Military Glossary
Preface
This document is dedicated to all the men and women who are involved with ensuring the national security of the
United States.
The following information was derived from these sources:
Body of Secrets by James Bamford.
Wizards of Langley by Jeffrey T. Richelson.
Top Secret Tourism by Harry Helms.
The Bureau by Ronald Kessler.
Newsweek magazine articles.
Time magazine articles.
Although I have attempted to gather and arrange the data into a comprehensive, understandable format, any errors and
omissions are mine and not attributable to
any other authors or works. This document was created prior to the reorganization of the intelligence community
following 9/11, so in many respects, it is
out-of-date.
This paper is designed to provide basic information to persons wishing to enter the US Intelligence Community and
those who desire a broader knowledge of it. This
paper is not intended to cover every aspect of the intel community.
Military Glossary
AFRO
The Air Force Requirements Office.
CIPHER
A system for concealing plain text by transposing the letters or numbers or substituting other letters or numbers according to a key. Also called
a "cryptosystem."
CIPA
The Classified Information Procedure Act, 1980. This act, also called the Graymail Act, prevented defendants from threatening to expose secret information to get
their charges dismissed.
CODE
A system for replacing words, phrases, letters or numbers by other words or groups of letters or numbers for concealment or brevity.
COG
Continuity of Government. This is an operation in which FEMA coordinates secret plans to move key government officials to underground bunkers for protection from
nuclear war or other dangers. One such bunker that is no longer operational is located beneath the Virginia Wing of the Greenbrier Inn in Virginia.
COMINT
Communications Intelligence - Information obtained for intelligence purposes from the intercept of foreign communications (by other than the intended
recipient).
COMPUSEC
Computer Security - The protection of computers from exploitation by foreign intelligence services and "hackers."
COMSEC
Communications Security - The protection of communications from exploitation by foreign intelligence services. This includes ensuring the security of U.S.
cryptosystems, the preventing electronic emissions from various communications equipment, and the physically protecting communications security
equipment.
CRYPTOLOGY
The science and art of making and breaking codes and ciphers.
CRYPTOGRAPHY
The science and art of making codes and ciphers.
CRYPTANALYSIS
The conversion of encrypted messages into plain text without having the initial knowledge of the key used in encryption.
CSS
Central Security Service - The CSS comprises all U.S. military elements - Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and works to ensure a full partnership between
NSA and the military.
CTSG9
The German hostage rescue team. It was formed after the 1972 Olympics kidnappings. Also see HRT.
DARO
The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office.
DARPA
This is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It is responsible for working with commercial companies
to develop advanced systems and components that will help further the technology of the U.S. It was DARPA that
funded and supported the universities that developed the Internet.
DDO
The Deputy Director for Operations, NSA/CSS.
DDI
The Deputy Director for Information Systems Security, NSA/CSS.
DDT
The Deputy Director for Technology, NSA/CSS.
DECODE
To convert from an encoded message to equivalent plain text.
DIRNSA
The Director, NSA/Chief, CSS
DoD
The Department of Defense.
Drycleaning
Spy jargon for the act of shaking surveillance. When driving a vehicle, drycleaning oneself is sometimes accomplished by driving into private driveways or
dead end streets.
ENCODE
To replace plain text words with code groups.
ENCRYPT
To conceal plain text by use of a code or cipher.
ELINT
Electronic Intelligence - Information obtained for intelligence purposes from the intercept of foreign electromagnetic non-communications transmissions (by other
than the intended recipient). The most common sources of this type of information are foreign radar signals.
ELT
The DIRNSA's Executive Leadership Team.
FISA
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 1978. This act established a court within the FBI that meets once a month to hear requests for intelligence intercepts
(e.g.: bugs to be planted).
FEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency whose primary mission is to move key government personnel into underground shelters in the event of nuclear war or
other emergency to maintain continuity of government (COG).
FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act.
GEP
The Air Force's Global Engagement Program.
HPSCI
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on NSA/CSS' intelligence activities.
HRT
FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. Also see CTSG9.
HUMINT
Intelligence collected by persons "on the ground" in the area where information is desired. Those people may be indigenous or infiltrated.
INFOSEC
Information Systems Security - The protection of information systems against unauthorized access to or modification of information, whether in storage, processing
or transit, and against the denial of service to authorized users or the provision of service to unauthorized users, including those measures necessary to detect,
document, and counter such threats.
INTERCEPT
The acquisition of electromagnetic signals such as radio or radar by using electronic equipment for the purpose of gathering intelligence information on foreign
entities. The material collected is itself sometimes referred to as "intercept."
IMINT
Imagery intelligence.
IOB
The President's Intelligence Oversight Board, which is charged with oversight of all U.S. foreign intelligence activities.
ISR
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance functions.
Ivy Bells
The code word for the operation of tapping a Soviet military undersea cable by a submarine.
JCS
The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Legat
An FBI field office located on foreign soil, by agreement with that foreign government.
MEGAHUT
The codeword for a secret FBI and NSA joint operation to install bugs and intercepts in the U.S. MEGAHUT headquarters was located in a four-story brownstone in
midtown Manhattan. It had "offsites" located in various cities. About 100 FBI agents were assigned to MEGAHUT in the 1990s.
MEPP
NSA/CSS' Mathematics Education Partnership Program.
OMB
The President's Office of Management and Budget.
OPSEC
Operations Security - The process of denying potential adversaries any information about capabilities and/or intentions by identifying, controlling and protecting
generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities.
NSA/CSS
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service.
NSC
The National Security Council. It advises the President on security matters.
NSCID
The National Security Council Intelligence Directive.
RPV
A Remote Piloted Vehicle.
SIGINT
Signals Intelligence - Information which contains (either individually or in combination) communications intelligence (COMINT), electronics intelligence (ELINT), and
foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT), however transmitted.
SEAD
The Suppression of Enemy Air Defense.
SECDEF
The United States Secretary of Defense.
SSCI
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which provides oversight on NSA/CSS intelligence activities.
Steganography
The embedding of codes in graphics to transmit a clandestine message.
SWAT
Acronym for Special Weapons And Tactics, the name of law enforcement teams that can apply force.
TELINT
Telemetry intelligence.
UAV
Unmanned Arial Vehicle.
UCAV
Unmanned Combat Arial Vehicle.
UNSUB
FBI jargon for "unidentified subject."
USA
United States Army (maintains its own intelligence organization).
USAF
United States Air Force (maintains its own intelligence organization).
USMC
United States Marines Corps (maintains its own intelligence organization).
USN
United States Navy (maintains its own intelligence organization).
UTA
Unmanned Tactical Aircraft.