SEAL: Sea-Air-Land (Team). The U.S. Navy Special Operations Force. See also BUD/S.

SEARCHLIGHT: An NSA administrative webpage.

SECRET: The security classification applied to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to national security.

Section: Depending on context, either a 640-acre area of land measuring one mile square, or an intelligence working group (or the telecommunications equipment thereof).

Secure Working Area: An accredited SCIF (or portion of a SCIF) used for handling, discussing, and/or processing of SCI, but where SCI will not be stored. See also Nondiscussion Area.

Secwepemc: A First Nations tribal group in British Columbia. Also known as the Shuswap.

SID: System Identification.

SIG: Schweizer Industrie Gesellschaft. A major Swiss gun maker.

SIGINT: Signals Intelligence.

SIN: Social Insurance Number. (The Canadian equivalent of a U.S. Social Security number.)

SIPRNet: Secure Internet Protocol Router Network.

SITTEMPS: Situational templates.

SMLE: Short Magazine Lee-Enfield. A British family of bolt-action rifles that were in service for more than seventy years. Most were chambered for the .303 British cartridge.

SMS: Short Message Service.

SOCC: Security Operations Control Center.

SOCOM: Special Operations Command.

SOP: Standard Operating Procedure.

SPECTRA: The synthetic material similar to Kevlar used in ballistic helmets issued to French, Canadian, and Danish military units. In France, the SPECTRA helmet is also known as the CGF Gallet Combat Helmet. See also CGF Gallet.

SQL: Structured Query Language. (Used with database software.)

SS2:See Pindad SS2.

SSB: Single Sideband (an operating mode for CB and amateur radio gear).

SSO: Special Security Officer.

STE: Section-Terminating Equipment. See also STU.

Steyr AUG: The Austrian Army’s 5.56mm bullpup infantry carbine. Also issued by the Australian Army as their replacement for the L1A1. Often called the AUS-Steyr by the Australians.

Strat: Slang for Strategic.

STU: Secure Telephone Unit. (Spoken “Stew.”) See also STE and NSTS.

STU-III: A third-generation STU phone. (Spoken “Stew Three.”) See also STE and NSTS.

SUV: Sport Utility Vehicle.

S&W: Smith and Wesson.

SWAT: Special Weapons and Tactics. (SWAT originally stood for Special Weapons Assault Team until that was deemed politically incorrect.)

TA: Traffic Analyst/Analysis. Study of communications patterns to determine unit relationships and dispositions. See also RTA.

Tactical SCIF: An accredited secure area used for actual or simulated war operations for a specified period of time.

Tall Oak:See Project Tall Oak. (Later renamed Task Group Tall Oak.)

TARP: Depending on context, Threat Awareness and Reporting Program or Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Task Group Tall Oak:See Project Tall Oak.

TAWS: Terrain Awareness and Warning System.

TBAS: Tiered Body Armor System (Australian army issue).

TBD: To Be Determined.

TDY: Temporary Duty.

Technical Truck: A pickup truck equipped with a pedestal-mounted machine gun.

TEMPEST: Telecommunications Electronics Material Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions. The now unclassified U.S. government code word for emanations security. See also EMSEC.

TEP: TEMPEST Endorsement Program.

Thermite: A mixture of aluminum powder and iron rust powder that, when ignited, causes a vigorous exothermic reaction. Used primarily for welding. Also used by military units as an incendiary for destroying equipment.

Third Department: The PLA’s signals intelligence-gathering and analysis arm.

TIG: Tungsten Inert Gas. (A welding method.)

TNT: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene is a colorless or pale yellow and odorless crystalline high explosive.

TO: Tall Oak.

TOC: Tactical Operations Center.

TO&E: Table of Organization and Equipment.

Topo: Short for topographical.

TOP SECRET: The security classification applied to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security. See also TS and SCI.

TPZ: Transportpanzer. A variant of the six-wheel Fuchs (Fox) APC.

TRU: Thompson Rivers University.

TS: Top Secret.

TSCM: Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (Surveys and Evaluations). A physical, electronic, and visual examination to detect technical surveillance devices, technical security hazards, and attempts at clandestine penetration. See also TEMPEST and EMSEC.

TSEC: The system for identifying the type and purpose of certain items of COMSEC material.

Type 92:See QSZ-92.

Type 95:See QBZ-95.

UAV: Unmanned aerial vehicle. See also RPV.

UDT: Underwater Demolition Team.

UN: United Nations.

UN-MNF: United Nations Multinational Force.

UNPROFOR: United Nations Protection Force (Security Assistance Command).

UPS: Uninterruptible Power Source.

U.S.: United States.

USB: Universal Serial Bus.

U.S.-Controlled Facility: A base or building to which access is physically controlled by U.S. individuals who are authorized U.S. government or U.S. government contractor employees.

USMC: United States Marine Corps.

VAB:Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé (Armored Vanguard Vehicle).

VAC: Volts, Alternating Current.

Valmet: The Finnish conglomerate that formerly made several types of firearms.

Vault:See SCIF.

VBCI:Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie.

VBT: Very Bad Thing.

VCI:Véhicule de Combat d’Infanterie (infantry combat vehicle). A variant in the VBCI family of wheeled APCs.

VCP: Vehicle Control Point.

VDC: Volts, Direct Current.

VEVAK:Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Amniyat-e Keshvar. The Iranian intelligence service See also MOIS.

VPC:Véhicule Poste de Commandement (command post vehicle). A variant in the VBCI family of wheeled APCs.

VTT:Véhicule de Transport de Troupes (troop transport vehicle). A variant in the VBCI family of wheeled APCs.

VW: Volkswagen.

WAN: Wide Area Network.

WD-1: U.S. military-issue two-conductor insulated field telephone wire.

Wi-Fi: Wireless Fidelity.

XL: Extra Large.

Z-9: A Chinese military utility helicopter. It is a license-built version of the French Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, manufactured by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The attack variants have fixed-mount 23mm cannons.

Z-10: An attack helicopter developed by the People’s Republic of China.

Z-19: A Chinese reconnaissance/attack helicopter developed by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and the Ground Force Air Force.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Mrs. X., who articulated the dilemma of those trapped in and near the D.C. Beltway, bound by golden handcuffs.