cybernetic Infantry Device, a large manned robot
DF— Direction Finding, following a radio beacon to its source
Dimenhydrinate— over-the-counter drug to relieve airsickness
ELT— Emergency Locator Transmitter, a radio beacon that activates after a crash to help locate an aircraft
ETA— Estimated Time of Arrival
EWO— Electronic Warfare Officer
FAA— Federal Aviation Administration
GA— General Aviation, dealing mostly with aircraft below twelve thousand pounds gross weight
GED— General Education Diploma
G-loads— Gravity forces, a measurement of how many times over or under the force of gravity is being exerted on a body
GPS— Global Positioning System, satellite navigation
Hazmat— hazardous materials
HRT— Hostage Rescue Team
IC— Incident Commander
IFR— Instrument Flight Rules
IMSAFE— Illness, Medicines, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion — a checklist to judge whether a crewmember is fit to fly
I-O— Input-Output
L-Per— a device used to home in on a radio beacon
Medevac— medical evacuation
MRE— Meals Ready to Eat
MSL— Mean Sea Level, the elevation above sea level
NextGen— Next Generation, a GPS-based air traffic control system
NORDO— No Radio, an aircraft that has lost its ability to communicate
NTSB— National Transportation Safety Board, a government agency that investigates accidents involving aircraft, cars, trains, etc.
OSI— Office of Special Investigations, the Air Force’s investigation agency
OTM— Other Than Mexicans, illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico
PDA— Personal Data Assistant
PETN— Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, a powerful high explosive
PIREPS— Pilot Reports, weather and flight condition reports given by pilots
PT— Physical Training
PTSD— Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
R&D— Research and Development
RDX— Research Department Explosive (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), a powerful high explosive
RPG— Rocket-Propelled Grenade
RQ-15 Sparrowhawk— unmanned reconnaissance aircraft
RTB— Return to Base
SAREX— Search and Rescue Exercise
Scopolamine— an antiairsickness drug
SIGMET— Significant Meteorological, a report of possibly hazardous weather conditions
SQTR— Specialty Qualification Training Record
Technicals— homemade attack vehicles
UAV— Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
VFR— Visual Flight Rules
VoIP— Voice over Internet Protocol, a way of using the Internet for voice communications
Wilco— “will comply”
WMIRS— Web-based Mission Information Reporting System, the Civil Air Patrol’s computerized reporting system
XS-19A Midnight— single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane
Zulu— Greenwich mean time, used as a universal time reference