The Official Dictionary of Military Terms (published 1988)

This hardbound edition contains the complete text of the official Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms and was compiled and prepared by The Joint Military Terminology Group under the direction and authority of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Services, and Defense Agencies.

Its use has been authorized and mandated throughout the Department of Defense to ensure uniformity in the application and use of terms and definitions. Appendix A, following the Dictionary, contains a complete directory of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Coast Guard including their departments, agencies, and facilities. This section as well as the Dictionary itself should prove a useful tool for anyone dealing or communicating with the U.S. Department of Defense, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Inter-American Defense Board. It is especially recommended for contractors, suppliers, and consultants as well as editors and journalists.

The terms and definitions identified with NATO represent terms standardized and agreed upon for use within the NATO community. Entries identified with IADB represent terms standardized and agreed upon for use between member countries of the Inter-American Defense Board. The symbol / means that the entry has United States Government Interdepartmental approval for national usage. The symbol DOD marks the entry as official for DOD components, all of whom have been directed to use these terms and definitions without alteration. The criteria for creating and compiling the terms in this dictionary include their not being adequately defined in other standard dictionaries, that the terms have widespread military or associated significance, that weapons terms will be limited to important modern weapons, and that the terms and definitions in this Dictionary will not contain Classified information.

The dictionary has been authorized for use by U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Inter-American Defense Board (IADB). With a Directory of Departments, Agencies, and Facilities of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Coast Guard.

Symbols explained