AND AN ANGEL SANG by Michel Poulin - HTML preview

{1} STOL : Short Takeoff and Landing.

{2} Jet Bridge: Pivoting and telescopic elevated passageway used to connect upper-level passenger lounges with the access doors of airliners, which are typically located 2-4 meters above the ground.

{3} ULD: Unit Load Device.  Acronym given to the baggage and cargo containers used aboard commercial airliners.  ULDs come in various standard sizes and shapes, nearly all of which have a height of 162.6 centimeters and a depth of 153.4 centimeters.

{4} VTOL: Vertical Takeoff and Landing.

{5} HALO mode : High Altitude jump, Low Opening of parachute.  A parachuting method used by many military special forces units when absolute silence and discretion is required.

{6} HEAT round : High Explosive Anti-Tank.

{7} FLIR HUD: Forward-Looking InfraRed Head’s Up Display.

{8} NSA: National Security Agency.  American intelligence agency specialized in the listening, interception and decoding of electronic signals of all types around the World.

{9} Noforn: No Foreign Nationals.  Caveat added to American classified documents that are to be seen only by American citizens holding the proper clearance and access.

{10} Robert Dellum: Member of the Democratic Party and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee during the mid-nineties.  Known for his strong anti-war and anti-defense spending views.

{11} NRO: National Reconnaissance Office.  The American intelligence department in charge of analyzing all strategic-level photo-reconnaissance pictures taken by either spy planes or satellites.

{12} Stereoscopic photo pairs: aerial reconnaissance photos taken from the vertical and with at least 40% overlap in their coverage, so that three-dimensional relief could become visible, using a stereoscope.

{13} ICBM: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

{14} CINCLANT: Commander In Chief Atlantic.  The commander of all American naval forces in the Atlantic Ocean.

{15} CINCPAC: Commander-In-Chief Pacific.  The commander of all American naval forces in the Pacific Ocean.

{16} C.I.C. : Combat Information Center.  The C.I.C., where all the tactical information is assembled and analyzed and from where weapons are armed and activated, is the brain of a warship in combat.

{17} SSN : Nuclear attack submarine.

{18} SSGN : Guided missile-carrying nuclear submarine.

{19} I.R.S.T. : Infra-Red Search and Track system.  A totally passive detector that scans the horizon around a ship and detects the infra-red signatures of approaching ships and aircraft.

{20} ESM : Electronic Search Measures.  Part of an electronic warfare suite that passively detects the electronic emissions, both radio and radar, from other ships or aircraft.

{21} Schnitzel mitt spätzle : German recipe of fried veal in batter with buttered noodles.  Very popular in Germany. 

{22} NCIS : Navy Criminal Investigation Service.  In charge of investigating and prosecuting crimes committed aboard navy ships and installations, or crimes involving Navy personnel.

{23} Qhat : Plant whose leaves are used as a stimulant in many regions of Africa.

{24} Technicals: Nickname given by American soldiers to civilian-brand pickup trucks mounting heavy weapons, like heavy machine guns, recoiless guns and even light anti-aircraft cannons.  ‘Technicals’ are very popular with militia forces around Africa and the Middle East.

{25} Grand Poopa : Popular expression in the United States used to describe some important person, like a prominent politician.

{26} NRA : National Rifle Association.  Powerful American movement and political lobby opposed to any anti-gun regulation in the United States.  It also advocates the rights of all Americans to own guns, including assault weapons.

{27} ATF : Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.  A department of the U.S. Homeland Security administration in charge, among other things, of regulating the acquisition and use of firearms by American citizens, as per the laws regulating gun ownership within the various states of the U.S.A.

{28} UTV: Utility Task Vehicle.  Small vehicle able to carry two to four men,plus a limited amount of cargo through rough terrain, forested areas and soft ground.

{29} Dodge City : Famed small town of the 19th Century American West reputed for its lawlessness and high crime rate.  The expression ‘Let’s get out of Dodge!’ comes from that bad reputation. 

{30} Greenhorn : Popular (and deragotary) term in the American West to describe visitors from East Coast cities who are felt to be soft.

{31} The Nome Nugget : The oldest newspaper in Nome, Alaska.

{32} NBCW : Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare.

{33} Ground Zero : The epicenter of a nuclear explosion.