GIB: see backseater
GMT: Greenwich mean time.
GREEN SHIRTS: see shirts
HANDLER: Officer located on the flight deck level responsible for ensuring that aircraft are correctly positioned—“spotted”—on the flight deck. Coordinates the movements of aircraft with yellow gear (small tractors that tow aircraft and other related gear) from maintenance areas to catapults, and from the flight deck to the hangar bar via the elevators. Speaks frequently with the air boss. see also bitch box
HARMS: Anti-radiation missiles that home in on radar sites.
HOME PLATE: Tactical call sign for Jefferson.
HOT: In reference to a sonobuoy, holding enemy contact.
HUFFER: Yellow gear located on the flight deck that generates compressed air to start jet engines. Most Navy aircraft do not need a huffer to start engines, but it can be used in emergencies or for maintenance.
HUNTER: Call sign for the S-3 squadron embarked on the Jefferson.
ICS: Interior communications system. The private link between a pilot and a RIO, or the telephone system internal to a ship.
INCHOPPED: Navy talk for a ship entering a defined area of water, e.g. inchopped the Med.
IR: Infrared, a method of missile homing.
ISOTHERMAL: A layer of water that has a constant temperature with increasing depth. Located below the thermocline, where increase in depth correlates to decrease in temperature. In the isothermal layer, the primary factor affecting the speed of sound in water is the increase in pressure with depth.
JBD: Jet blast deflector. Panels that pop up from the flight deck to block the exhaust emitted by aircraft.
USS JEFFERSON: The star nuclear aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.
LEADING PETTY OFFICER: The senior petty officer in a workcenter, division, or department, responsible to the leading chief petty officer for the performance of the rest of the group.
LINK: see data link
LOFARGRAM: Low-frequency analyzing and recording display. Consists of lines arrayed by frequency on the horizontal axis and time on the vertical axis. Displays sound signals in the water in a graphic fashion for analysis by ASW technicians.
LONG GREEN TABLE: A formal inquiry board. It’s better to be judged by six than carried by six.
MACHINIST’S MATE: Enlisted technician that runs and repairs most engineering equipment on board a ship. Abbreviated as “MM,” e.g., MM1 Sailor is a petty officer first class machinist’s mate.
MDI: Mess decks intelligence. The heartbeat of the rumor mill on board a ship and the definitive source for all information.
MEZ: Missile engagement zone. Any hostile contacts that make it into the MEZ are engaged only with missiles. Friendly aircraft must stay clear in order to avoid a blue-on-blue engagement, i.e., fratricide.
MiG: A production line of aircraft manufactured by Mikoyan in Russia. MiG fighters are owned by many nations around the world.
MURPHY, LAW OF: The factor most often not considered sufficiently in military planning. If something can go wrong, it will. Naval corollary: shit happens.
NATIONAL ASSETS: Surveillance and reconnaissance resources of the most sensitive nature, e.g., satellites.
NATOPS: The bible for operating a particular aircraft. see envelopes
NFO: Naval flight officer.
NOBRAINER: Contrary to what copy editors believe, this is one word. Used to signify an evolution or decision that should require absolutely no significant intellectual capabilities beyond those of a paramecium.
NOMEX: Fire-resistant fabric used to make “shirts.” see shirts
NSA: National Security Agency. Primarily responsible for evaluating electronic intercepts and sensitive intelligence.
OOD: Officer of the day, in charge of the safe handling and maneuvering of the ship. Supervises the conning officer and other under-way watchstanders. Ashore, the OOD may be responsible for a shore station after normal working hours.
OPERATIONS SPECIALIST: Formerly a radar operator, back in the old days. An enlisted technician who operates combat detection, tracking, and engagement systems, except for sonar. Abbreviated OS.
OTH: Over the horizon, usually used to refer to shooting something you can’t see.
P-3S: Shore-based anti-submarine warfare and surface surveillance long-range aircraft. The closest you can get to being in the Air Force while still being in the Navy.
PHOENIX: Long range anti-air missile carried by U.S. fighters.
PIPELINE: Navy term used to describe a series of training commands, schools, or necessary education for a particular specialty. The fighter pipeline, for example, includes Basic Flight then fighter training at the RAG (Replacement Air Group), a training squadron.
PUNCHING OUT: Ejecting from an aircraft.
PURPLE SHIRTS: see shirts
PXO: Prospective executive officer. The officer ordered into a command as the relief for the current XO. In most squadrons, the XO eventually “fleets up” to become the commanding officer of the squadron, an excellent system that maintains continuity within an operational command — and a system the surface Navy does not use.
RACK: A bed. A rack-monster is a sailor who sports pillow burns and spends entirely too much time asleep while his or her shipmates are working.
RED SHIRTS: see shirts
RHIP: Rank hath its privileges. see collar count
RIO: Radar intercept officer. see NFO
RTB: Return to base.
S-3: Command and control aircraft sold to the Navy as an anti-submarine aircraft. Good at that, too. Within the last several years, redesignated as “sea control” aircraft, with individual squadrons referred to as torpedo-bombers. Ah, the search for a mission goes on. But still a damned fine aircraft.
SAM: Surface-to-air missile, e.g., the standard missile fired by most cruisers. Also indicates a land-based site.
SAR: Sea-air rescue.
SCIF: Specially compartmented information. On board a carrier, used to designate the highly classified compartment immediately next to TFCC.
SEAWOLF: Newest version of Navy fast-attack submarine.
SERE: Survival, Evasion, Rescue, Escape; required school in pipeline for aviators.
SHIRTS: Color-coded Nomex pullovers used by flight deck and aviation personnel for rapid identification of a sailor’s job. Green: maintenance technicians. Brown: plane captains. White: safety and medical. Red: ordnance. Purple: Fuel. Yellow: flight deck supervisors and handlers.
SHOE: A black shoe, slang for a surface sailor or officer. In the modern era, hard to say since the day that brown shoes were authorized for wear by black shoes. No one knows why this happened. Wing envy is the best guess.